Have you been thinking about starting a new routine but are afraid to overwhelm yourself and burn out? You know there are things you could and should be doing daily to live your best life. But where do you start? Check out these ideas to get back your time and revamp your routine.
The morning found me at 3:32 AM.
I think it is the Universe talking to me since I told my friend that I crave waking up early again.
As I lay there, the thoughts of routines and schedules overtook my brain.
I love planning, but sticking to a rigorous schedule doesn’t work for my life. There are always “emergencies” that come up.
The kiddos will be going back to school soon, so I feel no need to try to set up a new daily routine just yet.
This happens a lot in motherhood and marriage. There will always be someone or something vying for your time and attention.
So, how do we reshape our schedule to fit ourselves in it without trying to overwhelm ourselves with too much change?
JUST START
Twice a day, I go out to the barn to feed the livestock housed there. So without fail, I will be at that barn twice a day.
Why?
Because the animals depend on me.
I can show up to a barn every day. But, when it comes to the critical parts of my goals, I don’t show up.
What the hell?
Your goals need you just as much as a living thing does.
With a little help from my journal and brain book, I sketched ways I spend my time and how I would like to spend my time. (It turns out I spend too much time multitasking with the TV on.)
From my “things I want to do” list, I picked out tasks that would be a great time investment for me and my goals that I could complete before I start my workday.
My morning list is long. But, I did not make a time commitment to any of these tasks. So, the only rule I have for this morning’s “routine” is to have it done by 11 AM. That’s when my workday starts.
Your day will not look like mine. Nonetheless, you can embrace your routine tasks in the same way.
ANALYZE THE PURPOSE
When you start thinking about a new routine, imagine all these skills and habits you will pick up from your new routine. But, unfortunately, it’s easy to get caught up in the newness and try to add a whole bunch of things to your list.
Before you get in too deep, look at each task you have on your routine list.
Ask yourself:
- Do I really need to do this?
- Is this the best use of my time?
- Does this interfere with my goals?
Mark out and move or eliminate any task that isn’t a good time investment.
GOOD, BETTER, BEST
You will run into days that you are short on time or an emergency comes up. And let’s not forget about the days we don’t feel like doing anything.
Out of your list, pick just one thing you will do daily without fail. This will come in handy for those days when your energy is low or your time is short.
Highlight it; underline it; add it to your priority list in your planner. Whatever you have to do to make sure you keep this habit going to keep your day a success in your eyes.
You can call this your Success Task.
My Success Task is reviewing my goals.
It may be as simple as making the bed or as complex as writing 1000 words for your novel.
Next, make a Good List. These are the routine tasks you will start with to get your routine rolling without feeling overwhelmed. Make it short and sweet. Gauge your level of time and how those tasks will shape your day and contribute to one or all of your goals.
After that, create a Better List. It’s just like the Good List, except you are adding even more important tasks to it. Go through the same task analysis as you did when you made your Good List.
And, finally, your Best List is the master list you have already drummed up. This is your “time is no object” list. It’s the routine that you strive to hit every day but understand it may not always happen. That’s where the Success Task and the Good and Better Lists come into play.
THE KEY TO BEATING OVERWHELM
Over time, you will develop an unstated system that is your routine.
But, the key to beating overwhelm is to keep it simple.
You can track your habits in your calendar or a habit tracker. I started doing this and realized it was a habit in itself and not worth my time to track what I did and didn’t do.
Pace yourself and analyze yourself often. Give yourself grace if things don’t go according to plan. If you find yourself not performing a task as often as you thought, it’s okay to take it off your list.
Give yourself a time limit. It could be an all-day limit or before you go to work as I do.
MAKE YOUR ROUTINE YOUR OWN
Make sure the things you want to do are really the things you want to do. Don’t go by what all the experts say and think you have to have an identical routine.
Your life may not permit you to do all the things you want to do in the morning. Instead, you may need to fit them in on your lunch break or in the evening. There are no rules to your routine except the ones you want to put into place.
Go back to your goals and push through the resistance of change. Then, finally, you’re on the road to creating your perfect routine minus the overwhelm.
