Have you had a day you didn’t want to let go of?
While my morning routine is locked down to a science, letting go of the day is another matter. It’s challenging because it means to let go of whatever did or didn’t get done from today. Some refer to is as reverse bedtime procrastination. Deliberately carving into your sleep to make up the lost time from the stressful day.
It’s as if we cling to the end of the day thinking it might stay longwe if we grabbed tight enough.
Although it’s taken me two years to get my morning routine, the wind down is still a work in progress. There’s no other way around it. Once the clocks reaches midnight, the day resets. The one before no longer exists.
Ending my day is more of a fluid process. Especially as I travel to new cities, there’s an urge to squeeze the fun out of every life experience. Or when there’s a dozen items scribbled on my to-do list that feels urgent to complete.
When the sun sets, the night can lead anywhere! It’s similar to the feeling I get when December approaches and I reflect on how the year went. Did I make the most of it? Was there more I could have done?
For awhile I used to set an alarm around 11pm to remind me to start heading home and I would turn it off and continue hanging with friends. This was also difficult when I would stay awake til two or three in the morning recording songs.
It’s hard not to want to keep the day going whether to keep the vibes going or enjoying a night out with an unexpected company.
For example, last week after a meeting with a friend we said our goodbyes and I headed to my car to head home, though my tummy grumbled for attention. Foooood, it begged.
I passed a few closing bars and there was one I came across that was still serving pizza. That would do. Music flowed through the bar, the murmur of coworkers celebrating someone’s last day and the slap of billiard balls making their way into a pocket.
My spicy Hawaiian pizza arrived fresh from the oven, I dove right in.
Next to me, two guys sat down for a drink and we sparked up a conversation. We had a small debate on whether pineapple deserves to be on pizza. By the way, of course it does!
Soon after we introduced ourselves and coincidentally one of the guys was a DJ who played at my band’s recent Star Theatre show in Portland. Then, we realized we lived within a few blocks of each other. It was one of the most serendipitous nights I’ve had in a long time.
Though there’s another side to letting go of the day. By allowing a new one to come, I make room for even more memories. I get to appreciate all the activities that one can experience on any given day with gratitude that it was enough. More serendipitous moments are available. Letting go has also been a sign of growth. We learn what we can from what each day can offer and now I look forward to resting my head each night. Who knows what adventures will come from a new sunrise.