What Rhythms Mean to Anna
Thanks for stopping by, friend — Anna here.
If you’re anything like me, all our talk about ‘rhythms’ might seem a bit nebulous. I’m a pretty straight shooter and direct communicator. Sometimes terms that aren’t very mainstream trip me up. What does it all actually mean?
Here’s how I think of it: to me, rhythms are habitual intentions I set to help me live my best life. And when I say my best life, I probably mean something different than the world’s definition. My best life = healthy, purposeful, joyful, abundant. My best life allows me to focus on the things that matter, filling me up in a way that I can continue pouring out.
The key pieces of my definition are intentions and me/my. Intention matters, because it’s not the end of the world if I get out of my rhythms for a few days; they’re just that — what I intend to do, not the end all be all of my happiness and health. It’s most healthy for me to look at these as intentions instead of goals; as an enneagram 3, hard and fast goals can often lead me to a place of striving for the sake of achieving. Intentions feel more gentle — an aim or a plan, not something to be achieved.
Me/my matters, because my personal rhythms work for me (maybe not for everyone) — and I’m the one who keeps them and holds myself accountable. Rhythms are for your sake, your health, your overall betterment — so it’s important that they work for you! With that said, here are some of mine.
MY QUARTERLY RHYTHM
Here at Go + Tell Gals, we’ve been using a framework called the 12 Week Year (outlined in this book). Basically, the premise is that you underestimate what you can do in 12 months, and you can easily get off track or complacent in that time frame. The 12 Week Year creates a sense of urgency to do what matters most now. In this method, we set our business goals in 12-week timeframes (which is almost a quarter) — and we then create new task lists each week that directly pertain to accomplishing those overall 12 week goals. Our team has loved the clarity this gives, and I’ve found myself (loosely) structuring my personal rhythms in a similar manner. The format of setting new intentions quarterly helps keep me focused and motivated.
Once I set overall quarterly goals, I break those down into weekly and daily rhythms. Right now, those look like…
WEEKLY RHYTHMS
Create a weekly task list oriented around 12 Week Year goals
At Go + Tell Gals, we create an overall weekly task list and assign tasks to corresponding team members to ensure we’re working together to reach our overall goals. I’ve found it’s helpful for me to also do this on a personal level — both for work and life. I’ll create a weekly work task list on the Stickies app on my MacBook. I’ll list out everything I know I need to do that week, and keep adding and crossing out throughout the week. Having my tasks clearly written out helps me stay on track.
On the personal side, I do this in the Notes app on my iPhone. I’ll start a new note with errands I need to run, appointments I have scheduled, people I need to call or text, meals for the week, so on. I delete as I go, but the same applies here as my work list — having a visual list helps me prioritize the right things.Place a grocery order
While I’ll still make one-off trips to the grocery store when necessary, online grocery ordering was a practice I started during the uncertainty of the pandemic, and I’ll never fully go back! On Sunday or Monday night (just depending on the week), I grab my laptop while unwinding with a show on TV. I think through meals for the week and build a grocery order around those. I’ll schedule a pickup for the next day, and have a full fridge/pantry for the week. I love this for 2 reasons: 1 — it does the heavy lifting for me. After a full day at work, I don’t have to think about what to make for dinner, it’s already decided! 2 — it helps me make intentional, rather than impulsive, choices. Instead of ordering takeout or snacking on junk food, I have healthy options at my fingertips.
Plan a date night in advance
This practice keeps my husband and me in a hopeful mindset throughout the week. The weekend prior, we’ll decide on a date night for the upcoming week. We might make a reservation at a restaurant, or we might just plan to make a meal at home and eat together on our back patio — but no matter what we do, it gives us a set time to look forward to in our week and prioritizes intentional time together.
Plan exercise for the week in advance
This quarter, I’m really prioritizing exercise, which means planning 4-5 workouts a week. If I don’t go into the week knowing when I’ll complete these workouts, I simply won’t. I plan out my exercise schedule at the start of the week, so that I don’t let the week pass me by without intentional movement. Most weeks, this looks like running on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and completing a strength training workout on Wednesday and Saturday.
Sunday night dinner at home
Sundays used to often be spent away from home, either at the beach or out with friends, but I feel most at peace and rested for the week ahead if Sunday nights are spent at home. A healthy, home-cooked meal, cleaning the kitchen, picking up the rest of the house, and prepping for the week ahead is the typical Sunday night agenda at the Victorson’s.
DAILY RHYTHMS
Set my alarm across the room at night
I LOVE sleep. Those who know me best would not exactly describe me as a morning person. I’m a serial snoozer, so if my alarm is next to me, I’ll keep pressing it. The only way to ensure I wake up when I intend to is to physically get out of bed to turn off my alarm. Annoying? Yes. Helpful? Also yes.
Set my workout clothes out at night
… Another helpful rhythm to maximize my morning sleep time! If I set all of my exercise accessories out the night before (full outfit, running belt, mat/weights, etc.), it saves me valuable minutes in the morning and it makes it more difficult for me to justify skipping a workout.
Get outside
This one is simple and I don’t put a lot of stipulations around it, but 20-30 minutes in the fresh air is just transformative. Whether this is part of a workout (I only run outside) or walking my sweet little dog, as long as the weather allows, I make it a priority to get outside every day.
That’s what I’ve got! I hope you leave feeling freed up — rhythms aren’t prescriptive or definitive. They’re for you and your own personal best life, whatever that looks like for you! Our Rhythms of Worship & Work course is an amazing deep dive into structuring your life with rhythms to keep your eyes on what matters. If you’re ready to create some rhythms of your own, it’s for you!
Do you set any goals or intentions for yourself? What have you found that works for you? I want to hear them! DM Go and Tell Gals here — let’s talk.
Grateful for you, friend!