Good habits, in particular, are difficult to form. Making a daily routine that you can keep to will help you build healthy habits and break negative ones for a much more productive and happy life.
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Setting up a daily routine is a mix of art and science. The skill lies in knowing when to do what.
List-making
First, make a list of daily tasks, both at home and at work. This is a thought dump, not a to-do list. Spend 30 minutes with a notebook, writing down everything you do and should do each day.
If you can’t recall everything, keep a notebook with you and write notes throughout the day. No task is too small—add “brush teeth’ and ‘get watch fixed at Fast-Fix” to your regimen.
Plan Your Day
Early birds get stuff accomplished before noon, while night owls get their creative juices flowing late at night. Consider your optimal working hours and categorize your tasks accordingly.
Mornings: Getting out the door might be a challenge. Early responsibilities include feeding and walking dogs, unloading the day’s first load of dishes, and preparing dinner in the slow cooker. Set aside the mornings for chores that demand critical thinking and problem-solving. “Eat the frog” means getting the chore you least like to complete done early thing in the morning so it doesn’t hover over you.
Midday: Your energy levels—and possibly the caffeine from your coffee undoubtedly dwindled. This means you’re set to conduct dull, everyday tasks that don’t need much thought. Use this time to answer emails, make appointments, and conduct errands. If you are at home during the day, utilize this opportunity to do chores like emptying and reloading the dishwasher and cleaning the restrooms.
Evenings are best used for preparation and planning for the next day. Prepare your clothes, pack your lunches, and clean cluttered areas like the kitchen. The weekly organizing regimen requires 15 to 20 minutes per room.
Specify
You can be as descriptive as you want within these broad limits of your day. For example, you could want to write out a morning routine like this:
6 a.m.: Brush teeth, shower
6:30 a.m.: Breakfast
7 a.m.: Leave
7:15 a.m.: Drop kids off
7:30: Arrive at work
That’s a thorough timetable, but it may be more comfortable for certain people until they get used to it.
Plan For Flexibility
Even the most meticulous plans fall victim to life. The idea is to employ your most productive hours for difficult activities and your least productive moments for mundane chores. Even if you have to miss work to attend a doctor’s appointment or a social event, keeping a daily schedule will help keep things running smoothly.
Test Drive Your New Routine
Try out your regular lifestyle for 30 days. How is it? Did you plan your duties at sensible times? Is something wrong? Make adjustments as needed, and then reassess after 30 days to evaluate how your new schedule is working for you.
Creating a daily routine may seem difficult at first, but you will soon witness more productivity, fewer morning meltdowns, and more free time throughout the day or week. Better? If your daily regimen doesn’t work right away, simply tweak it until it does.
