Pursuing Your Goals Through Daily Routines

There are few human behaviors that begin the day that we’re born and continue throughout our lives.  Pursuing goals is one of them.

But, pursuing your goals doesn’t have to be as daunting as it may seem.  By simply using daily routines, falling short of your dreams can become a thing of the past.

What is a Daily Routine?

A daily routine is a schedule of activities that you repeat on a day-to-day basis.  Routines offer structure and reinforce positive behaviors.  They help you create the behaviors you seek to live by and when daily routines are aligned with your goals, they have the ability to help you achieve more success in life.

For example, your daily routine might include the following:

5:00 a.m. – Wake up, eat breakfast, make lunches, and get everyone ready for the day.

7:00 a.m. – Drop the kids off at school

7:45 a.m. – Arrive at work and check your schedule for the day

12:00 p.m. – Eat lunch and answer emails

5:00 p.m. – Clean your desk before leaving work

6:00 to 8:00 p.m. – Dinner and family time

9:00 p.m. – Read for one hour before bedtime

These activities become a routine when you make a habit of doing them every day of the week.  Keep in mind –it’s helpful to stay on par with your goals if you create weekend routines as well.

Substitute Goals into Your Routine

If you look at the routine above, you’ll see several goals incorporated into the daily activities: saving money/eating better at work, being better organized, spending more time with family, and reading more.

Developing a daily routine that incorporates your goals will put you on the pathway to a healthier, happier you.  And the good news is many goals can quickly become habits and, in turn, be used as measurements for success.

So, How Do You Create a Routine?

First, decide how much structure works for you.  Realistically, some of us enjoy structure while others resent it, but your routine can include as much or as little structure as you like.  As a busy mother with many responsibilities, experiment first, and find a daily routine that’s stress free, and works for you.

Use the following steps:

• Be realistic –Write a daily schedule based on your life right now.

• Create a list of long-term goals and intermediate steps.

• Include small steps within your day that help you reach your intermediate goals (e.g. ”Clean your desk before leaving work”)

• Find a way to turn daily, mundane tasks into satisfying goals. In our example, eating lunch became eating healthy, while also saving money.

• Write out your daily routine in your day planner.

• Commit to following your routine for four weeks.

• Revise your routine as necessary after one month.

What do you think?

Do you think daily routines can help you achieve success?  Are you currently using routines that benefit you?