WHAT I'VE LEARNED WORKING WITH RUPAUL (LESSON # 3)
As far back as I can remember I have been at odds with routine. I'm the kind of person who would feel suffocated if I felt I was doing too much of the same thing everyday. I could handle and even appreciate the mundane repetition of brushing your teeth 2x a day, 3 square meals, going to class , putting gas in my car, etc...but beyond those kinds of routines, I cringed at the thought. It wasn't until I started working closely with RuPaul Charles that I realized how much routine, disciplined routine, informs the success of a person's life.
LESSON 3 - ROUTINE DISCIPLINE IS GOOD
From the moment I met Ru I was studying him. What was his diet? What did he spend his free time on? What things were crucial to his day to day? What were his habits and how did they cultivate his successes? I wanted to know these things in hopes of implementing some of these disciplines in my own life. You see, I have never had access to someone on this level of success so I knew that I had a responsibility to learn.
The closer I observed Ru the more I saw that he is a very disciplined man. He doesn't waver on his routine. Ru wakes up everyday at 4am to meditate, workout, and is ready for the work day by 7am. He has a very specific diet, dare I say strict, and arrives everywhere 15-20 minutes early. I have never seen the level of routine and discipline built into a person's life before.
Because of the sheer magnitude of his career, people always ask "how does he do it all?" My answer is always, "his daily routine. His discipline is paramount to his success." No time is wasted so it seems like he has more hours in the day than everyone else. It's really spectacular to observe.
My fear when it came to too much routine is that it would rob you of the joy in life. That too much discipline would remove the excitement that comes with the organic flow of life. What I've come to understand is this: When purpose meets routine discipline magic happens. Joy is found there. Routine is what brings order to our world. The birds outside your window wake up every morning at the same time. Flowers bloom and leaves fall with routine accuracy. The sun rises and sets. The tide ebbs and flows like clockwork. It's all routine and we survive and flourish on this planet because of it.
I may not wake up at 4am everyday but 7am works for me.
