This week, I took part in an online community project where I documented one day of my life, hour by hour. I hadn’t planned to participate, even though I’d been hearing about it for weeks. But when I woke up on Wednesday morning and realized that today was the day, I snapped a quick pic and decided to jump in.
I shared the images in real time in my Instagram stories. As I documented the day, here are some things I noticed:
I’m in the car a lot.
This one is relatively obvious. Back and forth for hours. I don’t love it, but I also don’t hate it.
Time in the car isn’t always a bonding time, but it’s consistent, dedicated time to be in close proximity to the kids. I’m subjected to their full range of moods (and they are to mine). Sometimes we don’t talk at all, but I’m available when they suddenly feel the urge to tell me something. Sometimes we listen to music. I learn about the new stuff. They learn that some music they like is actually old stuff.
Documenting the day made me more accountable to the routine.
I actually have routines. I just don’t always follow them. It’s hard for me to stop what I’m doing and transition to the next thing. It’s a bad habit that always makes me late. Snapping photos made me more conscious of the time, and it helped me mentally shift gears and ease out of one thing and into the next.
My ideal day is an ordinary one.
And by ordinary I mean typical, and relatively uneventful. Sure, ordinary days can start to feel monotonous, even boring. It can leave one craving adventure. And also, there’s so much to be observed, admired and thankful for in the typical and uneventful days.
I want the ordinary days more often than I want the celebratory days.
If life were the food pyramid, regular life would be at the bottom—the foundation—taking up the most space. Big events and big fun would be closer to the top—at the top because it’s exciting and fun, and also because I need less of it.
I’m the first to wreck my own ordinary day.
Work and life gets mixed up. I’m constantly trying to decide what’s the priority? Do I need to do this, or that? Can it wait? Can I get it done real quick? If I focus on this now, is it going to make me late to the next thing?
I make better decisions when I give myself margin.
(See above about being more accountable to the routine). Margin can look like allowing 15 minutes to transition from work mode to mom mode. It can look like taking a quiet moment to eat and watch Gilmore Girls.
Bringing my full presence to any given moment also brings more peace.
It’s true that snapping photos and having our phones glued to us all day can take us out of the moment. But it can also bring us in. Documenting my day in a mindful way will help me remember this season of life. It also encouraged me to eat, exercise and go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Give it a try.
Perhaps this weekend, or one day next week. Jot moments down in your journal, snap photos or both. You don’t have to post it on social media like I did, but you can if you like.
You never know what you might discover about your life. What might be missing for you. What you have in abundance. It might give you a clearer picture of the season that you’re in. It might help you develop more discipline; give yourself more grace.
Hi! I’m Angie Mizzell. I’m glad you’re here.
I’m the author of the coming-of-age memoir “Girl in the Spotlight.” It’s the story of how I learned to let go of society’s narrow definition of success, break cycles of the past, and come home to myself.
I have long suspected that ordinary days are the best! Thanks for bringing us along and confirming my suspicion 😍❤️