In today's fast-paced world, it can be challenging to maintain a balance between personal and professional life. Establishing routines and habits of excellence is crucial for staying organised and focused. It can make your day much easier and help you achieve your goals.
Common myths and mistakes surrounding routines and habits
Routines make me a robot, not allowing me to embrace the natural flow of life -
It seems like routines can equal more rigidity, but the opposite is often true. When done correctly, routines create the structure needed for better consistency and allow you to automate simple decisions so that you can save that energy for the bigger decisions that really matter.
To break bad habits or build new ones people need to be mentally tougher - While self discipline and will power are positive qualities that can be increased, that alone isn’t the answer. The key to mastering routines and habits of excellence lies in understanding the psychology behind how habits are built and broken and taking an approach that plays into the way our brain responds to change.
To have a morning routine, I have to be a morning person - While it is true that some people jump out of bed, wide awake at 6am, those people are not the norm. Most morning people are that way because they made the decision to be a morning person.
You need to wake up at the same time every day - Research suggests bookending days with a wake up and a bedtime routine helps with consistency in performance during the day. However, what you do when you wake up is far more important than the time you wake up. Someone with a solid 15 minute morning routine could easily have a calmer and more productive day than someone with a lengthy, drawn out two hour routine. Of course, there can be major advantages to waking up early and having the benefit of more time, but it isn’t required.
Every day needs to be the same - There may be some parts of your daily routine that are always the same, and there may be some parts that are constantly changing. Some days you may have more time for your routines than others. Life happens and you have to be able to adapt and adjust to life as it happens. A real life approach to habits and routines recognises this and builds in room for things outside of your control to interfere.
My life schedule is so inconsistent that I cant follow any kind of routine - Using daily inconsistencies in schedule as an excuse to not have routines built into your day is one of the most common mistakes people make. There are ways - no matter the situation - to build routines into your day.
I’ve tried. I just cant stick to any kind of routine consistently - Truth is, we all have routines guiding our day, whether we are aware of them or not. If you don’t think you have one, you do - its just a bad one.
Now let's discuss ten benefits and examples of how routines and habits of excellence can make your day much easier.
Increased Productivity: When you establish routines and habits of excellence, you will become more productive. This means that you will be able to accomplish more in a shorter amount of time. For example, if you develop a habit of waking up early and exercising, you will start your day with a burst of energy and will be able to accomplish more throughout the day.
Better Time Management: With routines and habits of excellence, you will be better equipped to manage your time. You will have a clear idea of what you need to do each day and how much time you need to allocate for each task. For example, if you have a routine of checking your emails at a specific time each day, you will be able to manage your time more efficiently.
Improved Health: Routines and habits of excellence can improve your physical and mental health. For example, if you have a routine of exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet, you will be able to maintain good health.
Reduced Stress: When you have routines and habits of excellence, you will feel more in control of your life. This can help reduce stress and anxiety. For example, if you have a routine of meditating each day, you will be able to manage stress better. Furthermore - you could prep your meals for the week on Sunday then you don't have to use up vital energy thinking about what you are having for breakfast, lunch and dinner all week! You also don't eat rubbish and achieve your health and fitness goals.
Increased Confidence: When you establish routines and habits of excellence, you will become more confident. You will feel a sense of accomplishment when you achieve your goals. For example, if you have a routine of writing in your journal each day, you will feel more confident about your thoughts and ideas.
Better Sleep: Routines and habits of excellence can help improve your sleep quality. For example, if you have a routine of going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, you will be able to establish a regular sleep pattern.
Improved Relationships: Routines and habits of excellence can improve your relationships with others. For example, if you have a routine of calling your loved ones each day, you will be able to stay connected with them and maintain a healthy relationship.
Better Focus: Routines and habits of excellence can help improve your focus. For example, if you have a routine of working in a specific location, you will be able to eliminate distractions and focus on your work.
Increased Creativity: When you have routines and habits of excellence, you will be able to free up mental space and be more creative. For example, if you have a routine of taking a break and going for a walk each day, you will be able to clear your mind and come up with new ideas.
More Time for Fun: When you establish routines and habits of excellence, you will be able to free up time for fun activities. For example, if you have a routine of completing your work by a specific time each day, you will be able to enjoy leisure activities without feeling guilty.
In conclusion, establishing routines and habits of excellence can make your day much easier. It can help you become more productive, manage your time better, improve your health, reduce stress, increase confidence, improve your relationships, better focus, increase creativity, and provide more time for fun.
Start small by establishing a routine or habit that is easy to maintain, and slowly build up to more complex habits. With time, you will see the benefits of your routines and habits of excellence.
We have an incredible section on routines and habits of excellence in our mental performance course where we cover:
The role of habit loops and routines in behaviour modification and maximising performance.
How to utilise routines to create and break habit loops.
How to leverage routines and habits for consistency in preparation, performance and results.
Simple strategies for introducing structure, routine, and habit formation without causing overwhelm or eliminating the natural flow of life.
If you would like to build this essential skill into your daily life, head over to the CHW website now, sign up and get instant access!
Thats all for now!
Jono.
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