Romanticize Your Routine

a softer way to romanticize the little things without changing your whole life

Photo by Tirza van Dijk on Unsplash

Hey you,

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how much I romanticize the tiniest parts of my life. Not in the “big girl” way — no candles, no fancy English breakfasts, no dramatic sunrises with acoustic music in the background. I’m talking about soft life on a budget, while still trying to meet deadlines, pay loans, reply messages, and keep myself from spiraling.

Here’s what I mean.

I romanticize:

• Opening my curtains in the morning of a Saturday and feeling the cool breeze on my face before the Lagos heat wakes up

• Sitting on the staff bus after work and listening to music and vibing to it like I’m in a music video

• The moment I drop my bag after work, take off my shoes and everything else and just breathe

• Using the internet in the office to quickly draft a newsletter (yes, this one)

• Public holidays that come right when I’m about to burn out

• Seeing “Credit Alert” even if it’s just ₦20,000

• Checking off a task that’s been haunting me for 2 weeks

I have realized that this is exactly how I stay sane and soft while still trying to be productive.

Nobody really talks about this kind of productivity — the messy, irregular, somehow-still-standing version. We always hear about the strict routines, 6-step habit trackers, deep work and all that. And that’s also fine for people it works for.

But if you’re like me — a 9–5er, student, dreamer, hustler, tired girl, hopeful girl, an entrepreneur — you know that some days, just showing up is a win. Just doing your laundry before noon on a Saturday is a win. Just doing one important thing and letting the rest roll over? Also a win.

I used to feel guilty about not “optimizing” my life enough. But now I’m learning that softness can co-exist with discipline. You don’t have to suffer to make progress. You don’t have to look aesthetic to be aligned.

Some of us are building our dream life quietly, with a life that’s on budget, and dreams that also scares us.

And that’s okay too.

So if you’ve been feeling like you’re not doing enough… you are.

Maybe you’re just living a different version of consistency — one that doesn’t look like a YouTube morning routine but still gets you where you’re going.

Romanticize that.