How to Set a Daily Routine and Stick to It

One thing we all struggle with is coming up with a workable daily routine. This is like the "Holy Grail" of time management. Some people would even go so far as to say that you couldn't be successful without one.

This article will cover the basics of how to set a daily routine and stick to it along with some mistakes concerning creating daily routines that I've coached people successfully through.

Be Flexible

Realize that just because it's best for you to exercise on Monday at 9 am that same time may not work on Tuesday...or any other day for that matter. But that's ok, it works for Monday.

Also, what I personally do is make sure I have a buffer time in the evening in case something came up during the day and I didn't get everything done that I needed to. I know a routine is...by its very definition...pretty set, but, let's face it, sometimes things come up that are out of our control... a kid sick or a car in the shop, to name just a couple.

So, if I stayed up late Monday night working and sleep in Tuesday morning and miss my exercise time, I have that buffer that evening when I could make it up.

Mistakes

I've known of people who didn't exercise because they couldn't fit it every day into their schedule at the same time. They actually went weeks without exercising until I sat them down and got out a good old fashioned planner and we scheduled every day. One day it may be in the morning, a couple of days in the afternoon, and a couple of days in the evening.

Be Realistic

Don't underestimate how much time you'll need to do a task. Overestimating is better, but best is to be close.

Mistakes

I've seen people have trouble filling in those time slots in a daily planner because they feel they'd be too rushed. They look at each slot filled and feel like their whole day was filled. Well...News Flash!...it already is filled whether on paper or not. You are doing something every minute that you're breathing. It's just so much cooler when you are in charge...when you're actually planning...what's filling those hours.

For instance, I love to read. It used to be that I wouldn't schedule time to read...I'd feel guilty. But, trust me, I found time to read. Now, I realize that I'm important too. Not just the stuff I do, but the stuff I want to do.

So with Those Two Criteria

Go! Create something that works for you...a daily routine that will suit your life. Remember that each day doesn't have to be the same. Heck, each week doesn't have to be the same. It just has to be functional.

Are you ready to begin managing your time better? Download my free ebook about Time Management for some wonderful ideas. Also visit me at There Must Be A Better Way

The Time Capsule - Your Daily Dose of Time Management Medicine

It occurred to me this morning as I gazed at my never ending list of items on my task list. While I prioritized these actions I realized that 90% of the tasks on my "Daily Task List" actually migrated from my "Master Task List". This is totally by my design. I enjoy a certain amount of satisfaction knowing that I make it a habit to work on my defined top payoff activities. This has not always been the case. In the early years of my management career, I found myself constantly working on someone else's priorities instead of my own. This is the natural order of things in the corporate hierarchical structure. In this environment it is normally those who understand that promotion and true advancement comes from learning to assert your individual creativity into whatever process you function under in order to bring about the necessary changes needed to cause a company to thrive. To advance your career you must learn to balance doing what is expected with the occasional unexpected application of change. Change is going to happen with or without our input. I have found that taking things apart is often the key to finding new and better ways to do things.

Over the next several weeks I will be sharing some... Not so standard time management tips that are bound to shake up your sense of comfort and structure. I have found these methods to be essential to my productivity, and... well, to my sanity. I have mentioned in several past posts that I am not, by nature an organized, structured person. I am naturally more of a spontaneous unstructured individual, who found that becoming organized was a necessity for the field of management. So, I became an avid student of all things, productivity, organization and time management oriented.

But every now and then I get stuck in a very productive rut, and need to break free to reacquaint myself with my more reckless, creative nature. Please don't misunderstand; I have found and come to believe that being structured actually allows for a tremendous level of spontaneous behavior. This happens because the more efficient your methods the more leisure time you will enjoy.

Back to the point; I want to share with you a few time management tips that help me think outside the box. Some of these I practice regularly and others as I feel the need.
Strategic Procrastination - Putting work off isn't necessarily a bad thing if you do it to regroup after realizing a project needs a new approach, or if you are delaying low priority tasks that may not need to be done at all. Wait until a task becomes important enough to deserve your time before you return to it. Some times when a goal becomes obsolete you can't see until you take a step back and view it from a broader perspective.When this happens evaluate your ultimate goal to be sure that your objectives are still the same.Be certain your task always reflect your highest payoff activities.If you find tasks on your list that do not contribute to your personal goals, team goals, or company goals. Apply Brian Tracy's advice of "Completion by Deletion".

Have you ever considered procrastination to be a strategic decision?

Do you every find good reasons to put off your work? Are they reasons you can live with?

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Blessings!

David Mount
Core Training Solutions