Almost every one of us has set a schedule at some point in our lives but have failed in sticking to a set routine. There is always something that goes wrong with the routines that we set for ourselves, which ultimately results in diminishing our self-esteem. So, what is it that a clear majority of us are doing wrong?
Why is it that our new year’s resolutions fail to give us the expected results every time? The answer is that we are not doing it right. So, here are 6 distinct guidelines to follow for establishing a routine that works according to your expectations.
Take baby steps:
Image Source : forum.bodybuilding.com
Ever heard the story of Milo, the giant bodybuilder from Greece? When Milo started out, he was told he can never compete against his tough counterparts. In response, Milo started training himself in an unusual sort of way. When his competitors were busy trying to lift an adult bull to gain upper body strength, he chose to lift a newly born calf instead. People laughed and mocked at him. Called him a weakling.
Milo lifted the calf each day while his bodybuilder friends were facing failed attempts at the bull almost every day. As the calf grew, his strength grew too. On the day of judgement, he was now able to easily lift this calf, which had now transformed into a fully grown adult bull, while most his friends were still helplessly trying their hand at the bull.
This is one of the best guidelines to follow while establishing a routine. In other words, set goals that are small, achievable, but visible. Start small. Build your way up from there. If you set big goals right at the beginning, chances are you may not be able to achieve them, eventually demotivating you and deterring you from your plan of action.
Raise the bar gradually:
While at the topic of guidelines to follow while establishing a routine, you know that you can start small but can’t possibly stay small all along. You need to level up with time. Start small and build your way up from there.
This way, you will know how much progress you have made and will know how to design a schedule accordingly. Your mind and body get accustomed to a schedule, no matter how small it is. Henceforth, it faces no problem in getting habitual to sticking to a set routine, even if it is difficult.
Take action:
Stop saying and start doing. It is much better to actually use the tips for creating a schedule and make little changes in your daily routine than to just talk about making big ones. In this way, you’ll eventually be moving forward instead of stuck in one place, cribbing about your situation. Whatever the circumstances be, start where you are. Even if it is a negligible change, make it, act upon it, and improve from there on.
Keep it flexible:
If you are looking for some serious guidelines to follow while establishing a routine, remember to keep your routine strict, but not too rigid. There is no need to plan your day right down to each minute. Leave some time out to breathe. Set aside a couple of hours each day where you allow yourself to do any activity as per your mood.
These hours may not be at a fixed time each day but can be spread over all of it. Some days you might feel like taking a long walk, reading, binge-watching a TV series, or simply surfing your phone. It is alright to keep 1-2 hours to do stuff on impulse. This will keep you fresh and engaged, preventing you for tiring out because of your routine.
Measure your success:
The best way to take advantage of all guidelines to follow while establishing a routine is to plot a graph to keep a close eye on your improvement via a visual representation. Say, if you plan to study 1 chapter each day, plot it against the number of days in the said week.
In this way, you can immediately spot a dip or peak in your performance, if any. Make a note of what conditions work in your favour while following your routine, and work on them. Success is a science, and if kept at hard and smart work well enough, you are bound to taste it eventually.
Keep on it:
Speaking of hard and smart work, the results of it are not borne overnight. In other words, it takes a long while of hustling, optimism, and hard work to be able to witness the good results of it ‘overnight.’ No matter how much you study about guidelines to follow while establishing a routine, it won’t work unless you be consistent with it.
It is extremely important to keep at your routine after you design it. It doesn’t really matter what or how your routine is set as long as you are benefitting from it each day by being consistent and persistent with it.
Summing it up:
True that studying about tips for creating a schedule and even creating a routine is an easy task, but keeping at it requires courage, dedication, and self-awareness. You need to measure your improvements monthly or weekly, if not daily. One good idea is to plot a graph as per your productivity levels each day. This way you’ll have a visual representation of what your hard work or procrastination is bundling up into.
There is no better way to keep in check than taking the help of guidelines to follow while establishing a routine. A routine sure does help in keeping your daily actions in check, but you need to make amends to ensure that your routine stays under check too. You may face a little friction in converting from your old habits into better ones, but it will eventually lead to the best results in due course of time.