A day in the life
If I’m not on a flight or in another city, surprisingly to many, there are a few days in my week that aren’t “crazy spontaneous.” Although very seasonal dependent, there are four days where life for me is simple and routine—and I actually find it peaceful. Manifesting goals, practicing good habits, and dedicating time where it matters most. Work life balance is something I feel strongly about. Working hard and playing harder. The decisions I make in my every day routine nurture my mental game, as well as my emotional well being. According to the State of American Vacation 2018 study conducted by the U.S. Travel Association, 52% of employees reported having unused vacation days left over at the end of the year. Skip the trip, when was the last time you took a day off just to learn something new? To refresh your mindset, de-clutter your life, or catch up with a hobby you once daydreamed over? You need to know when to put in the work and when to disconnect. Wake up with me and see what a “normal” day is like in my shoes.
hello s u n r i s e.
I only set one morning alarm on my phone, and it’s the alarm to make sure I leave the house on time (on a work day). I naturally wake up between 5:30-6:30am. No alarm necessary. Alexa, roll the blinds up and tell me the forecast. Preferably sunny with blue skies is how I like my coffee— but hold the actual coffee because this girl doesn’t need that. If you’re ever around me, music is aaalways playing. At night I pick one of my soft acoustic or classical playlists so I will switch it in the am to however I feel that morning. The very first thing I do is either respond to my mom’s message or text her. We text each other every single morning. Then I will check my calendar to review my day. My days are usually booked out a month ahead with some sort of “event/notification” happening each day. I rely heavily on my calendar to keep myself in check. Depending on the day of the week it determines which location I pop into for clients, which flight I need to check in for, or who I need to touch base with if we have a meeting/plans.
While still in bed, immediately followed, I’ll grab my second phone and check emails and text messages— I typically only respond to what’s critical; Touching base with clients, my family, or whoever I have meetings/dinner reservations with. Following, I’ll do my language lesson of the day. Currently brushing up on my French and Spanish. It’s a fun little memory test to get my brain warmed up. I’ll review through notifications, my investment portfolios, check blog stats, and of course, my horoscope. Mornings are very calm and slow starters for me— and unless it’s real estate related, I hold a firm NO on forcing myself to be somewhere or meet anyone. This little window of time has always been my “down time.” There’s a calmness in the room. It’s intentionally peaceful. The sun is slowly kissing the bed sheets. Warmth under the blanket, messy hair, and i’m lounging in my slip dress. I love how mellow I feel. There is absolutely no rush to be anywhere and it’s a decision I make for myself every morning. I like to ease into my day because once I’m up, I’m going full speed.
I’m the type of person who does things “on the dot.” So, 8am exactly, I’ll make my bed. Every. Single. Morning. I’ll step into the bathroom, Alexa, play something upbeat. I love a good playlist to get you all hyped up. It takes me about forty-five minutes to get ready for the day. Brush my teeth, skincare regimen, apply make up, fix hair and then to my closet. I choose to get ready every single day because it’s important to me. I hardly wear jeans. You won’t see me out in leggings as a “look” unless I am on my way to take Pilates. I’d say about 90% of the year I’m in a dress or pencil skirt. The other 8% is a business pant, and then there’s athleisure wear to Pilates. I put effort into my outfit because It reflects how I am going to feel for the entire day—but most importantly, how I feel reflects the energy I send out. I’m a firm believer in “look good, feel good” mindset.
8:50am now. I’ll head to the kitchen, take an immunity boost shot, take my vitamins, and grab my green juice. I never get coffee. I don’t need it. Never did. Never have. On a work day, I will make some rendition of an avocado toast, and enjoy it on my drive. Any other day, I usually have a lunch date planned with someone as my first meal. I always pack lunch on days I see clients. I don’t have time to hop out to grab something, and when I’m extra strict about my workout schedule, meal prepping allows me to get what I need in as far as diet. My diet is relatively clean and straight forward. No red meat. Lots of sushi. Green juice regularly. Loveee carbs. Summer time I’ll enjoy alcohol more but typically I try to hold a “no alcohol rule” during the week for myself. I’m all about a good buzz when I’m traveling or at dinner with good company but I prefer to keep my mental game clean and clear. Even one glass slows me down slightly the next morning. I just don’t feel as sharp. I guess that’s 30 for you. For a normal work day, I am usually eating leftovers at lunch. Something with salmon or veggies. Nothing crazy fancy.
My drive to work consists of listening to a little NPR news to catch up on world events, then I switch to a business podcast, or my spotify playlist. Sun roof open, seat heater on, and I’m cruising. Life is best not rushed.
9:20am. My typical “in office” work week is Tuesday to Friday and my work day begins at 10am. It’s normal for me to arrive forty-five minutes early and I often tend to be the first in the office. What’s the saying, “If you’re on time, you’re late?” I take time to review through any concerns about my day with our receptionist and touch base with any last messages before I disconnect from my phone. During my work day, I can see up to thirteen clients, max at fifteen a day so it’s really easy for me to neglect my messages on these days. This is why I put the “read” notification on so people can see if I have acknowledged their message. I’m not into day time chit chat. I don’t really touch base with people if I don’t necessarily need to. Listen, we’re all busy. When I’m in work mode, that’s my priority. There’s a reason why I value dinner time because that’s where I make a conscious effort in being present in conversation. Dinner time is where I really listen, engage, and connect.
que s u n s e t.
