Having A Routine That Works For You Is Crucial To Staying Motivated!
Having a daily routine is very important for anyone trying to stay motivated and on task. I know, for myself, without a routine I would be at the mercy of my easily distracted mind. I have many interests and therefore many temptations to get off the path to productivity at any moment. This is not to say that you should never do anything on a whim or have time to just play around. This is very important for keeping a healthy balance in your life. But concerning the time that you choose to “get things done” I find that routine is king.
Keys to an effective routine:
- Sleep patterns.
This should on the top of your list. Going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday is very important. Not only does it clearly set your internal clock, which allows for deeper sleep, but it gives your mindset a clear starting and stopping point each day. Think about like this. If you work 9-5 everyday than you eventually train yourself to be in work mode during those times which can really help your productivity. But if you’ve ever worked a job that had constantly changing hours you probably know the struggle that occurs to get yourself in work mode. One week you’ve got the day shift and the next the night shift. Toward the end of the week you may start to get used to the current shift only to be shaken up again the following week.
- Meals.
It is also important to eat your meals around the same time every day. Not only does it give you a sense of consistency but it also helps keep your blood sugar steady throughout the day (assuming your eating when your body needs the fuel and food that aids in it’s health and well being). I would also suggest eating the same or similar type of food for each meal. So if you find that eggs, toast and milk is a good breakfast for you than make that your breakfast everyday. Not only will you know for sure that it will work day after day but it will be one less decision to distract you from the more important things in your day. (I know that some people need to mix it to enjoy the meal and that is fine. Just try to keep it similar it type so you can rely on the same kind of fuel everyday.)
- Getting ready for the day.
I would suggest that you get ready for your day as soon as you can. I do so right after breakfast. Depending on what you do everyday you may have no choice but to do this already. In my situation, I often have the choice to stay in my PJ’s until late morning. But I have found that until I brush my teeth and get dressed for the day I am not quite in full “work” mode. And I’ve also found that if I am not dressed and ready to go when I get an unexpected call from a client, I will feel more caught off guard. So, if you can, try to do whatever needs to be done to be ready to walk out the door. Then, even if you just end up going back to your computer (or whatever you do in the mornings) you’ll be more prepared for whatever comes your way.
- Lay out the things that have to get done.
Make sure that by the time you are into the flow of your day, you have a clear idea of the things that have to get done. Then, as you make decisions and take action, you will do it with these tasks in mind. There’s nothing more frustrating than laying in bed at the end of the day knowing that you didn’t accomplish the “Must Do’s” on your to-do list.
- Exercise.
If you don’t already, try to incorporate regular exercise into your daily routine. It gives you a way to escape from the stresses of the day as well as builds your strength and endurance to take on more challenges. And did I mention the fact that it makes you feel really good too? If you already do exercise every day I would just make sure that you do it around the same time if you can. This, like the other steps of the day, will give your mind something to count on.
- Family and friends.
Try not to ever miss this daily task. It is greatly important that you clearly incorporate your family and friends into your daily routine. If you don’t they will most certainly become something that you do “if you still have time”. So make sure to not only have a set time to enjoy their company but feel free to spend time with them whenever you can.
- You time.
Everyday you should have a time when you can sit back and just BE. Kind of like a mini vacation, this is a time when you don’t have to answer the phone, reply to emails or even talk to anyone if you don’t want to. Try to make it a time and location that allows for the most relaxation for the best affect. Without this kind of time you will not only get less done throughout the day but you will eventually burnout from stress and frustration. For me, this time is in the morning when I first get up. Since I wake up at about 4:30am I have the world to myself and everything is peaceful and quiet. I look forward to this time at the end of each day and when I have a particularly stressful one I absolutely crave it!
The common theme you see in the above information is that of consistency. I talk a lot about doing the same things at the same times and in the same way. You may think to yourself that this is counterproductive. That this will stifle the imagination and put you in a rut. But the opposite is most often the case. By having these things laid out for you each day you are freeing your mind from having to make all of these decisions and allowing it to focus more intensely on the decisions that matter most. Think of a soldier in combat. Does that person have to think about where their weapon is or how to use it? Of course not! Does this hinder the soldier in their ability to meet the goals set before them? Absolutely not! Because using their weapon feels like breathing to them, they are able to put 100% of their focus on their objectives with no distractions whatsoever. In addition to the already stated benefits, by doing what you know works, everyday, you are avoiding the things that may not. All it takes to knock you off track is ONE BAD DAY. And what better way to avoid a bad day than to repeat a good one over and over?
