Is Your Routine Working For You or Against You?

Everyone has a routine. When I’m coaching someone, I often hear, “I don’t really have a routine” or “I haven’t had a routine for a while”. These are common statements from people that have come to the conclusion that because they weren’t doing something often, they were out of the routine of doing it.

They are partially right. They may not be in the routine of doing it often, but they are in a routine. The routine is NOT doing it. The routine is doing other things instead of what they want to be doing. That puts them right in the middle of a routine. It may not be the routine they want, but it is still a routine.

Everyone has a routine. Everyone has habits and a schedule of things that make up a typical day. Control over these things varies and of course, no two people have the same schedule. The routine is there, no matter how much or how little you plan each day.

In the business world, this s is why some people are succeeding and others are failing. In the academic world, this is why some are acing courses and others are flunking out. And with health, It is why some are living a healthy lifestyle while others are not.

Those that are not living healthy can say, “I’m just not in a routine”, but we know that they are simply in a routine that is not working for them. It may be working for someone else, but it is clearly not working for the person. If it was working for them, they would be reaching the goals that they have for themselves.

It sounds harsh, but it is the truth. Your routine is there. The only question to ask your self is:

Is my routine working for me or is it working against me?

If it is working for you, you must have put some time into setting goals, planning
your actions so you could reach those goals. If it is working against you, you have two choices:

Choice 1: keep telling yourself you don’t “have a routine” and pretend that your health will magically improve without you making any changes

Choice 2: take a look at your routine and change it so your actions match your desired result

It doesn’t matter what area of life we talk about. The results that you see are completely dependent on the actions you take. We know that a business gets more customers with advertising and customer services strategies. We know that a student performs better on tests if they study the material beforehand. We also know that you will have a healthier life if you do healthier things.

So, take a quick look at your routine…you have one, you are in one and it is bringing you the results that you are getting right now. In fact, the routine you are in has likely been bringing your results for a long time. If you are in a routine that is working for you, you know the results have been good. If your routine is working against you, well, maybe you should change something if you want your results to change.