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How can you stay consistent with a routine?
How can you stay consistent with a routine?
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Brennan’s Answer
Hey Philip, great question! I'd say staying consistent with a routine isn't complicated, so don't make it complicated. Have a core three or four things you do everyday - workout, read 10 pages of a book, drink 1/2 a gallon of water a day, and some sort of thought exercise, for example. Once you have your core daily habits/goals, then block out the same time each day to do it. For example, regardless of when you wake up the first thing you do is drink a 16 oz bottle of water and get your work out in that way you already have one goal done and progress on another. You can set times throughout the day to drink another 16 ounces of water every 2 or 3 hours. And finally wrap up the day reading 10 pages of a book and grabbing a sheet of paper and going through a thought exercise; like writing down ten ideas, ten things you're grateful for, ten problems, etc.
In my opinion, the key is have a handful of key habits you do, like described above. Then blocking out the same time each day which will make it feel like 'it's just what I do - I just workout first in the morning'. As oppose to, each day, figuring when/how you'll get your workout in - I.E: 'maybe I'll work out in the evening instead of in the morning today. Yea, that sounds good I'll workout after work today'. When you make it sound like a question of whether to do or not to do something consistently, it opens the doorway to talk yourself out of it all together which is what we call being inconsistent.
In my opinion, the key is have a handful of key habits you do, like described above. Then blocking out the same time each day which will make it feel like 'it's just what I do - I just workout first in the morning'. As oppose to, each day, figuring when/how you'll get your workout in - I.E: 'maybe I'll work out in the evening instead of in the morning today. Yea, that sounds good I'll workout after work today'. When you make it sound like a question of whether to do or not to do something consistently, it opens the doorway to talk yourself out of it all together which is what we call being inconsistent.
Updated
Kirstin’s Answer
Decide what needs to be in your routine. Do you want to get more exercise or more alone time? Prioritizing what is important to you before starting is key!
Set small goals. Break each large goal into smaller goals. While a big goal is exciting to tackle, it is what often leads to failure as we take on too much. If your overall goal is to eat healthier meals, start by changing one thing a day, every day, to build confidence. When you accomplish that, congratulate yourself!
Layout a plan. Start with one week at a time and start small – that way you can build on simple accomplishments. Write it all out on a calendar, almost like an appointment.
Be consistent with time. If you want to get a daily walk in, attempt it at the same time every day. Completing your tasks first thing in the morning before losing motivation allows you to enjoy benefits all day. If you want to get to the gym, do it on your way to or from work, you will have more success. Most people won’t want to leave the warm house once they get home.
Be prepared. When deciding upon a new routine, make sure you have all the pieces before you start; this will make it easier to get started without any delay. For example, if a new resolution is to clean the house every Saturday morning, make sure your vacuum cleaner is working properly and you have all the cleaning materials needed.
Make it fun! Getting into a new routine and new goals aren’t always fun, but there are ways to make it fun. Find a workout buddy, get a good playlist for cleaning and try new cooking classes – anything to help you enjoy your new routine.
Track your progress. Create a visual calendar that you can cross off each day that you complete the task. Most people don’t want to “break the chain” and see a missing spot on their calendar.
Reward yourself. Once you have fallen into a routine on a consistent basis, reward yourself with something fun. For example, if your goal was to get into a routine of picking up clutter every night before bed, reward yourself with new slippers that you can enjoy around the clean house.
Reference: https://www.northshore.org/healthy-you/how-to-start-a-new-routine-and-stick-to-it/
Set small goals. Break each large goal into smaller goals. While a big goal is exciting to tackle, it is what often leads to failure as we take on too much. If your overall goal is to eat healthier meals, start by changing one thing a day, every day, to build confidence. When you accomplish that, congratulate yourself!
Layout a plan. Start with one week at a time and start small – that way you can build on simple accomplishments. Write it all out on a calendar, almost like an appointment.
