How to Maintain Your Routine

Routines can be extremely tricky. While we want to have some repetition in our day to day we also fear this turning into a monotonous pattern. Maintaining a routine can be different for different people and it is always important to remember that. For some repetition is key and for others change is essential. I need something new in my routine every now and then. This is what makes me happy but I don’t expect that to work for everyone. I have tried many things over the years to build consistency in my life through routines so I will share a few habits that have helped me.

Don’t force your routine

There will be days when you don’t want to get up at 5am and go for a run even if you enjoy it on most days, and that is okay. This has been the key to my success in building a routine I can love and enjoy. I enjoy doing yoga but a few mornings I wake up wanting to sit and read a book instead. This change gives me the confidence that I can do what I want to and still maintain my lifestyle and routine.

Keep Updating

I re-evaluate my needs and routine often. This also doesn’t mean that I sit and rethink everything I do but instead focus on what isn’t working for me. I change my evening routine the most. I have some time after work and before dinner where my needs change often. If I am working on a home improvement project then this time is devoted to that. A few weeks might be devoted to self development with meditation and mindfulness. So changing it and also updating the time allocated to things should be re-evaluated whenever things feel uneasy.

Sustainability is key

it is easy to create a routine packed with a million things, every second of every day accounted for but this can be stressful and exhausting over a long period of time. I am this person, who wants to have every second planned out and it has taken me some not so pleasant situations to realize how I am only making this harder for myself by behaving in this manner. Plan your essentials but also leave room for unexpected things or changes. It will help reduce a lot of the stress and disappointment that comes from not being able to keep up with your routine. This also creates a dislike towards your routine and you feel that your routine is working against you instead of working for you.

I am still working on perfecting what works for me as I am always changing and as a result so are my needs but keeping these three things in mind does alleviate the stress associated with maintaining a routine. I see my routine as 100% in my control and I make the decisions instead of my calendar. Keep on building your routine and for more routine related resources follow our Routine Campaign Road to Routine | Making Millennium.

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