Building Rock Solid Routine

Recently my eyes fell on a book MANAGE YOUR DAY TO DAY. It was divided into multiple sections. But I decided to share with you the excerpts and summary for the first section which is Building Rock Solid Routine.

There are 4 primary sections for Building a Rock Solid Routine.

1. Laying the proper groundwork.

We should draw a proper line between World’s Expectations and our own ambitions. We are always tempted to complete all the work which is on the plate for us. We open up the email box, once we land into the office and many of the emails are marked as URGENT or IMPORTANT. It will, as it should, make us anxious and we are tempted to address all the emails and also try to arrange meetings for the day.

That is exactly the opposite of what we need to do. We have to start the day, by doing CREATIVE WORK FIRST and only then pick up any other REACTIVE WORK. Allocate the first 2-3 hours you begin your work to doing critical business impacting tasks and then pick up other work. It might upset some people and you will also not feel good to keep people waiting but in the long run it will reap wonderful benefits. Mark McGuinness goes on to explain the building blocks of a great daily routine.

Start with the rhythm of your energy levels.
Identify the times of the day when your energy levels are the most and reserve that time for doing creative tasks.
Manage to-do list creep. Limit your daily to-do list. A 3” × 3” Post-it is perfect
Identify important 3-4 tasks in a 3 X 3 post-it note and put it on your desk. If your tasks do not fit in this note, then you need to rethink because you cannot take up so many assignments in a day.
Capture every commitment.
Whatever commitment you make do people, capture it in your book or laptop and one by one address them.
Establish hard edges in your day.
Allocate schedules for morning, afternoon, and evening. Make sure you complete tasks accordingly so that you do not stretch one task too much.

2. Harnassing the power of frequency.

Gretchen Rubin explains, “We tend to overestimate what we can do in a short period, and underestimate what we can do over a long period, provided we work slowly and consistently!”

Any work we undertake, we need to do it consistently and it will only produce results over the long run. Every task will take its own time, so we need to be patient and keep faith in the processes. We need to remember that ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY.

Frequency is the key. Stick to your work, no matter what the situation might be. At times you can take a break but never procrastinate and put things off.
Frequency sparks creativity.
Frequency keeps ideas fresh.
Frequency makes starting easier.
Frequency nurtures frequency.
Frequency keeps the pressure off.
Frequency fosters productivity.
Frequency is a realistic approach.
“It’s the task that’s never started that’s more tiresome,” “The days are long, but the years are short,”

3. BUILDING RENEWAL INTO YOUR WORKDAY.

Never compromise on your health to make progress in your life. Eventually, it will only backfire, if you try too hard. All the extra work you have done will get undone when you will suffer from some ailment later in your career. The effects of an incorrect lifestyle will not be apparent in the initial part of our career as we are fit and healthy, but it will begin to haunt us after few years.

We need to understand that WE HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY and we need to make the best use of it. Make it a point to take sleep of at least 7.30 to 8 hours a day. Drink a lot of water and also do exercise. Also, take 5-10 minute breaks in between your work at regular intervals. If you are at home take 2-3 naps of 10-15 minutes in the day.

4. Make room for solitude.

The famous blogger and writer Lao Babauta explains that we should create space for ourselves. Make sure you allocate a session for meditation every day early in the morning for 15-20 minutes. Also, create some space for few minutes every day and sit silently and focus on your breath. This will increase your mindfulness and will give you peace of mind and tranquility. For night owls, you can do meditation when the world goes to bed.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

JUMP-START YOUR CREATIVITY
GREAT WORK BEFORE EVERYTHING ELSE
FEEL THE FREQUENCY
PULSE AND PAUSE
GET LONELY
DON’T WAIT FOR MOODS