Be consistent with time. If you want to get a daily walk in, attempt it at the same time every day. Completing your tasks first thing in the morning before losing motivation allows you to enjoy benefits all day. If you want to get to the gym, do it on your way to or from work, you will have more success. Most people won’t want to leave the warm house once they get home.
Be prepared. When deciding upon a new routine, make sure you have all the pieces before you start; this will make it easier to get started without any delay. For example, if a new resolution is to clean the house every Saturday morning, make sure your vacuum cleaner is working properly and you have all the cleaning materials needed.
Make it fun! Getting into a new routine and new goals aren’t always fun, but there are ways to make it fun. Find a workout buddy, get a good playlist for cleaning and try new cooking classes – anything to help you enjoy your new routine.
Track your progress. Create a visual calendar that you can cross off each day that you complete the task. Most people don’t want to “break the chain” and see a missing spot on their calendar.
Reward yourself. Once you have fallen into a routine on a consistent basis, reward yourself with something fun. For example, if your goal was to get into a routine of picking up clutter every night before bed, reward yourself with new slippers that you can enjoy around the clean house.
Reference: https://www.northshore.org/healthy-you/how-to-start-a-new-routine-and-stick-to-it/
I want to chime in and say that you can track your progress through free apps! Oftentimes, you can also set up reminders on those apps so they ping you to do the action
Gurpreet Lally, Admin
Updated
Anna’s Answer
Hello Philip,
It's truly fantastic to hear about your desire to improve yourself and establish a beneficial routine!
In my own life, I've found great joy in jotting down tasks and then experiencing the gratification of crossing them off once they're finished. During my school days, I used to keep a planner filled with all my assignments, exams, quizzes, and other tasks for the entire semester. The sense of accomplishment I felt when I crossed off each task, knowing that by semester's end everything would be completed, was truly rewarding.
Creating a simple list can also be incredibly useful. For instance, I often jot down reminders to wake up at a specific time or be ready to leave the house by a certain hour. These might seem like small habits, but they gradually evolve into routines that you'll follow without even needing to write them down. The only exception might be school work, which you might still want to track to stay on course.
Establishing a routine does require time, energy, and effort, but once it's in place, it naturally becomes consistent. It then feels like just another part of your day, and you'll find yourself being incredibly productive and efficient.
Best of luck on your journey,
AC
It's truly fantastic to hear about your desire to improve yourself and establish a beneficial routine!
In my own life, I've found great joy in jotting down tasks and then experiencing the gratification of crossing them off once they're finished. During my school days, I used to keep a planner filled with all my assignments, exams, quizzes, and other tasks for the entire semester. The sense of accomplishment I felt when I crossed off each task, knowing that by semester's end everything would be completed, was truly rewarding.
Creating a simple list can also be incredibly useful. For instance, I often jot down reminders to wake up at a specific time or be ready to leave the house by a certain hour. These might seem like small habits, but they gradually evolve into routines that you'll follow without even needing to write them down. The only exception might be school work, which you might still want to track to stay on course.
Establishing a routine does require time, energy, and effort, but once it's in place, it naturally becomes consistent. It then feels like just another part of your day, and you'll find yourself being incredibly productive and efficient.
Best of luck on your journey,
AC
Updated
Shiri’s Answer
Hi Philip,
The way that I stay consistent is by planning out my day out in Google Calendar. This is a way to keep myself accountable, because I do it when it pops up in my calendar. I also use Habitify. It tracks when I successfully complete my habits and show me how consistent I am.
The way that I stay consistent is by planning out my day out in Google Calendar. This is a way to keep myself accountable, because I do it when it pops up in my calendar. I also use Habitify. It tracks when I successfully complete my habits and show me how consistent I am.
Such great, tactical advice. I love the calendar idea to help keep you on track. And good to know that there are aps out there like Habitify that will help. The only thing that I would add is it's important to reward yourself for doing the things that you say you are going to do. Little rewards can be small things like getting a smoothie on Saturday, or bigger goals can have bigger rewards. It will help on those days when you are lacking the motivation to stay consistent.
Daniel Acevedo