Grateful 19 Mar: Quiet Routine

Today was, in every sense, a very routine day. There was no urgency, no pressure, no expectations - a clear contrast to the previous few days of training, meet-ups, meals, and constant movement. Moving from one thing to another, watching the time, trying to get somewhere, meet someone, deliver something - all these come with their own inherent stress of deadlines. Today, none of that was present. And for that, I am grateful. Let me share more: 

• Predictability. The day unfolded with no plans, and things moved along routinely - wake up, meditate, breakfast, housework, lunch, a walk, and so on. In other words, very predictable. Someone once told me that when things get too predictable, the mind switches off and one becomes lazy. I can see that. But I also think predictability gives the mind the opportunity to rest. And rest creates capacity - for the mind to be more open and more ready when it needs to engage. Today didn’t demand much from me mentally, and I needed that. 

• Freedom. I had full freedom of control over my day. The decisions were simple - what to eat, what to cook, where to go, what to do next. Nothing big, nothing heavy. I was accountable only to myself, and somehow that made everything feel lighter. No expectations to manage, no one else to coordinate with. Just me deciding, moment to moment. I ended up going to Tampines, had my kopi-o kosong at Simei, walked through Giant and FairPrice, and bought nothing. And that was perfectly fine. There was no agenda, and no stress. 

• Ease. And from that predictability and control came a sense of ease. Life felt simple today. Familiar. Unhurried. There was nothing to chase, nothing to prove, nothing waiting at the end of the day that I needed to deliver. It was just… a day. Boring even. But it was a restful one. It gave me space to slow down and just be. And perhaps that is its role - to balance out the days where everything feels like it is moving a bit too fast. 

Uneventful days are often seen as boring or even wasteful. Since transitioning from corporate life to that of a freelancer, I have had to remind myself, time and again, that I need to get used to having more time on my hands. And truth be told, it does take some getting used to. Waking up late may be seen as laziness, but I am learning to reframe it - as focusing on my well-being, and recognising that I deserve it. Today is one such day. And for this quiet sense of ease, I am grateful.