Beginning The Work Day
We've been talking a lot about "order" at work. So what does an orderly work day look like?.
Let's start with that alarm that shakes us out of what was ideally a peaceful night of restful sleep. That alarm calls us to our ora et labora - prayer and work. We start with prayer, the Morning Offering. We're talking to Jesus here, right away, offering our whole day to Him. It's a good start. You can get up now or, perhaps this is your time for a little extra time with Our Lord - a few minutes of meditation. I like to say something simple: "Thank You for this fresh new day to know, love, and serve You." Then I ask for in increase in a couple of virtues I sorely need built up. Simple.
Then it's up for 15 minutes or so of "wake up" exercise: nothing strenuous. Just gets body and mind in motion. The movements mix with some short prayers. After that, a tall glass or two of fresh cold water. Your body dehydrates to some extent overnight. It needs the water. You'll feel better right away.
By now your mind/body "engine" is whirring smoothly - at least most mornings. So what's next? How about some reading and study for the soul. I'm up early enough so that I've got at least an hour to spend on just this: reading Holy Scripture, solid spiritual works, studying my Catholic religion. The coffee was made last night and the automatic brewing kicks in at some point. I'll break for a cup at some point. Otherwise, since I'm usually the first one up, it's quiet, peaceful, perfect for concentrating on my reading and study.
There's the alarm on my phone for the Angelus at 6 AM: A few minutes praying to Our Lady. That alarm will go off at noon and 6 PM. On good days, I'll say the Angelus all three times.
Most mornings, there's a little early work to get done: maybe answering an email, writing, checking the day's schedule, etc. Then it's morning exercise, this time more vigorous stuff. Being a "morning person," I've learned that morning exercise suits me best. It could be a walk, or stuff I do indoors. It depends. Then shower, shave, dress, and some breakfast - sometimes at home, sometimes I pack something: something not sugary, not all carbs; something nutritious, in light of the fact that my body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit. Yes, I do remember that. And, yes, it helps me stick with a diet that's nutritious, among other things.
So now maybe others in the household are up. There's talk, activity. You've taken advantage of early morning quiet, and now it's time to expand your attention to the rest of the world. If you commute, it's out the door. If you work at home, it's off to your work space. These days, I'm commuting less, working from home more. That suits what I do for a living well. I don't miss having co-workers around me all day. My work is something like that of a craftsman, although some days I'm on the phone with clients and professional colleagues more than others. Either way works fine.
Your circumstances and your temperament will dictate how you work: with lots of people, few people, no people; in a noisy space, or a quiet space. commute or not. I've done them all at various times starting with my teenage years, when I worked summers and part-time during the school year. Each seemed appropriate at the time. My current circumstances are just fine for my temperament.
So we start with ora (prayer) and transition into mostly labora (work). But we're not leaving prayer in the dust when we hit the road to start that work day. We're not "done" with our spiritual life when we head out the door in the morning (or evening if you work nights). Our spiritual life and our work life aren't mutually exclusive. We don't leave one for the other. They don't even stand side by side: turn right to work, left to pray. They're intertwined, part of a whole.
The thing is, it's not easy - at least for me - to intertwine my spiritual life with my work throughout the day. Sure, I've got the intention to do so. But it's all too often that I start the day with that intention and then drown in my work, only to come up for air at the end of the day. Next time we'll look at how the rest of the work day goes, and how we might better intertwine our daily labor with our spiritual lives.
Let's start with that alarm that shakes us out of what was ideally a peaceful night of restful sleep. That alarm calls us to our ora et labora - prayer and work. We start with prayer, the Morning Offering. We're talking to Jesus here, right away, offering our whole day to Him. It's a good start. You can get up now or, perhaps this is your time for a little extra time with Our Lord - a few minutes of meditation. I like to say something simple: "Thank You for this fresh new day to know, love, and serve You." Then I ask for in increase in a couple of virtues I sorely need built up. Simple.
Then it's up for 15 minutes or so of "wake up" exercise: nothing strenuous. Just gets body and mind in motion. The movements mix with some short prayers. After that, a tall glass or two of fresh cold water. Your body dehydrates to some extent overnight. It needs the water. You'll feel better right away.
By now your mind/body "engine" is whirring smoothly - at least most mornings. So what's next? How about some reading and study for the soul. I'm up early enough so that I've got at least an hour to spend on just this: reading Holy Scripture, solid spiritual works, studying my Catholic religion. The coffee was made last night and the automatic brewing kicks in at some point. I'll break for a cup at some point. Otherwise, since I'm usually the first one up, it's quiet, peaceful, perfect for concentrating on my reading and study.
There's the alarm on my phone for the Angelus at 6 AM: A few minutes praying to Our Lady. That alarm will go off at noon and 6 PM. On good days, I'll say the Angelus all three times.
Most mornings, there's a little early work to get done: maybe answering an email, writing, checking the day's schedule, etc. Then it's morning exercise, this time more vigorous stuff. Being a "morning person," I've learned that morning exercise suits me best. It could be a walk, or stuff I do indoors. It depends. Then shower, shave, dress, and some breakfast - sometimes at home, sometimes I pack something: something not sugary, not all carbs; something nutritious, in light of the fact that my body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit. Yes, I do remember that. And, yes, it helps me stick with a diet that's nutritious, among other things.
So now maybe others in the household are up. There's talk, activity. You've taken advantage of early morning quiet, and now it's time to expand your attention to the rest of the world. If you commute, it's out the door. If you work at home, it's off to your work space. These days, I'm commuting less, working from home more. That suits what I do for a living well. I don't miss having co-workers around me all day. My work is something like that of a craftsman, although some days I'm on the phone with clients and professional colleagues more than others. Either way works fine.
Your circumstances and your temperament will dictate how you work: with lots of people, few people, no people; in a noisy space, or a quiet space. commute or not. I've done them all at various times starting with my teenage years, when I worked summers and part-time during the school year. Each seemed appropriate at the time. My current circumstances are just fine for my temperament.
So we start with ora (prayer) and transition into mostly labora (work). But we're not leaving prayer in the dust when we hit the road to start that work day. We're not "done" with our spiritual life when we head out the door in the morning (or evening if you work nights). Our spiritual life and our work life aren't mutually exclusive. We don't leave one for the other. They don't even stand side by side: turn right to work, left to pray. They're intertwined, part of a whole.
The thing is, it's not easy - at least for me - to intertwine my spiritual life with my work throughout the day. Sure, I've got the intention to do so. But it's all too often that I start the day with that intention and then drown in my work, only to come up for air at the end of the day. Next time we'll look at how the rest of the work day goes, and how we might better intertwine our daily labor with our spiritual lives.
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