Routine: “Habitual or mechanical performance of an established procedure.”
Routines can support us when indecision steps in.
Daily routines can help manage our schedules.
Positive self-care routines can assist in supporting mental health.
Sometimes we use routines without even thinking about it.
I know my day goes better if I work out in the morning. I also know that I won’t exercise in the morning if my workout clothes aren’t the first thing I see in the morning. When I don’t see my workout gear first thing, I decide to have coffee and watch TV instead. So, every night I set my gear out so I don’t have any excuse not to exercise. Day supported by morning, morning supported by night. Routine.
On more than one occasion people have made mention of my strange golf pre-shot routine. I didn’t think much about it until I played with someone I’d never played with before and she mentioned how interesting it was that I “kinda clicked my heels together like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.” Well, that sounded weird, so I tried to stop doing it. Immediately my golf game suffered. I’d disrupted my routine.
I appreciate the power of meditation and try to incorporate it into my schedule on a daily basis. Unfortunately, when I get out of my routine, this is one of the first things to go and I notice the change pretty darn quickly. As a matter of fact, I found myself internally screaming at my meditation app this morning because it wasn’t downloading fast enough. What does that say about neglecting a routine?
My schedule is pretty fluid. I do not have a Monday-Friday, 8:00-5:00 job. Some days I have on-site clients, some days I have virtual clients, some days I don’t have any clients at all. Because of this lack of structure I need to rely on routines I have total control over: exercise, meditation, positive self-talk, regular sleep routines, nutrition, etc.
What routines do you rely on?
What routines do you need to create?
What could a solid routine help you to achieve?
Cindy Jobs, COC, ACC
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National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals, Seattle Chapter Vice-President
International Coach Federation
Institute for Challenging Disorganization
Level I Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization; ADD; Client Administration; Time Management; Mental Health; and Hoarding.
Level II Specialist Certificates earned in Chronic Disorganization and ADHD