I love planning, scheduling, and making routines. It adds structure and guidance to your day, your week, and even your month or year. Having these schedules and routines also helps with my anxiety; knowing what’s coming next and having a sense of direction helps calm my mind. I know you can’t plan out every second of every day, because life can get messy, but even when things don’t go exactly as planned, it’s still useful to have schedules and routines in place to add purpose and guidance to your life.
Even though schedules and routines can add a lot of positive things to your life, I know how difficult it can be to actually stick to them. Outside forces, unexpected circumstances, and a lack of motivation can all bring you away from your schedule and make you break from routine.
In order to stick to your schedules and routines, I’ve found that it’s helpful to take an intentional and holistic approach to them. There are certain things you can consider when you’re creating, maintaining, and reflecting on your schedule and routines that will help you actually stick to them and use them to their full potential.
Ready to learn exactly how to do that? Then read on for my ultimate guide to sticking to your schedules and routines!
When you’re creating your schedule and routines…
Do it intentionally.
It’s so helpful and fulfilling to put purpose and thought into whatever you do, especially your schedule and routines. Take time to sit down and write out your schedule for the week and plan when you’ll make time for your routines. Try not to rush through it, and make sure each activity and task is there for a reason. Even better, make sure to include things that align with your values and goals. Intentionally creating your schedule and routines will bring you a deeper sense of connection and commitment that’ll help you stick to them.
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Be realistic.
Don’t expect too much of yourself. Think realistically about how much time and energy you’ll need to effectively do each task. You don’t have to do it all, every day, all the time. Whenever you can avoid it, don’t put too much on your plate. I know that when I overestimate how much I’ll be able to get through in a day, I end up feeling bad about myself when I can’t get it all done. But when I get more realistic about my schedule and routines, I end up feeling more motivated and productive, and even get through my tasks quicker and more effectively. Try to centre your schedule and routines around a realistic balance that is comfortable for you.
Get excited.
There’s always going to be things you need to do but don’t necessarily want to do, but make sure you balance those with things you enjoy in your schedule and routines. This will give you something to look forward to on a regular basis, and may make completing those less exciting tasks more manageable. Bringing excitement and fun into your schedule and routines will not only help you get your tasks done more effectively, but also help you live a more fulfilling and well-rounded life.
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When you’re maintaining your schedule and routines…
Provide incentives for yourself and keep yourself accountable.
When working through your schedule and routines, it’s helpful to find ways to encourage and motivate yourself. Even if you’ve created an intentional and realistic schedule or routine that gets you excited, there may still be moments where you have to stray from the plan or lose your motivation. When that happens, don’t feel bad about yourself, and instead go with the flow and do things that spark your motivation to keep going. And also try to keep yourself accountable to the tasks you set out for yourself. Remind yourself of the responsibility you have to address and complete each thing in your schedule and routines. Providing incentives and staying accountable will be big factors in helping you stick to your schedule and routines.
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Remind yourself of your “why”.
You created your schedule and routines for a reason. That reason might simply be that you need to get particular things done to maintain your livelihood, or it could be that the tasks are contributing to something bigger in your self-development. And maybe it’s a little bit of both. Whatever your reason is, remind yourself of it. This will reignite your purpose and help you stick to the schedule and routines you set out for yourself.
Forgive your losses and celebrate your wins.
It’s totally okay to fall off track and stray from your schedule and routines. The worst thing you can do is feel bad about yourself when this happens. Instead, forgive yourself and don’t dwell on it for too long. Shaming yourself for your losses will make you lose your sense of motivation or productivity to get through the rest of your schedule and routines. Reflect on why it may have happened, learn from it, and move forward. Also, celebrate your wins, no matter how small. If you got through everything on your schedule for the day, celebrate it! If you tried to implement a new routine and made time for it every day this week, celebrate that, too. Recognize your achievements and take the time to appreciate them, and you’ll be even more motivated to stick to your next schedule and routines.
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When you’re reflecting on your schedule and routines…
Check in with yourself, mentally and emotionally.
Take time to reflect on what your schedule and routines add to your life. Make sure the tasks and activities you’re including are still aligned with what you set out to do when you first created your schedule and routine. How does it make you feel, mentally and emotionally? Does it stress you out or motivate you? Does it feel overwhelming or does it feel inspiring? Check in with yourself and the thoughts and feelings that arise when you think about your schedule and routines.
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Decide what’s not working and ditch it.
If you changed up your schedule or included a new routine that just isn’t adding much to your life, ditch it. Your days are too precious to be filling them with things that don’t actually matter that much to you or aren’t serving your values and goals. Don’t fall into the trap of adding things into your schedule and routines just because you think you should. If something really isn’t working for you, allow yourself to push it to the side so you can make room for something else that actually will.
Consider how you could bring even more value to your schedule and routines.
If you’re happy with where your schedule and routines are at, you can totally stay there. But sometimes, it can be fun to experiment and add some new changes every now and then. Chances are your schedule and routines will change depending on the week or month, and the way you approach them will change as you grow and enter new phases of your life. Be sure to re-evaluate, spice things up, and always do what’s most comfortable for you.
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Sticking to your schedule and routines can be tough, especially when life gets particularly chaotic and messy. The key is to create intentional and realistic schedules and routines that get you excited, and to make time for self-reflection and encouragement along the way.
So, what are you waiting for? Try out the methods in this guide and see if they work for you! And let me know, what other strategies or methods do you use to help you stick to your schedule and routines?
what do you think?