How to Create Productive Daily Routines to Achieve Your Goals
If you are looking for tips to achieve your goals and transform your life, you should definitely consider implementing a new routine.
Routines are a powerful way to transform our lives fast.
Living by your routines for only a few months will help you destroy bad habits and implement new ones.
One day at a time, building new habits will give you the power to transform your life for the better.
Want to find out what routines to implement to unleash your true potential?
If so, let’s dive in!
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The Positive Impacts of Productive Daily Routines
Routines are great because :
They create consistency in your schedule, which is crucial when you have many tasks to complete and need to balance your personal life, work, social life, health, etc.
Once you have a routine, you don’t need to think about what to do next. You just start doing things according to your routine and stop wasting time wondering what needs to be done.
Routines, when repeated frequently, become powerful habits.
Good habits are amazingly effective in supporting your goals because they significantly impact your subconscious mind. After a few weeks, you will be doing things automatically. Yes, you will automatically work towards your goals.
Creating productive daily routines is a fantastic way to ensure you work on your personal development every single day.
Your ideal routines should be intentional and should help you achieve specific goals. They should also help you rest and balance your life to ensure you stay motivated in the long run.
When you create routines that are intentional, you implement good habits and transform yourself day after day.
No matter the routine, if you stick to it, you will increase self-discipline, which is absolutely key to long-term success.
Now that we have defined the benefits of routines let’s talk about how to actually build them.
Create New Routines or Review Your Current Routines
No matter your goals, if you consistently fail to achieve them, you should create a new routine or review your current routine to understand what is missing to make it successful.
If you want to boost your motivation and stay productive and intentional all day long, implementing several daily routines will help you get things done and achieve your goals faster.
Here are the 3 productive daily routines you should consider to transform your life.
1. Morning Routines
A morning routine is the most powerful routine you can implement.
When done right, a morning routine can make a huge difference in your life.
People with an intentional morning routine are usually more motivated to complete tasks throughout the day.
Starting the day with a routine is also a great way to improve your time management skills.
If you want to get things done, you need to create a productive morning routine. It is tough to turn things around when you start the day off on the wrong foot. The first hours of your day will have an impact on the rest of it.
A mindful morning routine can transform your life.
This is why defining your morning routine is a great place to start if you want to structure your day with routines.
1.1 The impacts of waking up early
If you are not an early bird, you might be worried that you will have to wake up earlier to implement your new morning routine.
I struggled to wake up early until I realized how beneficial it was. The first two to three weeks will be challenging, but you will get used to it fast.
Waking up early is the best thing you can do to improve your productivity and achieve your goals.
Having enough time to do things without being in a hurry is a great way to wake your body and reduce stress.
Waking up one hour earlier can have a tremendous impact on your life. One hour per day equals 365 hours per year, which equals over 15 days of hard work. Now multiply this by a few years, and you will understand how powerful this simple habit can be.
Waking up earlier will help you eliminate stress in the morning. And that will improve your mental health and set the tone for success.
1.2 Activities you can add to your Morning Routine
Your ideal morning routine should take between 45 and 120 minutes.
First, you need to have clear goals in mind to define the tasks you need to add to your morning routine.
To add structure to your life, you need to create routines. Most importantly, these routines need to support your goals and change your habits without completely rocking your world.
Remember, to make your routine effective, you need to stick to it for several weeks. To do so you have to create routines that are sustainable.
Routines should help you eliminate distractions and make your life easier. If you add too much complexity to a new routine, you will simply set yourself up for failure.
Depending on your goals, you can add the following tasks to your intentional morning routine:
- Exercising
- Making your bed
- Eating breakfast
- Brushing your teeth
- Cleaning your house
- Writing your daily to-do list
- Scheduling your top 3 tasks for the day
- Showering
- Skincare
- Reading
- Meditating
- Journaling
- Reviewing your work schedule
- Expressing gratitude
- etc.
If you are new to creating routines, this process might be overwhelming at first. To make it easier to stick to your routine, you should first write it down using a to-do list app, a digital or paper planner, or a routine app.
Apps are my absolute favorite tools for creating routines, making it easy to automate reminders.
Go for it if you are more comfortable with your favorite pen and notebook. Once you get used to your productive daily routines, you won’t need to track them anymore.
