Like clockwork

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. ~ Benjamin Franklin

The night routine

While on my retreat this week, I stayed in an Airbnb hosted by an old Dutch couple in their late 60s (they are superhosts with 9 years XP). He’s an English teacher at a local school and she’s a nurse. In addition to their hospitality and breadth of knowledge covering botany, theology, culinary, and cultures, I was fascinated with the routine(s) they have built together.

Every night, there was a routine that kicked off with a prayer at the dining table by 18:30 sharp. During the meal, we talked about our experiences during the day and immediately after, we would have dessert, which was usually yoghurt and berries. Following this, everyone took something back to the kitchen for the dishwasher. Next, they proceed to the living room where they read their Bible with a study guide. After that, they would sit and do some home admin like updating the shopping list, planning their itinerary for the next day, and then updating the calendar hanging on a kitchen cabinet with upcoming events, such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc. They would then lay the table with cutlery and the cereal + fruit options available for breakfast. After this, they are back in the living room, reading the news or watching funny reels on social media.

Two things I noticed the routine did was; (1) it helped them have a “more efficient” home and reduced their stress, and (2) it created milestones for appreciating each other or just being joyful in the moment.

In our fast-paced world, establishing and maintaining daily routines has become more than just a helpful habit but can also be a crucial strategy for personal growth and overall well-being. If you have ever read James Clear's book "Atomic Habits", some of these ideas may not be new to you.

The importance of routines

In my life, I have seen the benefits of routines in various areas.

• Boost of energy: One of the habits I have, my morning shower, helps make me more alert and ready for the day. Coupled with an oat cappuccino, I feel ready to take on any task!

• Productivity: Preparing my next-day to-do and reflecting on my week helps increase my productivity as I know exactly what to focus on, and can accomplish more with less effort. I also plan to try a “anti to-do list” soon that inspired by pmarca. Overall, this minimizes distractions in my day, allowing for deeper concentration on specific tasks.

• Better time management: Outside the energy boost from routines, our brains make thousands of decisions daily, and the more you can “automate” in your head, the less time you spend weighing options. By designating specific time slots for various activities, important things are not overlooked. This structured approach reduces the feeling of getting overwhelmed when there’s too much you are trying to not forget in your head.

• Long-term goal achievement: While trying to lose weight last year, all I did was add cooking meals, 3x weekly workouts and taking walks every evening to my weekly schedule, and voila! Results! By incorporating goal-oriented activities into my day, the likelihood of achieving my long-term goal was greatly increased.

Building routines effectively

Creating sustainable routines require thoughtful planning by assessing your obligations, goals and areas you want to grow or improve at.

• Start small: Begin with tiny, manageable habits that are easy to maintain. For instance, if your goal is to read more, start with just one or two page(s) a day. The key is to make the habit so small that it's almost impossible to fail.

• Habit stacking: Attach new habits to existing ones to leverage established routines. This strategy uses the connectedness of behavior to make new habits stick. For example, if you already have a habit of making coffee each morning, use this as a cue to do a quick stretching routine while the coffee brews.

• Make it obvious and easy: Use visual cues to remind yourself of the habits you want to form. The more visible and obvious the cue, the more likely you are to follow through with the habit. In order to get myself to weigh myself and drink water every morning, I have my scale just beside my bed for when I get up and then proceed to drinking water that was put in a bottle on my table the night before.

• Make it attractive: Associate your habits with positive emotions or rewards. This can be done by linking an action you want to do with an action you need to do. An example is when I catch up with my podcasts while doing my laundry or tidying up my room. My room is not always tidy these days, so I am looking for where to hook this with.

• Make it satisfying: Celebrate small wins to reinforce positive behavior. The feeling of success, no matter how small, can be a powerful motivator. I have a habit tracker where I look at my scores for each day and week in my morning and night-time routines.

• Focus on systems, not just goals: While goals are important, the systems you put in place to achieve those goals are crucial. Your routine is your system. Instead of focusing on losing 20 kgs, concentrate on creating a sustainable routine of healthy eating and regular exercise.

The transformation from routines

Incorporating well-designed routines into both personal and professional life can lead to significant improvements in well-being and growth. The key to this lies in starting small, being consistent, and continuously refining your routines based on what works best for you. Remember that the power of routines is not in their perfection, but in your consistent application over time. As you build and maintain your routines, you'll likely find that they become the foundation upon which you can build a more balanced and fulfilling life—both personally and professionally.

I have always been a quarter of an hour before my time, and it has made a man of me.
― Winston Churchill

Ultimately, the goal is not just to have routines for the sake of having them, but to create a framework that easily supports your growth through the pace and complexities of modern life.