Daily Routines

The Power of Daily Routines: Structuring Your Life for Success

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Daily routines are a powerful tool for bringing structure to our lives and making our daily activities more efficient. Many successful individuals swear by their morning and evening routines, which help them start the day productively and end it calmly.
I have also adopted routines, although I haven't taken them to the extremes that some of these famous people have – perhaps that's why I'm not as successful.
Nonetheless, I have recognized many positive effects of these daily routines and continue to follow them as best as I can (some aspects are easier for me than others).

In this article, I will explain what daily routines are, their benefits, the tools that can be used, and the psychological advantages they can offer.

What are Daily Routines?

Daily routines are regular, repetitive actions performed at the same time each day. This doesn't mean you need to set timers every morning and evening to finish your activities on the dot. Rather, the goal is to start and end your day with certain activities within a defined timeframe to make sense as a routine.
These routines help structure the day and provide a stable framework within which we can pursue our tasks and goals. I'm not talking about activities like preparing lunch or brushing your teeth.
While these are routines (the word comes from the French for habit), I'm focusing on activities that you might typically plan unstructured or individually in your day or week.

Such routines reduce the need to make constant decisions, as you follow the same pattern and perform many tasks automatically. This saves mental energy and reduces stress.

Examples of Morning and Evening Routines

A classic morning routine includes planning your day, exercising, and checking the latest news in your preferred newspapers. Since all this happens before your main daily obligations, you naturally need to get up early. This is where many people falter because who likes getting up at 5 AM to engage in seemingly unimportant activities?

Examples of evening routines include daily reflection (more on this in my article on self-reflection) or meditation. These can be easily incorporated before bedtime, helping you fall asleep and stay asleep.
You can also plan your diet for the day or the whole week, easing the pressure the next day.

Routines of Famous People

• Tim Cook:
  Tim Cook often starts his day at 4:00 AM, dedicating the first hours to answering emails and reading customer feedback. Personally, I wouldn't include work-related activities in my morning routine, but I'm not a CEO. He then goes to the gym to stay physically active. I highly recommend this!

• Oprah Winfrey:
  Oprah begins her day with 20 minutes of meditation, followed by a thorough fitness routine, including yoga or a walk. After that, she enjoys a healthy breakfast and takes time to review her day’s plan. She believes meditation helps her stay centered and balanced, physical activity supports her well-being, and structured planning helps her organize her various projects.

• Tony Robbins:
  Tony Robbins, a well-known motivational speaker and life coach, starts his day with a special breathing exercise and a short meditation. He takes a “cold shower” to invigorate his body and plans his day with affirmative thoughts and goal setting (consciously positive resolutions and thoughts).
  These rituals help activate his body and mind and mentally prepare him for the day. Cold showers are said to improve circulation and boost the immune system, and they foster discipline.

• Benjamin Franklin:
  Benjamin Franklin had a famous morning routine where he started the day with self-reflection, asking himself, "What good shall I do this day?" He not only analyzed his day retrospectively in the evening but also planned good deeds. Afterward, he prepared for the rest of the day. Franklin believed in the importance of self-improvement and moral reflection.
  His routine helped him make his days productive and focus on his long-term goals.

My Routine

I could use myself as the fifth example but won't compare myself to these greats.
Personally, I start my day with a fitness session. This varies from day to day; sometimes I go to the gym before work, and other days I go for a run right after waking up. I then plan my day over a cup of coffee and spend a few minutes learning a language with flashcards.
In the evening, I recap my day and check off my habit tracker (more on this in a separate article). Sometimes, I add a meditation session.

I must admit that I can't always implement all elements of my routines. Sometimes, things just get in the way.
However, I've found that especially my daily planning and recap, as well as my fitness routine, clear my mind for the day. I've done something for my body before work and know what tasks lie ahead.

The Purpose of Routines

Routines aim to increase productivity, provide stability and security, and ensure mental clarity. Depending on what you include in your routine and whether it takes place in the morning or evening, you can achieve different effects.
Primarily, you should follow these routines because they make you feel good. If you simply aren't a morning person or can't fit a morning routine into your schedule, don't force yourself. However, you should approach it with some discipline. Statements like "I'm just too tired in the morning" or "I always get to bed so late" are often just excuses. Discipline is necessary to establish routines.
If you stick to it, it will become easier to implement, and eventually, it will become a habit that you do automatically and even miss. That’s the goal.

And you get a lot in return for your efforts. Planning your day in the morning clears your mind and allows you to focus on what’s important. Fixed processes reduce mental strain as you make fewer everyday decisions, creating space for creative processes.

Completing morning workouts gives you incredible satisfaction and physical energy. Moreover, it’s highly satisfying and motivating to have accomplished a significant task first thing in the day.

Routines also provide a sense of security and stability, especially during times of uncertainty or stress. Evening self-reflection can have a very positive effect on your well-being, especially when you express gratitude (more on this in an upcoming article on personal well-being).
This can also help reduce anxiety and improve overall well-being by providing structure and predictability.

Routines help develop discipline and self-control, teaching us to act consistently over the long term.

Tools to Support Daily Routines

Various tools can help create and stick to daily routines effectively. For your daily planning, you can use physical or digital planners to keep track of important tasks and appointments.
This is particularly satisfying when you check off completed tasks. You can use time management apps like Todoist, Trello, or Habitica.
I personally like using Notion, where you can create planners and overviews and enter tasks into the calendar.

For evening reflection, you can keep a journal or use a digital version, like a Notion template for your reflections. There are countless apps for meditation; I personally recommend "Balance: Meditation and Sleep."

Some people also like using mind maps to structure their thoughts. There are many ways to structure your routines. Use what feels best for you and feel free to get creative.

Conclusion

Daily routines are a powerful tool for bringing structure and efficiency to our daily lives. They help start the day productively, reduce stress, and promote mental health.
By implementing and maintaining routines, both in the morning and evening, we can consciously shape our lives and pursue our goals more effectively.
The routines of successful individuals show how important a clear structure and regular processes are for personal and professional success.

I can only recommend incorporating your own routines into your daily life. How you design them is entirely up to you. If in doubt, start small. Don’t overburden your routines initially, as this increases the likelihood that you’ll maintain them long-term.

Experiment to find what works best for you and what makes you feel good. Then give yourself some time for the new routine to become a habit.
Once these activities have truly become routines, you can consider expanding or adjusting them.

I wish you much fun and success in integrating your own routines into your daily life. Be disciplined and discover your unique experiences.

Your Thoughts

What do you think about daily routines? Have you ever tried incorporating them into your daily life? What experiences have you had?

Feel free to leave a comment and share your insights and thoughts on daily routines.
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