The Importance of Routine

Routine is defined as “habitual or mechanical performance of an established procedure.” In my pursuit to live life to its fullest, there are times where I will preach to break the routine and do something new and crazy…but there is a time and place for everything and actually having a routine in certain areas of your life can be extremely beneficial. 

“How you wake up each day and your morning routine (or lack thereof) dramatically affects your levels of success in every single area of your life” - Hal Elrod

First off, having a good routine can help you break bad habits and create good ones. Habits are created by repetition and when you have a regular course of action you don’t need to think, you just do, meaning less need for sheer willpower to get things accomplished (we all have those days that even dragging yourself to the gym feels like a Herculean challenge all in itself).

It helps your efficiency by utilizing what I like to call the 3 P’s: plan, prioritize, productive, if you plan out your routine ahead of time it allows you to figure out and prioritize what is most important to get done, allowing you to be more productive throughout the day. It saves you time, instead of wasting it trying to figure out what to do on the fly. You’ll also be less likely to procrastinate if your routine is so ingrained you just go through the motions subconsciously. 

Many of us also tend to worry about everything that we have to do for the day so having good routines in place can also reduce stress and improve our mental health. Providing a set path gives you a better sense of control, allowing you to take it one step at a time, and focusing and accomplishing helps to relax us. Routines centered about prioritizing your health like eating healthy, exercise, sleep, helps not only our physical body but our mental state as well (like improving positivity, helping our sense of success, and releasing feel-good chemicals like endorphins).

Finally, having a good routine can help you achieve your goals faster! Imagine waking up every morning with no clue what you were going to do or what you wanted to accomplish. Now instead, picture that you wake up, make your bed, journal, do a little yoga, and then get to work…Which one feels better? You’ve already started out your day on a good note and by taking that successful action you’re more likely to carry it on through the rest of your day. 

We can create routine in so many areas of our lives: bedtime, morning, eating, exercise, sleep, etc. The most important thing is finding a routine that works for YOU! You might hear about the latest trend or what all the gurus are doing, but if it’s not set up in a way that works for you, it never sticks. Think of an area of your life that could benefit from having more routine and what is one thing that you could implement every day? If you feel stuck, reach out, I’m more than happy to help!