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Whenever we think of routines, we think of the grind. We think of the hustle, the sleepless nights, and the pure hard work we need to get there.
We rarely acknowledge or notice the softer, kinder things we need to make routines work. Or when we do, we always see it as something we have to offset. If we're consistent, that's the only time we get to be kind to ourselves. When we have exerted a conscious effort to practice kindness, we feel like we have to double the amount of work we put into our routines. The push and pull of both extremes make it hard to slip into rituals that last enough to push us into the progress we see for ourselves.
Our solution: introducing grace with consistency. Here's why and how you can do it:
Why you need grace when it comes to consistency
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Let's say we miss a day of movement in your goal to feel more in tune with your body. How do we initially react to having to miss it because we're simply unable to— or quite frankly, feel like we want to do something completely different instead? Sometimes, we feel discouraged and guilty about being unable to stay in that one flow that we give up on trying altogether.
That is when grace comes in. Grace allows us to have those off moments when sometimes, all we can give is a portion of our hundred percent. It reminds us that it's okay and completely human to never stay in one current state. Allowing ourselves the kindness to have that— the grace to pick up from where we left off and continue with a better mindset and outlook on progress makes it easier for us to maintain and fall in love with our routines. No more having to go to extremes. Just living in that sweet middle ground: the most conducive place for our routines & selves to thrive.
How to practice grace in routines
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Encourage slow days. Instead of just allowing slow days, encourage the idea that you don't always need to be at your one hundred percent all the time to make progress. A fraction is still part of a whole— and it's way better than giving up completely.
Make room for adjustments. Remember: you are the designer of your routine. Try not to feel like all routines you set out for yourself are absolute and set in stone and that any adjustments to make it easier for you to sustain and maintain make it a failure altogether. Make wiggle room. Adjust. It's alright and won't make your progress less significant.
Keep mindful note. How we feel about our routines usually makes or breaks how well we maintain them. Try to practice mindfulness and see what you can add or take away from your routine to make it something worth looking forward to. Be aware— move toward the feeling.
Know you can do it again. Aside from actions, a lot of sustaining routines come from the mindset we pair them with. Keep a kind mind by reminding yourself that you are absolutely free to start or restart your routines— at any time and point in your journey.
Embrace your difference. What works for others won't necessarily work for you, and that's completely okay. Give yourself the grace to find what's right for you, and don't feel tethered to a particular way to go about your routines. Explore. Find what suits you. See where grace and consistency will take it.
To match with every skin journey— personalized and designed to make it easier to be consistent with skin.
The recipe for progress
We always think that grit and steady mindset is the only key to keeping routines, but to maintain them requires a certain amount of grace to go with our commitment if it goes with our consistency. Take this as a reminder that next time you start to wonder how to make routines work for you. Onwards.