Is your daily routine setting you up for success or failure? Your current routine might be okay, but is it bringing you closer to your goals? Does it support your values and priorities? In this post, I’ll explain how to evaluate your daily routine and determine how well it serves you, and provide an example of a daily planner (that you can download for free!).
Why is a Routine Important?
Routines allow us to save time by not having to make decisions. In other words, we rely on instinctual behavior, rather than deep thought.
A daily routine can support you by reinforcing your vision, and syncing with your goals. However, not having a daily routine can work against what you actually want.
Everyone has routines, but few of us actually chose our routines. We just seem to fall into them, and we keep our routines unless they’re obviously failing.
How do You Evaluate Your Routine?
What is your general feeling that you get from your current routine? Are there any obvious setbacks or places where you’d like to do something differently?
Can you make some small changes here and there that would enable them to serve you better?
Even a small alteration in a routine can make a big difference, because they’re performed consistently. Over time, these actions add up.
Identify wasted time
First, look at your routine and determine how much time you’re wasting each day. Include all non-value activities, like watching TV or social media scrolling. You might be shocked by the number of hours you’re wasting. Start thinking about how you could better use that time.
Examine what matters
Then, take a few minutes to jot down your priorities. It’s not really possible to evaluate a routine without having criteria to evaluate against. This is an important step. If you don’t know what’s important to you and what you want to accomplish, you’re undoubtedly wasting a lot of time.
Also, consider the challenges you’re currently facing in your life. Are your routines helping, harming, or having no effect on solving your challenges?
Create a routine that serves you
Finally, consider your current challenges and goals, by addressing the following questions:
Which activities can you do each day that support what you’re trying to accomplish?
What can you do each day that will provide the needed motivation to move you closer to your goals?
What’s the best way to use your time in each of your routines?
Use a daily planner to establish your routine
Write down all your daily commitments and appointments. Prioritize your most pressing, most urgent, and most time-sensitive tasks first.
Write down your top 3 goals for the day. Break down each goal into as many mini goals as possible, and schedule time for these.
Create a schedule with commitments and appointments scheduled first, then mini goals, and then tasks that would be nice to do.
Tip: Put your your daily planner on the refrigerator, or keep it somewhere where you will actually see it (and not forget about it).
Want the Daily Planner that I use?
Download your FREE copy below!
Is your daily routine setting you up for success, or is this something you need to establish? Let me know in the comments below.
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Crystal Tharp
Crystal is the owner of The Organized Home, LLC and producer of The Home Approach® program; empowering moms to create an organized home that they love, so they can thrive at home. With over ten years of combined experience working in the Professional Organizing industry and coaching industry, she combines her expertise in decluttering, organizing, and home management with her passion for helping moms to bring out the best in themselves.
While coaching moms is her God-given calling, she also loves being a mom to her young children (ages 4, 6 and 8), date nights with her husband, and family outings on the weekends. Above all, she is most passionate about following Jesus and inspiring others to do the same.
