As go-getters, wives and mothers, entrepreneurs, and business owners, we know that without a daily routine, we wouldn’t be able to juggle everything that needs to get done, both personally and professionally. Having a daily routine is one of the best things you can do for yourself, and your future. There are so many benefits, so start small and build a habit for yourself that will last.
Time Management
During a recent girls night, a friend said that “we all have the same 24-hours in a day,” but what she forgot to mention is that we all don’t have the same resources and help. What we do have is the ability to make sense of that 24-hours we get each day and make sure to block-and-tackle to return time to ourselves. Start with marking down the “musts” – those activates that are non-negotiable, have a hard deadline, or are prior commitments. Then, add in time blocks. These are crucial to make sure you have downtime during the day to catch up on the unexpected. Lastly, include the “wants,” and don’t skimp on these. This can be anything from time for self-care, to putting in work on your passion project, submitting that investor presentation early, whatever. Take control over your time every single day, and before you know it you will have weeks and months scheduled out, and you may even end up with some extra time on your hands.
Create & Break Habits
Habits are hard to create, and even harder to break. And, most of the tasks or activities we do as part of our daily routines are just good or bad habits that have subconsciously been created and just stuck. In order to be in control over your habits, follow the 21/90 rule to create new habits that you want to stick. Commit to a goal for 21 days straight (no cheating) and at that point, the goal should have become a habit. Then, and this is important, continue it for another 90 days and at that point, task or activity will be ingrained into your routine without you even thinking about.
Discipline at Home & Away
Without an established daily routine, the moment your environment or circumstances change you loose whatever sense of structure that you have. When traveling for work or jet setting for that multi-city vacation, going away for a long weekend, or even just taking some time off of work, having a daily routine will provide the discipline required to keep yourself on track. This can be as simple as going on a morning run, reading one chapter of a new book per night, or enjoying one sparkling juice drink to keep you cool, calm, and collected every day. Once you’ve created these staples in your day-to-day life, no matter where you are you will find a way to honor this routine that you’ve come to rely on to keep you feeling grounded and structured.
What you do each day, and the habits you build, matter. They matter to your mental and physical health, your ability to achieve your personal and professional goals, and make an impact on your success, however you define that for yourself!