Rest + Routine + Rhythm Series – Part II: Routine

Welcome back to our three-part series, Rest + Routine + Rhythm! We were last here before the holidays and hope our tips on getting rest helped you navigate the barrage of family and fruitcake in favor of naps and nook time. Here’s to feeling rejuvenated in the new year!

Look, we get it. On its face, routine is boring. It’s dull. It’s, well, routine. That may be true but admit it – you were glad to get back into your routine once the holidays wrapped up. You may not know it or want to acknowledge it, but routine is good for you. In this installment of our series, it’s what the doctor has ordered to build a foundation for a successful and healthy 2019. Let’s take a closer look at why routine is important and how you can make the most of your daily habits and schedule.

BENEFICIAL, NOT BORING

One of the things we love about coworking is the freedom to develop your own schedule. This allows you to build and work a routine that works for you. When done correctly, your daily regimen can have massive benefits for your productivity. With structure, distractions are kept at bay. Without a plan, it’s easy to let others come in and steal valuable time. You’ll also be able to use your time better because you don’t have to think about work—you just work. You can focus on the doing rather than the what, which punches up your proficiency. A regular work routine makes us more efficient, reduces our need to plan, saves us time, and helps us prioritize.

Surprisingly, a good routine can give us the ability to be more spontaneous. It may seem counterintuitive, but you’re ultimately setting yourself up with more room for adventure. A well thought out and efficient schedule allows you the time to explore new hobbies and places. In this way, it can lay the groundwork for larger and more grand goals and efforts. Furthermore, when you’re finished living out your own Jack London story, you’ll have a base to return to from these, well, novel experiences. It’s nice to come back to the comfort of a book before bedtime after a weekend trekking some winter trails. Routine certainly doesn’t mean rut. One of its purposes is taking advantage of the freedom it can bring, so get out there and enjoy your new-found time and energy!

A life with routine means living the way that works best for you—and there are physical and mental benefits to that. Established customs, conventions, and activities help make our lives meaningful because they create a sense of coherence, a key component in how psychologists define a meaningful life. Just as much meaning can come from the extraordinary as the seemingly mundane. In a recent study, Laura A. King, professor of psychology at the University of Missouri, recruited a group of participants to take a survey that measured their preference for routine. Participants indicated how much they agreed with statements like:

• I do pretty much the same things every day.
• I find that a well-ordered mode of life with regular hours is the one for me.
• Overall, my life is meaningful.

It turns out, those who kept to a routine were far more likely to find their lives more meaningful.

BUILDING A BETTER ROUTINE

Putting the right regimen in place is important but easy. Here are a couple of tips that should have you humming along with regularity in no time:

* Pace your morning and start your day with a morning ritual.

* Here are some common routines of successful people, including this newly single delivery guy.

* Starting your day the right way carries over through the day.

* Realize and accept that everyone’s routine is different; these coworkers are proof.

HOW ROUTINE WORKS WITH REST & RHYTHM

If you’ve made it this far, here’s the takeaway: Don’t discount your daily routine as dull or tedious. In fact, it’s the key to unlocking adventure and helping you focus on the big picture. The tedium becomes second nature. Just as athletes adhere to a regimen that allows them to succeed in the big moments, a proper daily ritual can set you up for larger success at work and in life. By getting your work done more efficiently, it’s easier than ever before to enjoy life is easier because it’s not just about the workplace, it’s about wellness as well.

We’ve seen that part of being able to implement a productive daily program is getting enough rest and part of getting enough rest is planning for it. Routine and rest go hand in hand and point us to the third topic in our series: rhythm. One product of a well-worked routine is the proficiency that comes from doing things regularly. The key to mastering any skill is repetition, and a routine provides the basis for this. More on the magic of the oft-elusive rhythm when we come back with the final installment of our Rest + Routine + Rhythm series. Until then, rest up and fine-tune that routine so you start the day refreshed and close it out riding that rewarding wave of endorphins from winning the workday…only to remember it starts all over again tomorrow.