They call me the Pantsless Wonder.
I loathe pants. If it weren’t for indecency laws, perverts and Minnesota snowstorms, I’d scurry about in my skivvies, 24/7.
Pants represent restriction. Confinement. Immobilization. Pants are like, The Man, man!
I won’t lie — one of the most compelling factors in my decision to go 100% freelance was the fact that my mandatory pants-wearing hours would be slashed by 85%.
Another compelling factor: the ability to design my ideal workday, with minimal external restrictions (aka, pants).
Lately, I’ve been gettin’ pretty conscious about my daily routine. My rituals. My habits. My patterns. My flow. My rhythm.
My current rhythm is not my ideal rhythm (though it’s pretty darn close). And it’s certainly not a do-or-die schedule. Some days, I oversleep. Some nights, I burn the 3 AM coconut oil. Sometimes, I play hooky. Some weeks, I overcommit. It happens. It’s human. And it (usually) comes out in the wash.
Finding a sustainable daily rhythm is about locking into the patterns that make you feel vibrant and vital — and then designing a lifestyle that supports those patterns.
The folks at Daily Routines have compiled a fascinating compendium of personal calendars. Benjamin Franklin’s day planner is a personal favorite.
I’m feeling exhibitionistic, and since we’re already talking about pantslessness, it seems only fitting to share my personal patterning — inner monologue, and all.
My Daily Rhythm
7-ISH AM :: Wake up to soothing ambient music, pumping from my Droid. Stretch. Grumble. Stop grumbling. Admire the early morning sunlight, filtering through my organza curtains. Nuzzle my beau. Slink downstairs to make French Press coffee.
8 AM :: Well howdy, universe! Caffeinated, showered, primped & pressed. Tank top. Booty-shorts. Moon boots. ’80s power ballads = streaming through my earbuds. Time to rock ‘em, sock ‘em. Right after I read 4,000+ Twitter updates . . .
9 AM :: Whoa, what just happened to my life? Ahem. Re-centering. Re-purposing. More coffee. Time to start cranking, f’realz. Switching from ballads to throbbing techno beats. Hello, Daft Punk . . .
NOON :: Hot diggity! Knocked my major assignments for the day outta the way. Feeling some heavy deadlines on the horizon, but nothing I can’t manage. Feeling like a champion. Time for a Sandwich Party! Om nom nominate Avocado for President!
2 PM-ISH :: Meh. I’m bored. And restless. Time for a change of scenery. Hmm. Will any of my friends meet me for chai lattes and good-natured gossip? Is there an open booth at my favorite coffee shop? Should I take a nap? Or a disco break?
3 PM-ISH :: My brain is wilting like week-old lettuce, so it’s time for menial tasks. Billing. Minor editing. Queueing up posts. Answering prospective client emails. Thinking about unicorns.
5 PM-ISH :: Did I just black-out? Am I drunk? How can it be 5 pm already? Still got a couple must-do items on my list. Shizznuts. Can I finish them by dinnertime? One last victory lap of hardcore copywriting . . .
7 PM :: Whoa nelly. My eyeballs are shuddering. I’ve got text messages piling up. Human beings (the kind that don’t live inside my laptop) want to see me. Close up shop for the night? Might as well. Right after I read 5,000+ Twitter updates . . .
7:30 PM :: Update deadline spreadsheet. Do a PayPal transfer. Check tomorrow’s assignment line-up. Exhale vigorously. Take a moment of ferocious gratitude. I just spent the better part of the day doing what I love — with no pants on.
8 PM :: Persuade an attractive person to cook dinner for me.
10 PM :: Censored.
MIDNIGHT :: Conk out. Goodnight, moon. Hello, dreamscape.
Et tu?
I’m fiercely curious about your daily rhythm. If you’re willing to share . . . well, golly, I might just put some pants on.
This is nice in theory, but…the majority of people, regardless of the job description they applied to, are not working at something that they are passionate about. As such, to allow for such rhythms would kill productivity.
Then again, perhaps that wouldn’t be such a bad thing as it might decrease the expectations by consumers of speed and availability. This just-in-time lifestyle that most of us live would require a complete retooling to allow for us to live a rhythm that is not dictated by the man…but perhaps we should try it on for size, one leg at a time ;)
Bravo
YES! I hate pants, too! I was always teased by my friends about never having any pants on when they dropped by – even if their presence was expected. “Rachael, do you have any pants on?” was a regular phrase shouted from the other side of my front door. Whenever I am making plans with my friends now I always ask them to give me a warning call when they’re headed over to “make sure I’ve got my pants on.”
=P Down with pants!
Routine makes me happier than chocolate, wine and an orgasm. Okay, maybe not. But it’s DAMN CLOSE. I’ll post my own soon—great idea!
If it wasn’t the fact that I need a pair of good pants on to get any work done (I don’t know why!) I would hardly ever wear them. That, and frostbite.
My day is bound by routine because I have classes every single day…but since I start at 1, I can spend a good amount of time pantsless! (Yesss)
I might still consider writing about my routine though. Great post!
Everyone hates pants! The truth is out! Let’s start a pants-free movement!
Now you see the problem with the word pants, for this Scottish gal, is that it means something entirely different to us.
Pants = knickers =underwear
So all this pants optional talk from Mz Franzen, makes me immediately think of her parading her bare arse around the house.
Which, all things considered, aint a bad image to ponder
I love this blog! So glad I discovered it.
I love pants, as long as they’re pajama pants. Any other pant is completely unwelcome on my legs.
