The word routine means a sequence of actions followed regularly or a set schedule. A fixed program. But to some of us, it means a time for everything. A set schedule or a day well ordered. Let’s discuss how a routine can help.
It means everyone gets time because it has been allocated to them. You see, I live in a house with 5 people, myself included. So finding time for everyone can be quite challenging.
How your daily routine creates balance
Having a balanced life in today’s fast-paced world is difficult, to say the least. If you are not running all over for someone else, then you might have kids whom you are running all over for.
- Time management
There is very little time for the things that matter most. Having a daily routine gives us a gift. Time. When we know where we are supposed to be and when we are supposed to be there, it is a feeling of having more time.
Being well-balanced reduces stress and feelings of being overwhelmed. It can also create a sense of peace. Which I’m sure we all need as we watch all the chaos around us lately.
- Flexibility
When we feel like we have more time then we are able to be more flexible with our time. The stressor of being late is becoming less of an issue because we already know that if we take an extra 15 minutes to pick up little Jenny that we will only be 10 minutes early instead of 30.
I have a nasty habit of leaving an hour early for an appointment I have because I hate being late. If traffic is bad, or an accident happens. I don’t have to worry about it. The only problem is that if nothing happens, then I am an hour early! But because of this, I can be a little flexible in some areas.
- Goal orienting
Another good thing about daily routines is that the more time I have the more I can focus on specific goals. As long as I make them small goals.
For example, I need to do a certain amount of writing every day. But I need to plan out my writing. I have begun to do the post outline the night before, and then I focus on the actual writing part the next day.
I have 3 small children, so sometimes time just doesn’t go the way I plan it. So I have begun to start planning days before. This post right here is actually 3 days in running. First was planning how to write it.
Then was the outline, and finally this copy. I have decided I would like to have better, more focused content instead of halfway anything goes. And as I get better with my writing and thinking, hahaha, the posts will be better too. So I hope you bear with me!
Daily Routines create productivity
I like to be able to get stuff done. And if I’m focused on what little Jenny did last week instead of what’s in front of me, it’s not gonna happen. Within my daily routine is a time for the kids, a time for the husband (though, let’s face it sometimes he suffers), and a time for me.
The time for me is blogging, reading, cleaning, etc. Some of the me-time is house time. I hate living in a pig-stye, but sometimes I rebel against housework, and we do. I do not like to clean. When it was just the 2 of us, it was fine. But now that there are 5…I feel the housework is a little unfair!
- Examining our daily routine
But for each of us, it is different. Might I suggest that you examine your daily routine and what is important to you? When I started creating my daily routine, I found certain things important.
Like my kids’ schoolwork, housework, and mealtimes. So my kids and I do our morning routines, which include making the bed, teeth, making breakfast, and off to school.
Our afternoon routine has changed in the last 3 years since I actually wrote this post. So let’s do a little update. Now that the kids are in school full-time, the main goal is just to keep them there. When they get home, our daily routine has become outside, then homework. They have way too much energy and just spent 8 hours at school.
And my home routine while they are at school has also changed. Now I do all the cleaning for the day before beginning any blogging work. And when I am really on top of it I remember to make food before they get home.
Taking action to create your daily routine
So whatever is most important to you is what you put on your daily routine. It is easy to split up into easy steps for more action or productivity, depending on your needs.
Remember that creating a routine is just another way of trying to build good habits. Habits take time, and we know bad habits are hard to break.
So if it seems your routine isn’t working, give it another try or maybe tweak it and break it down into actionable steps you can complete. It’s for you and therefore customizable according to your needs.
