It seems only natural to have a rhythm – nature has a rhythm of seasons, tides have a rhythm of coming in and going out, birds have a rhythm of migrating north and south.  It makes sense that we, as part of the natural world, should have rhythms as well.  And in fact, we do!  Often times we aren’t conscience of them though; we get up, get dressed, check email or social media.  If we have kids, we get them dressed, fed, and off to school.  Then the day starts, we have meetings, projects, and presentations that must be given.  The day ends; we rush home, pick up the kids, feed the kids, take the kids to sports, watch TV, go to bed.  All of this is a rhythm – but is it a rhythm that I can dance to?

When I think of rhythm I think of Aretha Franklin, BB King, really anyone you can dance to or anticipate where they are going.  When I think of what rhythm is not, I think of Steve Martin in the opening scene during the movie “The Jerk” – he had no idea how to catch the up or the down beat.  There have definitely been times in my life where I have been Steve Martin – I have no idea where the up or the down beat is and I am just trying to catch up.

Work wise, one of my most trying times  was during one deployment when we were always on alert and any sort of rhythm was difficult to maintain.  We would be called upon to launch at a moments notice, no matter the time of day or night.  We could be eating, sleeping, or going about normal work when the alarm would sound and off we would run to the briefing room and aircraft.

What can we do to fix this?  I have learned through experience both at home and at work that establishing a daily or weekly rhythm allows me time to breathe, think, and act.  In the military, we use what is called a “battle rhythm”, in which no matter what is going on, you conduct certain actions.  I distinctly remember being in the middle of an attack, where despite the chaos, we had established procedures in which I performed certain actions – actions that allowed me to be successful.  At home, I tend to shy away from the term battle rhythm as I don’t consider my home a battle ground, I instead refer to it simply as my “daily schedule.”

When I developed my daily schedule I first thought of the things important to me such as spiritual, relational, and physical actions and then placed them in a logical manner throughout my day.  So, what does the flow of my day look like?

1-First thing – Spiritual.  For me this means I meditate, pray and read the Bible.

2-Check the news.  My favorite sites for news are newsmap.jp and npr.org

3-Physical.  I am a runner and therefore I run!

4-Work.

5-Mid-day coffee with a colleague.

6-Dinner as a family and bedtime for the kiddo – this is where I connect.

7-Read – I end the day with reading and journaling.

Now, this is a rhythm and is not an absolute.  While the timing and the order of how I flow through my day changes, the shell of what I do does not.  This allows for me to remain grounded and rested no matter where I am – whether it be at home, in combat, or on a business trip.  What does your rhythm look like?