Everyone wants to become the best version of themselves. But why do so few actually do it? Well, many people spend a lot of time thinking and talking about their goals. But as you know, thinking and talking aren't going to cut it.
You've got to take definite action to make those goals happen.
Action is everything. And if you want to become the best version of yourself, you and I know there's no going around a good daily routine. After all, success and goal attainment starts with the stuff you do day in and day out.
The science of creating routines and habit formation
Habits play an important role in getting what we want in life. At least if we deliberately align them with our goals.
But before you can form any habits that can improve your life, you must first establish a daily routine and stick to it.
Routines develop habits. And you can't pass them up if you want to accomplish lasting change. Think about it for a second; it's pretty hard to adopt a new habit without first setting up the underlying routines.
You can't always rely solely on luck. You must establish the proper routines and stick to them like glue for as long as you need.
Habits are automatic
A habit can be a deliberate (sometimes difficult) choice. But only for a time. The best part about habits is that we eventually stop thinking about them, even if we keep doing them every day.
The more we perform a habit, the less effort it takes to do.
Research shows that habits are nothing more than automated responses to specific cues. Still, they can make all the difference between success and failure. It's a good thing habits don't take too much mental effort to perform. Routines, on the other hand, do.
Routines are deliberate
Unlike habits, routines aren't automatic. They need you to be intentional and use brain power. You'll need to make conscious decisions when performing routines.
Maybe you've decided to lay off your social media accounts at bedtime. Or perhaps you're trying to cram that extra 30 hours of work during the week. These new behaviors require deliberate effort at first.
Deliberate routines eventually become automatic habits
Here's what makes a daily routine worth it: they become automatic habits over time, helping form who you are as a person.
Without deliberately incorporating routines into your daily life, it's going to be almost impossible to cultivate the proper habits that give you the edge you need.
A daily routine also helps stave off procrastination. Just imagine you powering through your daily tasks without hesitation or procrastination - self discipline flowing through your veins.
It also lets you focus on the most important things in life. Since routines are intentional, they're more likely to be aimed toward a bigger picture.
Starting an effective routine means getting down into details. I'm talking about a daily schedule, weekly schedule, or any kind of to do list that prompts you to get things done.
What's so important about a daily schedule?
According to a study, you're more likely to achieve your goals if you put them down on paper. Writing down your goals helps you focus on what matters the most. It puts you in a better position to get as granular as you can with your daily schedule.
Effective routines start with a daily schedule. As dull as it sounds, the first thing you need to do is write a daily to-do list if you want to create the stability you need throughout the day.
A daily schedule can help you organize your important tasks, letting you get the most out of a single day or week. The experience of ticking off those tasks one by one also keeps you motivated and on track.
How do I create a robust daily schedule?
1. Write everything in the morning
Now for you, it could be during the evening before going to sleep. No matter what time you start your day, be proactive and write every task you need to do.
You don't have to limit yourself to just your essential tasks for the day. You can get as comprehensive as you can, even if you have to include something as menial as cleaning your dirty dishes in the evening.
2. Make your daily goals S.M.A.R.T.
If you want each day to have a clear direction, avoid jotting bland, boring-sounding goals. Since you're already setting routines that you're likely to perform each day, why not begin writing them down in a concrete and specific way?
SMART goals are tied to something specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-limited (S.M.A.R.T.). Turning your to-dos SMART might as well be your ticket to daily success that piles up over time.
Consider this example; instead of writing down "make more phone calls," reword that into something like "Get my paperwork done in the morning so that when I sit down at 1 pm, nothing will distract me from making more phone calls until 3."
The second statement is specific and realistic, even stating how much time it's going to take. With SMART goals, you get a clear idea of what you want to accomplish.
3. Start with important tasks (most of the time)
Once you're done writing your tasks for the day, you can start prioritizing them based on importance or urgency. Highlight your most essential tasks. You can even put a number to them based on importance.
Most likely, these are going to be repeated daily priorities. Now while it's best to tackle an important task first, not all routines are built that way.
Say you want to incorporate an hour-long brisk walk into your morning routine. That might not be the most important task for the day, but you'll want to get that over with first thing in the morning.
4. Break large projects into manageable chunks
Your daily schedule will surely comprise different tasks with varying difficulties. But the last thing you want is to have your to-do list filled with overwhelming projects that you're likely going to carry over into the next day (or week).
You wouldn't have this problem when you write "SMART" to-do's since you're tying them to a realistic outcome. For example, one of your priority tasks for the day might be to "write a long-form blog article to complement the latest product release."
If you have a lot on your daily schedule, odds are, you wouldn't finish that task within a day. But you can always break that task down into smaller, bite-sized chunks.
So instead of writing "finish a long blog article," you can write multiple but manageable tasks that won't drain your mental energy. Your to-do list that day may include "identify keyword intent," "create a blog outline," and "write the first few thousand words."
5. Keep your big picture target in mind
Your short-term goals, or as we keep calling them, your "daily schedule," are only a means to an end. Your small wins will eventually compound into massive growth, leading to long-term goal attainment.
Long-term goals can't be accomplished within a day, week, or month. Still, they strengthen your purpose enough for you to stick to your daily routine.
Your daily and weekly tasks can directly reflect the overarching goals you're trying to achieve. Ensure that, apart from focusing on your daily schedule, you're keeping your big picture target in front of mind.
Aside from writing a daily schedule, it would help if you spend time writing a weekly schedule or even a monthly one.
At GoalsWon, we let our clients write down their daily, weekly, and monthly objectives. This way, we can offer the proper accountability our clients will need to ensure success.
