THE PROBLEM WITH DAILY ROUTINES

/ Be Better, Challenges, Feel Better, Mindset / By

THE PROBLEM WITH DAILY ROUTINES

We’ve all been sold the benefits of a routine – A sequence of actions regularly followed, a fixed program that is supposed to help us achieve more and stress less. There is only one problem… Routines are boring, and rigid and take all the fun out of living, right?  Wrong!  A daily routine is not only the path to productivity and success but also the key to freedom and happiness.  

WHEN YOU FEEL PRODUCTIVE, YOU FEEL HAPPY.

First we need to start by outlining clear goals. When we work towards clear goals, we feel a greater sense of flow, enjoyment, and productivity.  Important and measurable life outcomes found in multiple surveys and studies show that if we feel more productive, statistically we are more likely to feel happier, more successful and more confident than people who feel less productive. As a result, we are more likely to take better care of ourselves, get promoted more often, and even earn more money! 

Feeling busy is not the same as being productive. 

When we are busy, we are unavailable. We are not engaged or focused which often leads to a decline in performance and overall happiness. We might be getting shit done, but we are not being productive. If achievement goes out of sync with who we are, what we really want to be doing, and what we are actually capable of, it can feel hollow… Just walk and look around downtown Toronto at 5pm… Everyone is busy,  unlikely they’re all happy…

NOBODY IS TOO BUSY, IT’S JUST A MATTER OR PRIORITIES

 
We’re really good at scheduling or creating habits for the ‘necessary’ tasks like waking up, going to work, taking out the garbage… We cram our schedules with endless tasks.  We get so obsessed with crossing items off our to-do list that we forget to make time for the most important, energy generating, happiness building habits.   
“58% of Canadians report ‘overload’ as a result of the pressures associated with work, home and family, friends, physical health, volunteer and community service.” -Canadian Mental Health Association

We found countless studies and breakdowns of our daily activities. Although the data varies greatly by year, country and source, there was a general pattern. It seems that we spend:

~30% of our lives working.
~30% sleeping.
~40% doing ‘other stuff’. 

Canadians are painfully polite and agreeable, so perhaps we have agreed to take on too much and ‘overload’ is wrecking our health and wellbeing (click to learn how to politely say no). More likely, we have failed to clearly identify our goals and priorities.

We need to be more intentional about the ‘other stuff’… Poor sleep, and excessive use of social media are some of our biggest time sucks.  According to Statistics Canada, only 16% of Canadian adults are getting the recommended amount of physical activity (150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week). 84% of Canadians are exercising less than 2.5 hours per week, yet the average Canadian spends ~30 hours per week watching television.

ROUTINE SELF- ASSESSMENT

It’s easy to neglect areas of our life that are important to us when we don’t regularly assess how we’re doing. Taking time once a month to self-assess and give ourselves a score from 1-10 in the below categories can help identify areas of our lives that need a little more routine.

  1. Health (Physical)
  2. Health (Mental / Emotional)
  3. Partner / Love
  4. Family
  5. Friends
  6. Mission
  7. Experiences
  8. Spirit / Faith
  9. Finances
  10. Curiosity / Learning

If you score anything below a 8/10, set some goals, create some better habits and prioritize those. Additionally, rate yourself from 1-10 on the following statements:

“I’m good at setting priorities and working on what’s important.”
“I stay focused and avoid distractions and temptations.”

If you score low on those, it’s likely that you haven’t been productive or happy… A routine scheduled around happiness can help you.

MB APPROACH: HOW DO WE SCHEDULE MORE HAPPINESS INTO OUR ROUTINE? 

Set goals > Maintain energy > Be happy.

 

There are many incredible books about setting goals, identifying priorities, generating and maintaining energy and mastering flow/ focus. We all have different ambitions, goals and current situations, but here are a few practices that we find really helpful with daily planning and self-assessing. 

  1. Begin every day outlining ‘TODAY’S TOP PRIORITIES’. The tasks that absolutely need to get done today. There can never be more than 3. 
  2. Drink at least 2L of water, get 8 hours of sleep every day.
  3. Plan your workouts with purpose for the week, schedule them in and stick them.

The problem with daily routines is that they only work if we stick to them and take the time to assess their efficiency.  Even when we do, there are days when we will struggle and score really low.  No matter how well we plan, we are human and life is unpredictable.  Having a routine allows us to look at the bigger picture. Routine gives us clarity so we can gain more control of our lives, avoid distractions, and adjust our goals and priorities. Once our goals and priorities are clear, we can focus on generating more energy, so we can increase our productivity, enjoy more balance, and most importantly, be happy.