In the midst of lockdown we have created a new household tradition that brings a highlight to the week. On Saturday nights we dress for dinner, enjoy our meal, watch Strictly on our new TV, and then push back the furniture and dance. 

With the household locked down, one day could easily look like the rest. To use Matthew Crawford‘s  language, the ‘affordances’ of one day look exactly like the rest: there are a fewer physical contours that shape how different parts of the week feel now that we are always at home. So you have to create that structure for yourself.

Now that this Saturday night appointment is an established part of our weekly routine, I find myself thinking during the week about what music we could play, what dances we could do and what clothes we could wear. It makes me want to practise dance moves during the week to show off on Saturday.

From a flat landscape of being able to do anything, we can create specific contours that bring joy, focus our creative thinking and make us want to improve. 

It’s a reminder of the importance of doing something when you can do anything; the power of limiting options and committing to a plan; of showing up, week in, week out.