Why Create a Routine?
Establishing a positive daily routine is an investment in yourself. Following a daily routine can help you establish priorities, limit procrastination, keep track of goals, and even make you healthier. It lowers your reliance on willpower and motivation habits are actions that you take on a repeated basis with little or no required effort or thought.
Hoe to Create A Daily Routine
The first step is to look into what you need to do every day. Don’t worry about organizing the list at this point. Simply focus on jotting down the list. If you cannot remember everything, carry your notebook every day for a week, and write down all the tasks you do.
Include the tasks that work well for you and those that you should add in your routine. Your list shouldn’t be longer than 12-15 items. This isn’t a step-by-step outline of your day, just a rough guideline. This should be your normal “weekday” routine. (Your weekend might include more chores, shopping trips, etc.). If you have items on your work calendar, those shouldn’t be on this list. This is about establishing daily routines to help you balance your work, life, and family time. While at it, these questions will help to refresh your memory.
- What things should you do before starting work?
- Which tasks should you do to get your children to school?
- What errands should you run daily?
- What should you do to exercise?
- What tasks should you do to have healthy meals?
- What should you do to maintain an organized office and home?
Next, ask yourself, “What time of the day do I perform tasks best?” Most people have high energy levels in the morning. You should schedule the activities that require the most work at this time. Try waking up after the first alarm. Setting several alarms is a way of communicating to the universe that you are not looking forward to the day, and you would like to put it off for later. When you wake up passionately and with excitement about the opportunities that the day offers, you will be off to a great start.
Some tasks must be completed in the morning, such as taking your kids to school and preparing for work. Once you are done carrying out the routine duties, you can move to activities that require high levels of critical thinking and troubleshooting.
Evaluate and adjust if Needed
Try out your schedule for a week or two and adjust it as needed. It might take a few weeks for you to establish a routine that meets your needs, both personal and professional, so be patient. Remember to allow for some flexibility every day since unexpected tasks will occur.
Don’t be afraid to try new habits and see how they work for you. If they leave you feeling energized and inspired, keep doing them. If they don’t, keep trying new ones until you find ones that do. The key is to create regular and consistent daily patterns, that will take you where you want to go in life, helping you maximize yourself on every level possible.
Getting Started
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