What began as a routine to start my day ended up being a catalyst for big inspiration in my life and business.

The past two years, I've worked on establishing a routine to achieve the following goals:

1. Not jumping out of bed and starting work
2. Having a hard stop work time 
3. Incorporate reading into my day 

Clearly, I was working way too much and this didn’t result in success, only a case of burnout.

This worked rather well so last year I changed it up and introduced journaling after reading. Surprisingly, this became one of my routine's most powerful parts. If I go a day not doing it I feel uninspired and feel "off" all day. 

The other thing this power combo did for me was getting my mind in creative mode - just in time for the next part of my routine - writing  (which actually came after my shower, which also helps thoughts flow). An unexpected result.

 

So right now daily routine is this:6am coffee, read and journal and stretch7am shower and get ready8am write 10am meetings/client work (some days this starts earlier)11am walk then eat2pm eat then 15 min stillness4pm end of day shutdown with planner and Asana5-6pm Family Dinner 

 Routines can help with productivity for several reasons. 

One it kicks your day off on a positive and inspiring note doing something YOU choose and want to do! 

It’s intentional, triggering what motivates you and what aligns with your goals which sets you up for a productive day. 

Because you know our habits make our success. 

But there are Reasons Routines Fail let’s talk about some common reasons and fixes.

 

You may choose routines based on what you hear and see others doing, but they aren’t really what you want to do, or aren’t connected to your goals. This feels more like ordering yourself around and if you are a rebel this isn’t gonna fly.

 

Fix: You’re not stuck stop routines not lighting your fire, fulfilling your goals or bringing you inspiration. 

Work up to things that you want to do but are difficult to start - 20 min of meditation might not be easy but 3 min might work just fine and after a year you could reach your 20 min goal - or find a different sweet spot that brings you the fire. 

 

You try one way of achieving a routine and when it doesn’t work so you stop. 

Fix: If you want to journal and sitting down to a blank page does not work for you, don’t give up. Research other ways to journal - prompts, morning pages, gratitude, and keep trying until you find something that fits for you. Unless you find it’s not really something you enjoy and doesn’t inspire you then it might just not be a great as you anticipated.

 

You stop too soon.

Fix: Try something for a few weeks, build up consistency before you completely give up on it, unless you absolutely hate it. Then dump it. But if a routine just doesn’t feel like it’s sticking give it a little more time - habits take time to build.

 

Your routine starts to feel like just going through the motions.

Fix: Mix it up, is there a part of this routine you could change up? Change the type of exercise, or journaling or meditation. Take a break a few days and see how you feel. You might find that it’s not the routine that is the root of this feeling. You might even find that you feel incomplete in your day without it. Revisit your why on this routine too. 

 

So create a routine choosing things that make you feel more energized and focus. 

That is what stretching does for me. 

 

And reading and journaling gets my creative juices flowing just in time for me to jump into my daily writing routine which results in my content creation which grows my business and gets results for my clients.

Having a routine like this that flows and works together doesn’t just help your mindset it prevents us from depleating our willpower and limited daily decision making abilities. In times of burnout or high stress and overwhelm, my routine has given me a sense of calm and reminds me to slow down.

The productivity and consistency that come with routine are things our minds crave. This predictability can help you feel more in control and organized, and help you hang on to a productive mindset throughout the day.

The most important thing is that this routine must be tailored to your specific needs and goals. 

By doing this, you will be able to achieve your goals faster and focus your time and energy on getting there.

1. First identify the things you do daily already, this will help you identify your established routines. 
2. Next think of the things that leave you feeling inspired and motivated. (It’s usually not email and scrolling social videos). 
3. Then, decide where in your current routine will you add this new routine and test it out!
4. Finally iterate what you need until you find what works or find that it’s just not the right routine for you. But give it a chance.

Whenever you’re ready here are 2 ways I can help you:

 

1. Download the Asana Starter Kit this is the system I use for my clients and my own business.
2. 1:1 Strategy Session to get you unstuck. Whether you need help with the tech, strategy, systems or programs setup - setup a time to work through it with me. 

 

All of the below is in the blog template on the website builder

 

Click here to listen!

 

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

“I love the Short of It with Amanda Long.” If that sounds like you, please hit the subscribe button in your favorite podcast player, and if you feel like “Amanda, everyone needs to hear this” please rate my podcast click here open in Apple Podcasts, scroll to the bottom to reviews and click the stars to give us a 5-star rating and share something you loved about the episode! 

 

Links mentioned in this episode:

- Podcast Episode #18 Transcript