5. Measure progress in terms of energy, not goals
It is hard to quantify the impact of activities such as meditation, reading, walking, painting etc
And thus its easy to conclude that they do not move you towards a goal.
That may not be the right metric.
Instead...
Conversation
...ask yourself, how do these things make me feel?
The key is to do things for yourself, that give you energy, so that you have enough to dispense on things that you will have to do for others.
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6. Do not have a routine in isolation
It becomes hard if your routine is in conflict with those you live with.
Bring them along.
Adjust if you have to.
Request them to as well.
What may seem like a compromise is still far better than not having a routine at all.
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My wife, for instance, goes to play tennis at 515am (under the lights), while I meditate, sing and get the kids ready for school.
Once she is back, I leave for my tennis while she drops the kids to the bus stop and goes to the gym.
Works for both of us.
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7. Give it time
Routines are planned overnight.
They happen over years.
Be patient with them.
If you feel a sense of progress, you will need lesser and lesser motivation to persist.
Set no deadline to make a routine happen.
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I have been on this morning routine for 5+ years now, ever since I started actively meditating and playing tennis.
It took me 3+ years to go from 7am wake-up time to 430ish wake-up time (improving by ~10mins every 3 weeks)
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8. You will change. Thus, your routine needs to as well.
A routine is not a destination.
It is a tool for you to become a better version of yourself.
And as you walk on that path, the tools you require will also change.
Be aware of that change.
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I used to read early morning.
Now I read right before I go to bed.
I used to play tennis and workout alternate days.
Now I do it everyday.
I used to meditate for 10mins (for 2+ years)
Now I meditate for 30+ mins
Time you spend on yourself, is energy you give yourself.
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9. A routine will be costly.
When you do things as per a routine, you are also in some saying no to spontaneity.
That needn't be an entirely bad thing, but could feel bad often.
The emotional cost of sticking to a routine is high.
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Because I sleep early, I have consciously said no to a gazillion dinners and events.
That was a price I was more than willing to pay.
But it is still a price I have to pay.
And you will have to too.
Assess the price.
If ok, great.
If not, reassess the routine.
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This video by beautifully describes why we should all have a routine.
Short clip - give it a watch.
youtu.be/ss3Vt6xKPqU?t=
Replying to
A routine isn't discipline around tasks.
It is disciple around emotions.
The most successful people have a routine.
That doesn't mean they are always working, or have things lined up back to back.
It means, they know which tasks make them feel what way.
And...
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...they consciously chose to do the things that make them feel good, in a repeated fashion.
The most brilliant artists have what might look like no routine.
They wake up, do something, take a nap, wake up, do their work, go for a walk.
Might not look like a routine.
But it is.
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Hit me up with any questions you have on this. Happy to answer through my experience and the little I know.
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"You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret to your success is found in your daily routine."
- John Maxwell
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Every Friday I write a thread on personal growth, failures, startups, organization building and more.
You can follow me on to get them on your feed.
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Here is a list of all the 100+ threads I have written
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I write a thread every Friday
Here are all of them, chronologically
Show this thread
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