You need to use tools you are comfortable with to keep things as simple as possible.
A great tip I can share is to use a timer when trying a new routine. It will help you confirm that your new routine is manageable and that you will be able to keep up with it every day.
If you don’t know where to start, consider simple activities and add new ones every week.
You can, for instance :
- Make your bed
- Turn on your coffee machine
- Drink a glass of water
- Eat breakfast
- Read a chapter of your favorite book while drinking coffee
- Repeat affirmations
Add new activities to your new routine once you feel comfortable enough.
Proceeding step by step will help you ensure you stick to your routine.
There is no need to start your day with a one-hour morning routine to make it effective.
You can start small. Habits will add up over time. Starting slowly will help you live by your new routines until they become automatic. Which is the best way to ensure you make them stick in the long run.
2. Afternoon Routines
Most people do not have an afternoon routine.
Yet, taking a few minutes at lunchtime is an amazing way to boost your energy levels and take a real break before returning to work.
An afternoon routine is again a great opportunity to keep your goals in mind and get things done.
2.1 Activities you can add to your Afternoon Routine
Your ideal afternoon routine should last 20 to 60 minutes and include any tasks to help you unwind.
These tasks can include :
- Preparing a healthy meal
- Listening to a podcast
- Reading a book
- Listening to music
- Going for a walk
- Meditating
- Exercising
- etc.
Implementing an afternoon routine will allow you to take a relaxing break, which will help you get through the day without getting demotivated.
It is also an excellent opportunity to remind yourself that there is more to life than just work.
Many people enjoy having lunch with their colleagues.
I actually like to do the opposite: I eat a healthy meal by myself, take the time to do some breathing exercises, and, when possible, go outside to get some fresh air.
2.2 The Impacts of an Afternoon Routine
Following an afternoon routine has another important benefit. Taking a real break in the middle of your day will help you be less tired when you get home.
It might not seem like it, but this will significantly impact your productivity.
Once home after work, you will be able to stay productive, prepare a healthy meal, clean around, and work on your personal plans instead of crashing on your couch and spending the rest of the day on Netflix.
Again, there is so much more to life than work. Coming home demotivated and unable to focus on personal development after work is a major indicator that something is wrong.
Anxiety and lack of motivation are calls to action.
This is something I learned the hard way when I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.
If you feel like you cannot work on your personal development because of your lack of motivation and anxiety, you should take the time to slow down and redesign your life.
2.3 Add Your Least Favorite Activities to Your Afternoon Routine
Suppose you are the kind of person who hates working out in the morning and isn’t motivated to do it after work either. In that case, taking half an hour to do it before having lunch is an amazing way to integrate exercise into your daily routine.
Generally, adding your least favorite – but goal-driven – activities to your afternoon routine will help you ensure you actually complete them.
Completing these tasks first thing in the morning can be challenging, and leaving them for the end of the day might be a bit too ambitious.
After a long day at work, you might not always find the energy to get challenging things done. This is fine, as long as you acknowledge it and it doesn’t become a bad habit.
If you know it will be complicated to stick to a habit after work, plan it early in the morning or during your lunch break.
This is the best way to ensure you will stick to and complete these habits before you run out of energy.
Implementing an intentional afternoon routine should become one of your priorities if you struggle to be productive at work. This routine will help you focus on yourself and clear your mind before returning to work.
Lastly, there is another productive daily routine that can help you achieve work-life balance and achieve your goals faster.
You have probably guessed it already: we are now going to talk about night routines.
3. Night Routines
Night routines are just as powerful as morning routines.
Implementing a night routine is the best way to unwind after work, take care of ourselves, reflect, and achieve work-life balance.
Your night routine should focus on your well-being and personal development.
But Implementing a night routine is also an amazing way to improve your sleep quality.
If you usually struggle to find sleep or stay asleep, a night routine will calm you down and create perfect conditions for a good night’s sleep.
3.1 Activities You Can Add to Your Night Routine
Night routines usually last from 45 to 120 minutes. You can include many different activities in your night routine, but you should avoid screens after dinner no matter what habits you decide to implement.
Some activities that are perfect for night routines are:
- Taking a shower
- Skincare
- Meditating
- Cleaning around
- Reading an inspiring book
- Listening to calming music
- Listening to a sleepcast
- Practicing yoga
- Journaling
- Etc.
