Daily Routines
It is that time of the year again. Football kicks off and kids are back in school, which means that the family routine is back in gear. Clothes laid out, lunches packed, homework before TV – whatever it is – I am sure that if you are a parent you have your kids in a pretty set schedule during the school days. You map out what days they have different activities, make sure they are getting enough sleep and eating a balanced diet. Ok let’s get real, sometimes it is just making sure that you feed them something while carting them from school to some type of practice. Either way, you have a system in place. So why is it that when it comes to our own lives, we aren’t as disciplined?
We would never let our kids sleep through first period or skip breakfast, but we often wake up at the last second to get to work and skip the gym. Why don’t we follow our own advice? The truth is, routines are important to all of us, not just kids. We can’t just set the expectation; we need to be living it out.
First, let’s talk about what happens when we don’t have a routine. A routine is the same as studying for an exam. If you show up without studying and just see what happens, you are setting yourself up for failure. Your day is the same way. The routine is the pre-work. It is what sets you up mentally and physically for success. If you don’t have the routine, the result is extra stress, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed by the challenges that get thrown your way. Not to mention all the side effects that go along with those feelings – fatigue, overeating/poor diet, alcohol abuse, should I keep going?
What happens when we do have a routine? We save time since we aren’t scrambling last minute. We create good habits because we have more time to plan (IE daily gym visits, better meal choices, personal hygiene regimen, etc.) We are more efficient since we don’t have to think about all the things we need to get done, they are just set as part of our daily plan. Routines help us prioritize and reduce procrastination. And most importantly, it reduces stress and promotes relaxation.
What is involved in your routine, and how do you get started? Your daily routine is a combination of many routines. Just like any good habit, it is best that you take it one at a time and establish it for a month before moving on to the next. If you try to do everything at once, you will be as successful as you are with that new year’s resolution that you set over and over again each year. If you want to lose weight you can’t work out 5 days a week, cut out sugar and gluten, take vitamins and cook at home every night right off the bat. You have to treat it like you do eating an elephant… one bite at a time.
Your routine is the same way. Start by identifying all the different routines you need in your life to be successful. Over the course of the next few blog posts I’ll breakdown the different types of routines that are important to have in your life along with how to establish new habits. Adventure and spontaneity are fun on occasion, but in order to live a Sway Life, there needs to be a daily rhythm to anticipate. Join me as I work on my own routine and hopefully help inspire yours.