Routine this, routine that… whether you are for or against routine, the truth is that we all live our lives by some sort of routine. Even if you’re the most spontaneous person in the world–your routine is spontaneity.
So why is routine important?
Let’s say you live by yourself. It can be very easy to get caught up in doing whatever you please, simply because you live all by yourself. Let’s say you live with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Having a routine that correlates with theirs can be tricky, right? Let’s say you’re married with kids… well I sure hope you have some kind of routine because at that point it’s vital to just getting yourself and your family to function accordingly.
I’m here to tell you that if you have never really been keen to routine then you should try to start because if you ever plan to live with a significant other and/or have a family, learning to create routine will help you immensely.
I believe that having a serious daily routine sets you up for stability, focus, and for reaching your goals.
I’ve gathered 5 tips to help you establish and maintain a daily routine:
1. Plan ahead.
This is a key component of a routine. Planning ahead give you the time you need to figure out what kind of routine you should set up and it gives you time to adjust.
Let’s use a healthy lifestyle as an example. Meal prep and setting goals is how you succeed at living a healthier life. So naturally you are going to plan ahead by grocery shopping and setting up a day to prep all your meals for the week. Or, you could purchase meal kits for one person and get rid of grocery shopping altogether.
Once you do that, you are setting yourself up for success. This is how you start a daily routine. Planning ahead is the most important thing you can do to assure that you succeed.
2. Pace yourself.
When you first begin a new routine, it can be pretty overwhelming. You may not know how to balance everything out. Remember to keep the more important things in your schedule and to let go of something you may not need. Maybe take five classes instead of eight. Maybe you can do yoga and cardio, but leave out the kickboxing for now.
Pace yourself, balance out your schedule, and always be sure to leave room for unexpected surprises. Which leads me to my next point…
3. It’s OK to have spontaneity.
For those who say they aren’t the routine type of person, let me just say that even if you live your days at random then you still most likely have a routine. Let’s say Monday is your gym day, Tuesday is your rest day, Wednesday is yoga day. You think you’re doing random things on random days, but maybe you don’t realize that it’s actually a routine when you’re doing the same thing every week. And that’s OK. It’s good actually.
The other side of spontaneity that I’m talking about is being open to unexpected surprises. For those who love routine and hate to break their daily schedule, this can be hard to accept. To these people I simply say it’s OK to take a day for yourself. It’s also OK to be open to unexpected surprises.
Rules were made to be broken, and so were routines. I’m not saying to entirely break routine and throw caution to the wind everyday, but in order to keep the balance you need to be OK with the unexpected.
4. Set yourself up to succeed.
Take all that I mentioned above and start to acclimate yourself to the idea of accomplishing your goals. Routine plays a big part in success. Not only is it vital but it’s also a key attribute.
You see, by setting yourself up daily to accomplish little and big tasks, you are leading yourself to a path of organization, great time management, and being accustomed to balance in your life. This is so important if you want to reach your goals and succeed in your life. Whether it be a personal goal or a career goal, having a set routine will take you a long way.
5. Sharing your routine.
Once you have established your daily routine, it’s a pretty great feeling to know that you are on schedule everyday and can stay organized and manage your time well.
But now, let’s add in the “significant other” factor. When you live with someone, you’re going to have to figure out how to merge both of your routines. This is where you have to make room in your own routine and life to let the other person in. Not literally, but more figuratively. You’re going to want to keep that person in mind. Maybe even leave a part of your day for them. Because we all know relationships take work, and making time for them should be among your priorities. What’s even better is when both of your routines mix well. That right there is called compatibility.
Routine isn’t easy. But once you establish one, it can make your life a whole lot easier and even a little more exciting as well. Many people associate routine to being boring or unpredictable. On the contrary, I believe it to be more fulfilling and can lead to a more exciting life. The reason being is because you will be on your way to success.
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How do you keep track of your routine?