As for my daily routine–well I’m in a desperate need for something stable. I have every good intention, but it never works out. If I could just get my mornings perfected, than life would be bliss…
I will have to check out “Daily Routines” and grab myself some inspiration. Your life sounds inspiring as well, just because you’re doing what you love!
I don’t quite hate pants, but I don’t really like them either. It’s such a pain to find cute, well fitting ones – so I normally just go with skirts/dresses/tunics+leggings. Lazy way out? Heck yeah, but it’s comfy!
My routine is sort of similar to your’s. I get up around 8-8:30, do yoga and meditation, then work work work – break for lunch – finish up whatever big thing I was working on in the morning, then switch to more menial stuff for afternoon. I used to get up a lot later, but the time I’m getting up right now seems to make me a LOT more productive.
I get to work from home while I’m studying, which means that I plan to come home and take off my trousers straight away. Failing that, I will wear the worst pants known to womankind, ones that also happen to be the most comfortable: THE BLUE HAREM PANTS OF DOOM.
You know I almost tweeted that the main benefit of working from home was being able to wander about in your pants (english for underwear, also known as knickers, under crackers, drawers, undies) for half the day, but I wondered if the people at networking meetings, that i know on Twitter, would be imagining me in my pants…..it kinda took the shine of an otherwise funny musing.
Here’s my day….
I start my day at 5, before anyone else is up – do a couple of hours work before getting my little girl up and out for school. Mess about on twitter (social media marketing my bum) and lose an hour, drink a strange lemon, olive oil and garlic home made smoothie,go for a fast walk in the park to get some outside time, then work a bit more til lunch.
Lose steam and mess about til three (unless there is an urgent job) when I pick up the little one and play mum til 8, when I do a couple more hours work. Rock and freaking roll.
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to pantz or not to pantz… mostly no… but do to the extreme lack of sun + heat here in portland a typical day finds me in some sort of fluffy legg warmer type get up with unders and a jumbo sized top.
yey for full disclosure on a day spent at work. I have been in ‘i-must-have-a-schedule’ creation mode for the last three weeks. But nothing seems to work except extreme variety. I didn’t start working for myself to work 9-5. So if 3am calls me creative and sexy…i’ll answer her.
pip + a cheery oh.
I was going to tell you that I also hated pants, but it just seems redundant now.
My daily rythm changes drastically from day to day. I do not do early mornings very well, and late nights leave me easily distracted by social invites and Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs. This leaves late mornings through evenings as prime “Katy” hours. An ideal day goes something like this:
7 AM: Wake up, look at clock, and laugh. Go back to sleep.
10 AM: Wake up for real. Shower. Adorn myself with make-up and baubles. Listen to acoustic rock/Europop mix. Pretend to do yoga for a solid ten minutes, think to myself “it’s too early for this.”
11 AM: Cook/prepare some sort of healthy fare, or if I’m feeling lazy eat an orange/banana/leftovers from last night combo plate. Make coffee. Check both personal and professional social networking pages, e-mails, listen to voicemails, etc. Respond accordingly.
12:00 P.M. Tire of acoustic rock and Europop. Put on something a little harder. Like Show Tunes. Knock out any pressing deadlines or high priority projects. In my life this either means editing photos, lining up tarot clients or photography clients, working on commissioned writing or other projects, OR theatrific things like Gadfly PR/props gathering/general networking e-mails/etc.
3 P.M. Blogging and facebook break. Also, if I only had an orange to eat, I’m probably hungry again. Foraging ensues.
3:30 P.M. Some sort of meeting/errand running/general “I need to get out of the house but still be productive” things.
5:00 P.M. More food. Or smoothies. Will often speak to my roommate as if we are humans and not entrepreuneur machines only. This includes much jesting and occasional actual conversation.
6:00 P.M. Rehearsal! Director hat on, must fake theatrical prowess.
9:00 P.M. Jesting/socializing/general bonding with cast. Sometimes other humans join us. Sometimes I go out with other humans instead. Once in a blue moon, I go on a date. Sometimes I go home. If I go home, more work is done. Only I hate calling it work because I love everything. Sometimes I even have a late night meeting with a client.
12:00 A.M. Buffy. Popcorn. Yoga. If these things haven’t happened already, that is.
1:00 A.M. Reading.
2:00/3:00 A.M. Sleep.
This is about half of my days. The days I work at Mixed Blood/have back to back appts. or meetings/etc. I run much more “normally.” But I still refuse to wear pants.
so interesting… just found your blog today btw…
I feel like there’s an ebb and flow to my day that quite resembles yours.
I am most productive in the morning and (late) evening tho.
Afternoons are totally useless if I don’t allow myself some kind of rest.
On the best days I have a nap and wake up like a new person. hehe.
thanks for sharing this.
Oh and btw, your love of going pantsless reminds me of my love of wearing sportswear!!! I work best in leggings and tank top or anything else that would work in a gym :-) makes me feel energetic!!! pyjamas occasionally work to!! yes, I am self-employed. :)
Pants are a capitalist plot to rid the word of shaving! Either way, I don’t hate pants nearly as vehemently but wearing shoes indoors… now that bugs the hell out me! Like what is the point of shoes if you’re sitting at a desk?
Either way, your routine is pretty interesting, particularly the fact that it’s totally free and up to your discretion, I love that and it is something that I am seeking in my own daily routine. The freedom to wear shoes or not wear shoes. The freedom to select what projects I work on and when… seems like pure bliss next to free feet!
Thanks for sharing!