As a child one of the first things your parents did was put you in a routine. This routine would consist of eat, play, and sleep. As an infant grows to a toddler and so forth the importance of this routine is evidence in how they develop. This is no different for adults; most adults have the luxury of creating their own routine or schedule for their day.
There are many ways to go about this from "the go with the flow" mentality to "every minute counts" mindset. "Go with the flow" mentality can lead to underachieving, feeling stressed and procrastination. On the other hand, the "every minute counts" mindset can also lead to feeling stressed and performing below standard just so we can tick a box at the end of the day.
I find that somewhere in the middle is the key to success. Giving yourself some daily structure will help guide you to your goals while increasing quality productivity and leaving us with a feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day.
When we develop routines for ourselves, the benefits become evident in a short space of time. The introduction of structure in our lives saves time, keeps us on the road to success, helps develop positive habits, helps reduce stress, we tend to set boundaries and prioritize our activities, we improved eating habits and can even save you money.
The hardest part about a routine is getting into the groove. A successful routine involves prioritizing the most important things we need to do that day or week. For example, most of us have a work schedule we need to include in our routine along with other important tasks such as working out, eating and some relaxation time. Usually, work schedules are consistent, which, as far as routines go, is a good thing because we know our time is limited to get the additional daily tasks done. This is where the importance of prioritizing comes in, everyone has different priorities and that will determine how daily routines will be formed. The placement of certain tasks can set you up for a successful day. For some, exercise is a huge priority and ticking that box first thing in the morning will set them up for a successful day. To avoid roadblocks, it is essential for you to build a routine all the way up until you go to bed at night. Some of the most common mistakes come from lack of sleep and being disorganized.
The placement of tasks in your daily routine is different for everyone, but what is common in all routines is the success of the people who stick to them. Routines can put us in a positive mindset and relieve stress at the end of the day because it gives us a sense of control in a chaotic life. By having a strong routine we know the following day is prepared and ready for us to hit a home run.