If only I had J.A.R.V.I.S.
What Canva Magic Media came up with when I asked for my personal J.A.R.V.I.S.
What do you think about when you see or hear the words “purposeful routine”? I told you I would be thinking about this!
Lately I have been focusing on a purposeful routine which supports my physical and mental health. Probably because my health feels like the definition of fragility right now, and my routine is somewhat lacking.
What do I need right now to fill that void?
In my perfect world, I would have my very own J.A.R.V.I.S. (Just a Rather Very Intelligent System), like Ironman had: the household butler and the overseer of Ironman’s every suit of armor. Every morning, my own personal J.A.R.V.I.S. would assess my “armor” and give me advice for facing my day ahead. It would be able to cut through all the data and symptoms to give me a diagnosis and treatment plan which focuses on my health and well-being. It would be clear what I needed to do and what I would need to receive from others. It would also give me the knowledge I needed to understand the diagnosis and treatment. It would also give me reminders if I happened to forget part of my treatment plan. Yes, that would be perfect.
But I don’t live in my perfect world.
I will have to do my best with what I have. Or need to have.
What do I need to have?
I have narrowed it down to these three things today: personal agency, knowledge, and accountability.
Let’s take a closer look.
Personal agency
I told you I needed to pursue my personal agency. Why? Because the person with the greatest interest in my health is me and the only thing I can control is what I can do right now. Like creating my purposeful routine which includes a reason to get up in the morning, what I need to prepare for the day, and what I need to prepare for a good night’s sleep. Like focusing on what I put into my body, how I spend my time, when and how I move, what my mind and body are exposed to, and what I believe about the nature of reality, myself, and other people.*
Knowledge
I need to pursue knowledge, which I do naturally as a “fact finder”. Knowledge about the social determinants of health and the 80% that are within our control. Knowledge about my brain and what it needs to be at its best. Knowledge about my mind and what it needs to be at its best. Knowledge about my well-being. There will always be knowledge to pursue. Knowledge which will help me better understand my health and well-being.
Accountability
I need accountability. Not just to myself – that’s my personal agency, but to others who care about me. Like my husband who is adamant about me paying attention to my health (apparently he wants to keep me around). Like the new doctor I met on Monday who took the time to connect the dots for me, hit all the right well-being notes, and made me want to do the right things for my own health and well-being. You could consider this my personal support team – but I am pushing myself to stay focused on what I can control and how I perceive that support.
This seems like a good start with my lifeboat being fortified with personal agency, knowledge and accountability for my health and well-being. Time to put that personal agency to work!
Image created by Canva Magic Media
Resources
*https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/the-secret-to-great-health-escaping-the-healthcare-matrix
Boyle, Trudy. 2021. Ikigai and Illness: A Guide to Living Fully with Purpose, Meaning, and Joyful Moments. Monkton, Vermont: ToDo Institute. Where I found the idea of a purposeful routine.
