Blow up your routine

I heard recently in a meditation course that “we evolved to want to control our environments and predict the future. Being able to do the same safe thing, over and over, falling into a predictable routine, was a feature that kept us alive. But today, we’ll survive whether we have a routine or not.”

Routines are stabilizing, especially when the world outside seems a little tipped off its axis. But, let’s be real: predictable is boring. And you, my dear, are anything but boring and predictable.

So, knowing that we will survive if we shake things up a little, let’s try one of the following this month:

1. Stick a $20 bill in your back pocket, head to the nearest Goodwill, and purchase the first thing that speaks to you. If you want to go for something of value, the rule of thumb is to look for items in their primary material form (brass, marble, wicker, ceramic). Who knows, you may find a 1st-century A.D. Roman bust and solve an 80-year-old art heist mystery.

2. Go a little off piste with your playlists this month! Lately, Top Note HQ has been filled with a mix of Talking Heads, Grimes, John Reischman, Mozart, Bowie…don’t limit yourself.

3. Take your favorite classic cocktail and swap the base spirit–try an aged rum Old Fashioned, a blanco tequila martini, or an old favorite of mine, the Kingston Negroni:

   Simply swap the gin for an ounce of Smith & Cross rum, add to a mixing glass with an ounce each of sweet vermouth and Campari, and stir with ice. Strain and serve in a rocks glass with one large ice cube and an orange twist. (Be warned, this funky twist on a classic Negroni is potent.)
   

4. Find the 10 articles of clothing you wear the least, choose one at random, and find a way to style it. (I’ll be trying this one and sharing on Instagram–tag @the.top.note if you do the same!)

5. Have a main character moment at a local cafe or bar–leave your phone at home, wear something that feels most like you, bring a book perhaps. Strike up a conversation with at least one stranger. I have yet to regret these types of experiences.

And if you feel you must stick to a routine, why not create a new one, and use the daily rituals of working artists as inspiration?

From my little writing nook on the coast of Maine, to wherever this finds you, I hope you have a splendid start to Spring.

Oh, and beware those Ides or something.

AND, I am so thrilled to announce that The Top Note has a podcast! Heart Notes is a series of conversations with artists, creative minds, and people whom I love and believe you will love too.

Sneak peek of the cover art, by the gifted artist Rachel Spall:

Keep an ear out next Thursday for an introductory episode, followed soon by chats with my favorite bibliophile, a solo world traveler who took a leap and found love halfway across the globe, and more.

Till next time,

xo Em