Everyday tasks such as driving to work, walking to class, going to the gym and getting ready for bed appear boring on the surface. Routines can easily become mundane and it’s easy to drag through the daily duties without thought, only looking forward to the next weekend, the next holiday, the next year.
I, too, have spent many of my days only waiting for the next day to arrive, never stopping to live in the moment. However, I recently heard this quote that changed my perspective on my daily life.
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
Although simple, this quote from Annie Dillard’s “The Writing Life” has stuck with me ever since I first heard it. After a long day, I’ve often told myself that there is no need to worry. It’s just one day. This is true, but it’s important to note that those days add up and amount to your life, and even the smallest choices each day can demonstrate how you will live overall.
This is where the notion of romanticizing life comes in. Romanticizing is defined as making something seem better or more appealing than it really is — wearing rose-colored glasses and seeing beauty in every corner. Romanticizing life is about finding an appreciation for the simplest day-to-day things and in turn, having an appreciation for yourself by romanticizing your routine.
Since moving to IU, I have made more of an effort to romanticize my days in an effort to not only see the good in my everyday life, but also to show respect to myself by actively embracing the good daily.
For example, I have a morning routine in place that includes making my bed, doing yoga, sipping on a V8 Energy drink while I play The New York Times games before I get ready for the gym. Just as easily as I could lay in bed and scroll for hours, I could get up and do a few simple things that make me more excited to wake up each morning.
Once I complete The New York Times games and probably get frustrated at that day’s Connections, I get ready to romanticize my next task: the gym. I used to struggle a lot with consistency in the gym, and it was not until I forced myself to romanticize going that I started to look forward to every lift. For me, romanticizing the gym just means putting on an outfit that I like, listening to music that puts me in a good mood and actively thinking about how I am working out to better myself, and how lucky am I to be able to do that?
Another activity I have found I must romanticize is studying. As a college student, it can be so difficult at times to get to class and get your work done when it feels like there are a million different tasks to complete. It sounds silly but putting on a good study playlist (I recommend some Bon Iver or Mac Demarco) and taking organized, aesthetic notes can make all the difference in getting through a draining study session.
The ingredients necessary to romanticize your life are already in front of you in your everyday tasks. Next time you take your daily walk to class, lift your head up and observe the colors of the trees or the squirrels chasing each other across the grass. When you study after class, get out of your bedroom, and visit a new library or coffee shop. After your day is complete, make it a point to organize your space, do an activity that you enjoy and reflect on something positive that happened in your day, no matter how small.
Just because you are romanticizing your routines does not guarantee you a great day. Life happens and sometimes a day is just rough. But while every day cannot be good, there is something good in every day.