Journaling is an amazing way to track your progress and be mindful of the changes you need to implement to improve your life.
It is also a simple way to express gratitude and keep in sight the most important things in your life.
Sometimes, it is hard to calm down and stay positive after a hard day at work. Journaling is a fantastic way to get some perspective. It will also help you clear your mind to plan your next day.
Finally, journaling can help you stop overthinking and sleep better.
3.2 The Impacts of Meditation
You should include meditation in your night routine, no matter your goals.
Meditation is an amazing way of winding down before going to bed.
It is also an incredible way to fight anxiety and take your power back. Meditation transformed my life in a short period.
I went from being unable to leave my house because of my anxiety disorder and panic attacks to forgetting about them in a couple of months.
Many apps can help you meditate. One of my favorites is Headspace.
This great app helps users meditate and control their stress levels through breathing exercises and mindfulness.
To make meditation more accessible to beginners, a Netflix Series including mindfulness exercises and sleepcasts is available on the platform.
I absolutely love their series on sleep and the four different sleepcasts available. They have significantly improved my sleep almost overnight.
I track my sleep cycles with a smartwatch and can definitely say that my scores improve every night I listen to a Headspace sleepcast.
If you are suffering from anxiety and feel like you need help, meditation is definitely something you should try to include in your routines.
A night routine will help you prepare to go to bed, fall asleep faster, and wake up energized early in the morning.
It should include tasks that help you unwind and reflect. Finally, like any other routine, it needs to be intentional.
Creating daily routines should be one of the first things you consider if you are serious about your personal growth and goals, but other routines can also help you get there.
The other routines we will talk about are weekly and monthly routines.
Related read: A Productive Night Routine To Unwind
4. Weekly Routines
Weekly routines, especially Sunday routines, are also excellent for staying productive, unwinding, and resetting before a new week.
Implementing a Sunday Routine will help you reflect, set new goals, and plan your following week.
Staying active on Sundays drastically improved my productivity. I used to spend my Sundays watching Netflix.
You might feel you need to rest on Sundays to be able to go through another exhausting week. I used to think that, too.
However, I noticed that spending the day on the couch was not an efficient way to rest. It actually made me super grumpy and tired on Monday mornings.
Implementing an intentional Sunday routine was a game-changer for me. It turns out Sunday is the perfect time to reset and plan your next goals.
4.1 Activities You Can Add to Your Weekly Routine
- Clean around (while listening to an inspiring podcast)
- Meal prep
- Try a new recipe
- Set goals for the following week
- Exercise
- Read
- Etc.
Creating a weekly or Sunday routine is a great way to reset, reflect on the past week, and prepare for another productive week.
It is also an excellent opportunity to spend quality time with your loved ones, which is probably the best way to get some perspective and unwind.
The last routines we are going to talk about are Monthly routines. These routines are essential to ensure you keep track of your progress and reflect on your goals.
Related read: A Sunday Routine to Increase Productivity
5. Monthly Routines
Monthly routines ensure our busy lives do not make us forget our obligations and goals.
A monthly routine is the perfect opportunity to clean our homes and pay bills, but there is more to it.
It is also the perfect opportunity to track our progress and reassess our goals when necessary.
5.1 Activities You Can Add to Your Monthly Routine
- Cleaning around
- Paying bills
- Tracking your progress
- Reassessing your goals
- Eating out with a friend
- Buying a new book (my favorite)
- Listening to a new podcast
- Etc.
I also love the idea of adding a little something rewarding to this routine and making it a special occasion.
It can be anything from a shopping spree to eating out with your friends or going to the spa.
Taking some time to reward yourself is important, especially when you have a busy schedule. This is another way to find balance in life.
Monthly routines also remind us that time flies and that we must use it wisely.
Understanding that time is precious is another habit successful people have in common. Acknowledging it will help you make healthier choices and reconsider distractions.
Related read: 15 things you should do at the start of the month
Final Thoughts
Creating a routine doesn’t need to be hard, overwhelming, or time-consuming.
Designing your routines is a great first step toward personal growth, but you need to keep in mind that you will have to stay consistent to progress.
Designing new routines implies setting goals and defining habits to support them. This process can be overwhelming, but don’t worry—I’ve got your back.
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