I love rules.
I make them, I follow them and I impose them. Just ask my kids.
My personal rules cover
all corners of my life, from health to finances to social life and
housekeeping. Exercise 30 minutes a day. Don’t spend what you don’t have. Make
time for friends every week. Put everything away now. If you don’t need it,
ditch it. Leave a clean kitchen sink every night. Call Mom every few days.
Some rules are virtually
non-negotiable, like exercising every day. Others, like the one about putting
things away immediately, are often broken -- even forgotten -- as anyone who
has seen my kitchen and office knows.
While it might sound as if
I’m my own worst Gestapo, my rules help me stay healthy and sane. They also
keep me organized and prevent me from going broke.
But here’s my favorite
maxim: Make sure you break the rules
sometimes.
As the old saying goes, rules
are made to be broken -- which is why on some days, even I will shatter my own
code of conduct. I’ll eat three desserts in a day. I’ll splurge on a pricey
pair of shoes. I’ll leave dirty dishes in the kitchen sink overnight. Sometimes
– though rarely -- I’ll even bypass my workout.
Breaking the rules helps
make life a little more fun and a bit more spontaneous. If I did everything
according to my private code of conduct, every single day of every single week
of every single year, I’d probably go crazy. Giving myself the leeway to cut
loose usually means I’m having some fun, doing something interesting or -- say
it ain’t so -- actually relaxing a little bit.
So if you’re like me (you
like to stay on track), give yourself an occasional break and throw your
personal rules to the wind. There’s more than one way to live, and it can
change from one moment to next, one day to another or even week by week. The
key is knowing when to break your rules. And frankly, there’s no rule for that.
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Photo: @iStockphoto.com/shironosov
Winnie Yu is Completely
You’s mom blogger. She has two daughters (Samantha, 14,
and Annie, 12) and is the author of seven books, including New Mother’s Guide
to Breastfeeding and What to Eat for What Ails You. Her work has appeared in numerous
publications, including Woman’s Day, AARP Bulletin, Prevention and WebMD.com.
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