Ep 43 – Do we even need routines?

Have you ever caught yourself when you keep saying you want to change something about yourself but don’t change 1 thing you do daily towards that shift? Frustrating isn’t it? But the truth is nothing in our lives changes if we don’t change what we do everyday.

Like how Maxwell says,

The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.

Today we’re speaking about Daily Routines and why they matter most in our journey towards self-transformation.

As a kid growing up I used to look at adults with a routine (my maternal grandfather) and think how boring! You eat at the same time, go to work at the same time, sleep at the same time, and I thought to myself when I grow up, I’ll be adventurous every day will be a new day. Fast forward to adulthood and you realize life itself has so many challenges and adventure that you could do with one less. A routine helps create some predictability and structure around doing what matters most.

We all have the limited 24 hours, routines can help us maximise that time best to our needs so that we can achieve our goals. And, what I’ve learned through my journey is also that our willpower is limited – so if we really have to live that best version of ourselves in reality – we need to make it a lot more easier for some decisions to happen in life. And routines over time can help turn some of those good habits into second nature, where things happen without us having to apply brute force or will.

Additionally, with routines, you can go above your feelings and get things done. Like Curry says in his Daily Rituals book

“A solid routine fosters a well-worn groove for one’s mental energies and helps stave off the tyranny of moods.”

But remember the word routine has no hard and fast meaning – you can feel free to experiment with it as much as you’re comfortable. Keep a rigid routine if you like structure and timeliness. If you like things fluid, design a routine that’s fluid. But ensure that whatever routine you define for yourself helps you prioritise what matters most.

I have a few must-haves in my daily routines (and these priorities change from time to time as my priorities change):

• I meditate for 20 odd minutes every day
• I work out at least 30-45 minutes 5 days a week
• I journal every day for at least 15 minutes.
• I learn something new every day – either through online courses or by reading a book for at least 30 minutes.
• I do something for fun for at least 10 minutes a day – it could be chatting with my family or catching up with a friend, listening to my favourite music on a loop, doodling crazy characters, drawing something, anything to take my mind off.

3 out of 5 on my list I manage to do within the first hour of waking up. I strictly ensure no phones for the first hour and meditate, journal and learn something new or some days if I feel called write in the morning before it’s 6 am. Then the rest of the day is mine to seize. I like to keep workouts flexible depending on my meetings for the day and the fun can be squeezed in just about any time of the day. So there you go, it’s that simple, design a routine that works for you, and track how many days in a month you stick with it. After that, it’s a fun game of competing with yourself to push your own limits.

So the own your everyday tip for this week is to identify what’s most important for you to do every day to achieve your future goals and create a routine for yourself to incorporate them starting today. Remember, as Joe Luis says

“A champion doesn’t become a champion in the ring, he’s merely recognized in the ring. His “becoming” happens during his daily routine.”