As a mother of 3 kids ranging from 9 months to 5 years old, one of the biggest reasons why I still haven’t lost my mind is because of my love for planning and routines.

I’ve written a lot about routines in the past. I am so passionate about setting routines because I want things to be easier for me. I want to think less about the things I do every day. I want to be able to create healthy and productive habits. & I want to do it all while still being able to work and focus on my bigger goals.

We live in a fast-paced world where most people are impatient and find routine boring, rigid, and even stifling. Others find routines to be a lot of work. No doubt, you need routines to keep your head together when you are raising a family, juggling work, running a household, and trying relentlessly to find time for yourself and your partner.

First of all, what is a routine? In its simplest form, routines are sets of habits that set you up each and every day. A routine is basically a checklist of things you do every morning (morning routine), during the day (daytime routine) and before you go to sleep (evening routine). Some habits I’ve put into my routines are drinking more water, journaling, reviewing my intentions for the day and eating my frog.

Planning a daily routine will help you get through your day effortlessly.

Even though I have these routines, it does not mean that my days are strict. My days will not be ruined if things don’t go as planned. I am always expectant of activities or events that may occur. & when it happens, instead of stressing over it, I just go with the flow and try to continue my routine still. Even when we travel or wake up later than usual, my routines are still intact. I simply follow my steps within my routine no matter what time or what day it is.

Over the years, I have learned that planning and adhering to a personal daily routine is the path to freedom, happiness, productivity, achievement, and even fulfilling our true potential. This is the reason why I always have my untimely planner with me; it helps me stay on track with my routine.

If you are wondering why you need to plan a daily routine, below are some reasons that will convince you that you need routines:

 

  1. Routines Make Us More Efficient

Ever wonder why every country in the world has an annual budget, or why companies pay thousands of dollars to prepare budgets? It’s because they need to have a plan of action. Planning routines reduces the need to make an impromptu decision; it keeps us in line and enables us to know exactly the tasks we need to complete each day. Routines help you make your day more successful. Activities become standardized when you have routines and this makes us more efficient as a result.

 

  1. Routines Create Structure in Our Lives

With all the craziness of the world – rushing out to drop and pick up kids from school, staying hours in the traffic, rushing to work and praying we have time for our partner; routine helps us to provide structure and a logical sequence in our lives. Daily routines provide the framework within which we conduct our daily activities. It may seem like a lot of work in the beginning, but once you get used to it, it becomes familiar and comfortable. It will allow you to experience a flow within your day.

 

  1. Routines Reduce the Need to Plan Every Day

No need to plan every day when you have a carefully designed set of routine to follow. I don’t write down my routines every day, instead, I have a checklist or habit tracker to make sure I am following my routine. It helps me to keep my focus on my to do’s and goals. Your routines should be things you do every day and not a part of your daily to-do list. Apart from eliminating the need to plan our activities every morning, routines will take the guesswork out of your day and allow you to wake up knowing the tasks you have for the day. In other words, a routine will make you more productive.

 

  1. Routines Help us to Prioritize

Without a plan, you wouldn’t know what is the most important task for you to do. A carefully-planned routine will keep the most important tasks in front of you. No need to start prioritizing every morning. You can wake up every morning knowing that you are going to accomplish all the important tasks without missing anyone. All I need to start my day is to take a look at my planner, and I know the important tasks I have scheduled for the day.

 

  1. Routines Save Time

If there is something every mom does not have in abundance, it is time. Between cooking for kids, getting them ready for school, preparing dinner and organizing the house, mothers barely have any time left. In fact, most of us wouldn’t mind if there were more than 24 hours in a day, I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t be enough either. However, we can be able to free up time that would otherwise be spent on planning, decision-making, and preparation when we have routines.

 

  1. Routines Make Actions Automatic

Once we get used to routines, they become part of us. This helps us to start performing actions without realizing them. It helps us to get done what needs to be done, even when our mind is preoccupied with other things.

 

How to Plan a Routine

Successful people follow a daily routine. If you are putting all your energy towards making decisions all day long, that doesn’t give you a lot of room for growth, improvement, or for mental willpower to get the tough tasks on your to-do list done.

To plan your routines simply write down all the things you would like to do within a day. Think about your activities, habits, and tasks you’d like to accomplish within a day. Then think about your non-negotiables, things like work or school, eating, and sleep. Now separate your day into morning, afternoon, and evening. Start with your morning routine, I think this is the most important routine because when you start your morning off right, the rest of your day seems to come naturally easy.

When making your routines be sure to not start off with more habits than you’re used to. Instead, try to aim for 5-6 tasks then work your way into adding more after you’ve gotten the hang of it.

I’ve included a printable with habit ideas you can put into making your own routines. You can then use the routine printable to write down the steps for each of your routines. Just click the image below this post to instantly download your freebie now! Figure out the times you want to start waking up or going to bed, then start your routines. When you have your list out and ready to look at it makes your routine easier to implement. And when you have a healthy routine to start and end your day you will become more energized, happier and productive!

Here’s an example of my morning routine when I first wake up:

  • Drink water (1 min)
  • journaling (15 min)
  • stretch (5 min)
  • wash up/ take shower/ brush teeth (20 min)
  • get dressed (5 min)
  • make/drink coffee or tea (10 min)
  • review goals and intentions for the day (5 min)
  • eat frog – work on my most important task for the day (which I planned for the night before)

You need to have a routine if you want to be successful. Routines will create a direction in your life and help you to never lose sight of what is most important to you.

Check out these articles below to learn more about routines:

How A Planning Routine Can Increase Your Productivity

How To Get Into A Scheduled Routine For Stay At Home Moms

Routines & Daily Planners Editable Printables