Hey, mamas! I hope you’re having a marvelous day and if it started off rocky, I hope you have a smooth ending to it. Remember to take some time for yourself and refill your bucket. Today’s topic is one that’s mentioned in several posts, but we’ll delve deeper. I hope it helps you see why routines are important and helps you create one of your own.
How to create a successful routine?
I believe the key to forming an easy routine is really learning more about who you are inside. The person that knows you best should be you. As you think about a routine you’d like to established for your days, take into consideration the following things:
- what you naturally do throughout the day
- times you feel the greatest and have more energy
- what do you enjoy doing?
- what do you not enjoy doing?
Once you have these questions answered, creating a routine that’s easy to follow will be a bit more obtainable.
Question for you to answer in the comments:
Are you a fan of routines and schedules naturally? Or are you a more spontaneous, fly by the seat of your pants type person? Put your answers in the comments! I want to know more about you!
I, myself, am a spontaneous person….so a structured routine doesn’t come naturally to me.
How do I create a routine when my life is chaotic?
I know days don’t always go according to plan, but if you’ve read my previous post about planning your day, then you know that it’s still important to have one. Having a routine allows for flexibility and stability even in the midst of chaos. It should be extremely simple so even if your week is busier than usual, following it doesn’t add to your stress.
Here are a few tips to help make this possible:
- Commit to following a simple routine for the next week
- Remember to take that committed week one day at a time
- Understand that a routine and schedule are two different things
- Make time for what you’re wanting to do
Why are routines so important?
Gosh, there’s so many reasons I can share as to why a routine is important, but it’s only when you have one that you’ll be able to fully understand. Here’s what I’ve understand from having a routine:
- Helps us get more things done
- Helps life to have some sort of predictability
- Creates structure
- Allows for flexibility so we can pivot when needed
- Helps us learn new skills and practice older ones
What can I do to make a routine easier to follow in the beginning?
Of course with any new thing, it’ll be easy to forget that you’re actually doing something different. This happens to me each and every time I start something new. So through my own trial and error (ok…ok…they are what they are: failures) here’s some good tips I think will help you establish a routine.
- Start as small as you need
- Write it down
- Do something easy
- Do something you enjoy
- Take it a day at a time
If you have laid out a good routine get in the habit of doing one but not more than 2 things consistently each day around the same time. Doing a smaller number of things more consistently will help you develop and establish a stronger routine as opposed to trying to do entire list of routines all at ones. That’s daunting and you don’t have time to be overwhelmed.
What do I do after establishing a routine?
Do what you do after anytime you accomplish or win something: celebrate! I mean, you have definitely earned that! But make sure it’s an appropriate celebratory action. Don’t go out and blow your budget on a new car. It could be something like treating yourself to a nice manicure (<- - I can help you with this one…shameless plug..I know) or a facial or even your favorite glass of wine!
Not only do you want to celebrate the accomplishment, you’ll want to continue to perfect it so that it becomes easier and second nature to you. While you’re perfecting it, you can start to work on another routine.
How long does it take to establish a routine?
Most people throw out the 21 days to form a habit, but the truth is that isn’t completely accurate. Because we are all different, the amount of days will be different. In addition to your unique personality, the amount of time also depends on the task. If it’s a relatively easy one for you then it may take less time. One just never knows. If you’re wanting to take a look at the study I found just click here. It shows that it takes anywhere from 18-265 days to form a habit.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc (18-265 days with 66 days for behavior to be automatic)
How to get my family on board with the routine I set?
Another challenge with keeping a good routine going is family. If your family’s normal routine is chaos, then getting them to change can be hard, but no worries. I have tips for you that should make this process a bit easier for you and them.
Before you layout a routine, consider if this routine will heavily involve them. If you’re working on a lunch routine for the kids, then I highly suggest allowing the kids (if they are age appropriate) to help put the routine together. Ask them what time they’d rather have lunch, what types of foods they’d enjoy for lunch, etc. This will help get them excited and should (in theory) make your life a bit easier because you’ll know what they expect.
Next share somethings they need to do to get ready for lunch and what sort of reminders would help them know when to do these behaviors! For example, I used to set an alarm to ring at 12:00 pm and my kids knew to start their routines (clean up their area, wash their hands, and my oldest would get their lunch together). Now they pay more attention to their body and time. Some kids need audio reminders to get them started. However, you could just start putting their lunch on the table and let that be a queue for them to start their routine.
Your consistency will help them be consistent. It’ll be hard in the beginning, but remember it won’t stay that hard. Just stick with it.
Conclusion:
Having a routine is important and may take a while for you to establish so start small. Learning more about who you are will help you get a routine that is relatively easier for you to follow with minimal effort. Get your family involved in the process of creating the routines that involves them. Most importantly, give yourself grace and your family grace during this entire process. Change can be hard in the beginning, but you’ll find having a routine is both helpful and fun.
Thanks so much for reading all the way through.
Until next time!