Ever get to the end of your working week and wonder where on earth the time went and what exactly you achieved during those hours?
You’re not alone. In fact, most of us experience this - even during weeks when you’ve felt rushed off your feet darting from one priority to the next.
But therein lies the problem; if you’re always rushing around feeling like you do nothing more than chase your tail, routine is probably lacking.
Here’s how having daily routines works and why they’re so effective.
Believe it or not, your body doesn’t particularly like the fact you go to bed late and wake at varying times throughout the week. In fact, it hates it.
This is why you feel groggy, unmotivated and grumpy; your body is crying out for a consistent bed time and alarm clock (and one whose snooze button you don’t continually press!).
Having a routine is a great way to maintain a healthy body and mind, and that’ll have a considerably positive impact on your productivity.
Your time is invaluable - it’s almost impossible to put a price on it (unless you work in web design or another time-based industry, of course!).
Routines ensure that the use of your time (whether you’re using it or someone else is paying for it) is maximised without a second wasted.
Most jobs include a variety of constituent elements and responsibilities, but without a routine it’s nigh-on impossible to keep on top of them all.
With a routine, you’ll benefit from a structure to your day, which means tasks A and B will have their own dedicated time slot in your diary, and tasks C and D won’t be left to chance, either.
Structure might sound boring, but it’s actually incredibly addictive and one of the best ways to be ultra-productive.
If you don’t have a routine, it’s far too easy to inadvertently head down unproductive cul-de-sacs.
A smartphone notification or casual scan of your email inbox might be all that’s needed to throw yourself wildly off-track, but if you have a routine on which you rely each day, you’ll find yourself straying from the path of productivity far less often.
Sound odd? Not really.
If you’re having to think about whatever it is you’re working on (not the content of the task - the task itself), you’re lacking a routine.
Thinking about work is a sure-fire way to stop yourself from being as productive as you should be. With a routine and the structure that comes with it, you’ll simply get on with the tasks in hand; work will become something you just naturally do, and that’s a very powerful thing indeed.
Simply put: yes!
Routines might sound like the beginning of the end when it comes to your ability to be creative, but the opposite is true. As humans, we crave routine, and it’s important for your self-development and success to succumb to that desire.
