As life has changed a fair bit lately (read my Life Update post if you don’t know), I also need to update my 2023 rule of life. I am probably not going to add anything because life has gotten super busy but we’ll see. Here are some ideas I’m playing around with.
Walks
Since my days reporting in the Bronx require a good dose of walking, I’m probably not going to track my walks anymore since I am getting in thousands of steps and don’t need to encourage myself to get outside. That said, on my days off that I’m not getting out the door, I will definitely try to go on my usual walks.
Bedtime
I haven’t been the best at this one. My body has been out of whack for a year (honestly probably since Israel), and so sleeping is a struggle for me. I sometimes get home from school at 9pm, so I want to adjust this rule and say that as long as I’m in bed at the latest by 12, I’m okay. I just don’t want to do what I did in college: stay up until 2am and fall asleep surrounded by my books as I was still doing homework. (My last year of college was truly insane.) I also am going to scale back. I love Compline but it can be a lot when I’m tired. The Song of Simeon is my favorite but I’m going to work with the energy I do have.
Driver License
I am here to say that I did not pass my driving test the first time I took it. That absolutely sucks but I’ll get there eventually. Just maybe not this year.
Reading Widely
I think I’ve been much better at this than I was last year. I’ve read a few books that have been challenging but good. At this time, I want to read challenging fiction, instead of trying out other genres. I just really do love worldbuilding and the escapism of reading and that can be hard with heavier subject matter. I’m not saying those harder books don’t matter: they definitely do, but I have a lot on my plate right now, so reading should be the most enjoyable thing for me.
Also, I want to read more physical books than ebooks. I love the ease of ebooks but it’s so much more comforting to read a real book on the train.
Pray More
Last but not least, I’ve definitely been praying. I’ve fallen out of praying for the BCP Morning Prayer and I have a shorter version of my own I try to pray regularly. I want to pay more attention to what I pray during a month, even going back and reading my written prayers. Just yesterday, I read an old prayer and literally realized I’m living in that prayer now.
Also, by my school, there’s a cathedral with weekly services and I want to try to go on a week where I don’t have to be traveling to the Bronx on Monday or Wednesday.
We have to revamp our rule of life
Just a reminder: a rule of life isn’t static. It moves when you move. When your life changes, you should expect your habits and rituals to change too. I still do my morning quiet time, but these days it looks a lot shorter. I try to spend my Saturday cleaning, so that I can actually rest on Sunday. I do a weekly meal prep on Mondays.
Your rituals may change too. Maybe as you’ve left home for a new city. You grab a coffee out at a new coffee shop instead of making one at home. Maybe you’re a new church denomination or trying to go more regularly. Perhaps you finally have space to build that workout routine you’ve been longing for. Or maybe it’s a season of rest where you can truly relax after running so hard.
You don’t have to feel ashamed or upset that your rule of life changes. You embrace it. Because life is seasonal and the changes are constant.
Hope you enjoyed this shorter post! See you next week!
Signing off,
Gigi
Studying Life with Gigi 