For example, if your goal is to have a productive morning routine, then you should only lump together tasks you can accomplish in the morning and that make you more productive (e. g. , taking your medication, responding to emails). It may be easiest to lump tasks together by time (e. g. , morning tasks, evening tasks) rather than by purpose.
For example, if your goal is to live a healthier life, you may want to craft a routine that helps you to get more sleep at night or that lets you cook healthier meals for yourself. The goal of your routine may also determine when in your day you’ll follow your routine. For instance, many people follow exercise routines in the morning because that’s when their energy levels are highest.
If you want to follow a strict routine, you can also list the time you want to complete each task at (e. g. , “7:30-eat breakfast. 8:00-leave for work. ”). If you want to leave more room for spontaneity, simply write down your daily tasks in the order you want to complete them in.
For example, if your weekly routine involves cleaning your apartment, then rewrite that task into smaller tasks like vacuuming the carpet, dusting the furniture, and cleaning the bathroom. If a task takes too long, break it into smaller tasks that will give you a feeling of accomplishment more quickly to keep you motivated.
If possible, devote more time to each individual task than you think you’ll actually need; for example, if exercising typically takes you 40 minutes, plan to devote 1 hour to the task. This will help prevent you from becoming too stressed while following your routine every day. Make time for your routine even on your busy days. Most routine tasks can be accomplished in a small amount of time (e. g. , making your bed, taking medication, eating breakfast) and you’ll feel more accomplished if you take the time to cross them off your to-do list.
For example, if your schedule doesn’t allow you to stick to a set time for your routine (e. g. , 7:30-8:00), just make sure you’re spending 30 minutes each day on your routine tasks. Just because you’re following a routine doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible.
Purchase a calendar or agenda if you need to, as this will help you to begin managing your time more wisely. A written, scheduled routine will be a lot easier to insert into the day-to-day or weekly things that need to be done. Try to plan out your routine for at least 3 weeks; this is generally how long it takes for your routine to become a normal habit for you.
You will probably still form a habit after 21 days if you miss 1 day somewhere in those 3 weeks. However, if you find that you skip your routine on 2 or more days, consider redesigning your routine to make it easier for you to accomplish every day. Once you start doing the activities in your routine without thinking, then you’ve successfully formed a habit!
For example, if part of your workout routine involves doing 40 pushups, don’t beat yourself up if you only do 20 during 1 workout. Instead, recognize that you still accomplished part of what you set out to do and try to do better next time. Don’t give up on your routine if you fail early on; it will get easier over time.
For example, if the purpose of your routine was to make you more productive in the mornings, look back over your week and see how many times you’ve arrived to work earlier or later than usual. If your routine has made you get to work earlier every day, that’s a good sign that it’s making you more productive in the mornings. For more long-term goals (e. g. , losing weight), it might be better to check in with your routine at the end of each month.
For example, if you find that your workout routine has gotten too easy, consider going back and adding more difficult exercises into the mix.