My day ends around 5-6pm—pending what my schedule looks like. I am either meeting someone for dinner, or most often I’ll head straight to work out. I am not a fan of winter so I tend to hibernate. Meanwhile summer time is the latter. I looove a good sunset patio chat with a friend, or even a golden hour run through the park. B.C. era, (before Covid) my work outs ended around 7:30-8pm at the gym. I take my time, I decompress, stretch, and enjoy this alone time. The second best part of my day is being at the gym. I love working out at night. In my line of work, I pride myself in taking care of my clients, but that really goes beyond superficially. It’s a balance of emotional support and friendship. My bond with my clients has become a vital part of my long term success and to many of them, I am their motivational spokesperson, their diary, their shoulder when life feels tough, and the person they confide in when they need advice. The best part of my career(s) is that the moment I step out of the doors, I leave my work, at work. I don’t carry any stress into my personal at-home life. I can feel a little wilted, naturally from listening all day and being supportive to others so an intense workout or run feels like a breath of fresh air. From here is dinner. With how life is currently during a Pandemic, and it’s currently winter, I’ve scaled back from dining out. I’m the type of person who does things in extremes. If it’s summer time, I am your social butterfly. I love being outside, dinner on a patio at golden hour. If it’s winter, you won’t hear from me. I literally go into hibernation. I become a homebody. Recharge, reset, relax. A few times during the week I’ll have dinner with my parent’s. Family time is very important to me and I make them a big priority in my life. We’ll connect about politics, real estate, work, where I’ve been traveling. I love being at home.
It’s somewhere about 9pm now. Most people typically will ease into the evening but for me, this is when I truly start to get creative. Everything I processed from the day, pockets of inspiration and ideas rush out here. I’ll step into the office and work on content for the blog, or real estate vision boards. Often i’ll take this time to do continued education on design, finance, business. I do a lot of research in the evenings and teach myself about the things I am curious about. I hardly watch television unless it’s a sports game I’m currently following, or a television series that really interests me (and then I’ll go on full binge mode and this is really rare.) My last binge was Narcos Mexico. (Soo good!)
Slowly unwinding. I’ll undress, shower, floss, brush, apply my skincare regimen. I’ll make my way into bed and sink into my pillows. This feeling is eeeverything. The first few seconds in bed feel so unbelievably good. 10:30pm and a little jingle goes off my phone—My bedtime alarm is now automatically activated. This means if you are not my parents, or my brother, I most likely will not be reachable. Unless I’m flirting with someone, I don’t text anyyyyone after this time. I silent all my notifications, emails, text messages, and disconnect from the world. Sometimes I’ll spend a little more time on social media or start adding to my online shopping cart. It’s somewhere around 11pm. I’ll turn my sleep playlist on, put my phone on the night stand, close my eyes, and I will fall straight to sleep. I have absolutely no problem falling deep into sleep.
zzZ . . .
Monday is always my day off from seeing clients. I am either traveling, working on anything real estate related, or working on content for the blog. I do something self care related, get an intense Pilates session in, and take my time shopping through Target. Unless it’s real estate related/or family, I hold a firm “i’m busy” and I will not meet with anyone on Monday. It’s my day to detox from social life. I usually have a two to three hour lunch with my mom somewhere if I’m home in Denver. We’ll laugh, she’ll drink her bubbly, and we’ll restaurant hop. It’s a good time. Monday is a day where I can make it whatever I want it to be. It is my favourite day of the entire week. I start it feeling refreshed, relaxed, and re-inspired. I can stay in bed for as long as I want, or have an extended lunch into happy hour. I decide how I want to start my week and there’s a powerful feeling in that.
Weekends are free game as well for me. At the end of each month I decide how I want to spend the next month’s weekend and into the calendar it goes. Whether I want to hop into the medical spa for a few hours and see clients, work on real estate, or take a flight out somewhere, I make that decision. Quality of life is so important to me. I like having autonomy in choosing how I spend my Saturday and Sundays. The extended weekend allows me to hop on a flight somewhere spontaneously or put more hours in when I need to. There are so many people whose industry requires them to earn time to accumulate for “just a weekend off.” I value time and it’s important that I decide how I want to spend my life. Working smarter, giving 100% effort when i’m involved, and truly stepping away to disconnect and refresh my mind is essential to a healthy, productive lifestyle.
We only get one chance at each day.
What decision are you making in your every day life that is allowing you to live the life you want? What habits are you doing that help you achieve your goals? What small changes can you make in your life that will help you move towards a happier morning? Are you challenging yourself? Are you taking time to de-clutter your mind? Are you present when you’re with others? It’s life-changing when you take time to reevaluate your habits. It’s never too late to refresh your lifestyle and you’re definitely never too settled to change your way of living.
With love,
L