So what things work for you and how do you stay on task to meet the goals of the day?
9 Responses to “Having A Routine That Works For You Is Crucial To Staying Motivated!”
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This is very nicely said. Repeat a good day over and over – I like it. Although, sometimes we’ll all have bad days. But, we’ll always have our routine to fall back on – and that’s key. “You time” is one that I think many people miss – but it’s crucial. It’s the one I tend to put off – even though I know how important it is to my overall well-being.
@Lance: In regard to repeating a good day over and over, I’ve always thought it was interesting how many people don’t seem to be aware that this is possible. As if sometimes we’re just “lucky” and sometimes were not. Knowing how much we are affected by what and how do, eat, think, etc… allows us to have that much more control over the kinds of days we have. And though, like you said, we all have our bad days, they are much more a “once in a while” type of thing than the fairly regular event that so many of us experience.
As far a the “You Time”, you’re definitely right, it’s crucial. Not only to help maintain our sense of well being but to also recharge our enthusiasm for life. Things like day dreaming and even goal setting often occur when we have that all important time to ourselves.
Thanks for the comments by the way.
Hi there Eric
My partner and I work in the music industry, so we work some nights but not others, do recordings some afternoons and not others, and sometimes stay up all night! So we don’t have routine in the usual sense.
However we make it down the street for coffee every day, and have a few other regular things we do – and I think those “routines” are important to keep our lives flowing well.
Cheers – Robin
@Robin: I agree. Our minds do best when they can rely on specific “milestones” each day.
Eric…Came across your blog and read several posts. Looks to me like you have smarts and drive, so I imagine you are going places. One observation: I am surprised that a fellow who says he never liked school or a J-O-B because he prefers independence, can be such a devotee of lists and routines. No doubt about it, discipline is essential to success, and I need more of it. But to turn everything into (1) a (2) five (3) point (4) list (5) can be stifling, can’t it? Glad I found your blog. I have subscribed and look forward to following your progress.
@Terry Hull: First of all I just wanted to say that I checked out your blog and really liked it. I just subscribed to it so I can keep up with your latest posts. Now to answer your questions.
For me, having a solid routine actually helps me be more independent. Basically, a routine is just a way to execute your daily tasks in such a way that you can do them without thinking about it. This allows you to put yourself on autopilot for these tasks so you can focus more attention on other, more challenging things. If you don’t have a routine, you may still do the same things but you won’t be as efficient. This is something that actually ALLOWS for more independence not the opposite.
I like to do things in certain ways and have always just felt too restricted when I went to school and worked for others. This is not to say that those things are bad, just not for me.
As far as the lists are concerned, I find them to be easier to write/discuss in a blog format. Because of this they tend to be more popular and draw more comments. And the discussion of the content is what it’s all about.
You need more discipline? Find the things that stimulate you and add them to your daily routine. Without stimulation my drive is dead in the water. You need to incorporate stimulating tasks into your day to give you a boost and keep up your momentum. And you need to make sure you have a clear picture what you’re aiming for. That alone can be the fuel to your drive. Sometimes I just need to walk outside, look up at the blue sky and breathe in the fresh air to get a boost. It’s just a reminder of some of the things I love and seek to spend more time enjoying. Just some ideas.
Good response, Eric. One problem I have with discipline is something that you have mentioned elsewhere on your blog: I have way too many interests. I tend to spread myself too thin on too many projects, and am unable to follow through as well as I want to or should because I am juggling too much. Focusing on getting a few things done well is a better approach. Thanks for the kind words about my blog. As I said earlier, I enjoy yours and intend to keep on reading.
@Terry: I know exactly what you mean. If you take a look in my office you will find things like:
-Robotics set
-Fine scale modeling stuff
-Radio controlled airplanes
-Computer parts galore
-Art supplies
-Books on just about everything from science to religion
-etc, etc, etc…
So you can see I can be a little all over the place myself. It’s only been in the last couple of years that I’ve found more ways of honing my focus on the most important/rewarding things. One of the things that has helped is seeing some success in these areas. Once I realized what a little more focus could bring me, I was able to keep myself from straying all over the place.