In this article I’m talking about a strategy called an ideal week or rule of life.
Are you burnt out, my friend? Creating your rule of life is the key to making your style rhythms serve you. In a recent podcast episode, Graham Cochrane shared a framework that’s helping me in my current process of rebuilding sustainable rhythms.
Rule of Life: The Four Rs, Plus One
I first discovered Graham during Covid through Jordan Raynor’s book Redeeming Your Time (Amazon affiliate link). I joined Graham’s membership, but when the hero got sick I asked him if I could pause it temporarily. His response was extraordinary – refunding my membership fees, offering lifetime community access, and providing a free course for when I was ready – and made me want to be like him when I grow up.
After the hero died, I had no idea when my brain would be up to the cognitive demands of visual identity work again, but I had seen what sustainable, human-centered business could look like.
Let’s explore Graham’s Four Rs, plus my addition, and how they connect to your style journey. My premise is creating your rule of life is the key to making your style rhythms serve you sustainably.
For life to work, these needs need to fit within every week:
- Restoration
- Rainmaking
- Relationships
- Reflection
- Responsibilities
You Need Restoration
Graham calls this “Recharge”. It’s your personal recharge time.
Since going way too hard last year with advanced training in personality profiling, I am now diligently guarding my Sundays. Did you know that personality profiling can reveal your flow state? This can provide a big clue to what you want to do with your personal recharge time.
As to what you wear, support authentic rest, worship, and relaxation by wearing colors aligned with your natural chroma (which is on a scale of muted to bright) and contrast levels, especially value contrast, because wearing higher contrast or much brighter colors than your inherent levels requires more energy.
You Need Income (Rainmaking)
Rainmaking is how income-producing is expressed in a word starting with R. In the schedule I am test-driving, this is M/T/Th. I will talk more about how to work it out if you work a regular M-F job.
Enclothed cognition is a concept where it has been shown in studies that clothing impacts our cognitive processes, probably by affecting how our self-concept. In other words, if you dress in a way that looks competent, you will feel more competent and perform better.
Create a wardrobe that supports deep work:
- Comfortable pieces that don’t require constant adjustment
- Professional items that enhance work-related mental processes
- Temperature-appropriate clothing for extended focus periods
Rule of Life: Relationship
Relationships are critical in a healthy life. I am trying to make this a focus on Wednesdays. For me, it includes networking/business relationships AND personal.
I recommend you choose clothing in your inherent colors, particularly those echoing eye or skin tone, for appearing both authentic and approachable.
Schedule in Time for Reflection
Time for learning, planning, and processing. In my ideal week, this day includes a weekly review and planning for the upcoming week. I’d like to get to where the planning included my outfits. I recently heard another stylist talking about the benefits of weekly outfit planning and it sounds like something I can get behind.
I’m trying to do this on Fridays. With very little success, I might add, although I think I can get there.
Responsibilities: Stewardship (Home and Self)
Those were Graham’s four Rs. Responsibilities is the one I’m adding. In my ideal week schedule this fits on Saturdays.
One of the hardest parts of being on my own has been balancing working with taking care of the home stuff. For the most part, all the stuff two people were doing still all needs to be done, but there is only one of me.
So, I am trying to devote Saturdays to my stewardship responsibilities. Which is easier said than done, right? It seems like there is always some family responsibility or ministry obligation or social opportunity on Saturdays!
Here’s how I am trying to structure my Saturdays.
Morning: Home
- Focused household tasks
- Home improvement (rotating through spaces monthly)
Afternoon: Wardrobe maintenance and care
- Regular repair and maintenance scheduling
- Weekly review of one wardrobe component category
I have an annual calendar of what wardrobe segment I work on each week and I share that in my weekly emails, which you can sign up for here.
Adapt the Rule of Life to Your Circumstances
This schedule is adaptable – depending on your schedule and responsibilities, you might build your relationship and reflection time into everyday, and then do your restoration and responsibilities on Saturday and Sunday.
With regard to style strategy, the key is viewing wardrobe maintenance as responsible stewardship rather than self-indulgence.
Also, let me inject here that a rhythm, ideal week, or rule of life is not a law; it’s just a practice. It helps me to make decisions in the moment.
Here’s something simple you can do this week: find a time to plan your weekly rhythm with intention. Consider how a rule of life can support you in daily activities and your authentic self-expression.