When we were younger, everything seemed to be laid out and organised for us. School, dinner, sports training, even parties; we were given a time, we turned up and that was how it worked. It was easy to become accustomed to this as it seemed each key area of our lives was being taken care of. Fast track to being an adult and things are different. Yes, we still have to go to work at the same time each day, and we have our extracurricular activities and hobbies that are pre-planned; however, it can often feel like the time that used to be set aside for learning and self-improvement has simply disappeared. Lost in the rat race.
I truly believe that success in most areas of our lives is premeditated and carefully planned. I do agree that brainstorming and idea sessions are effective ways to boost creativity, but the way we execute our plans and visions need to be nurtured. In the same way, it’s imperative to know where we are going in life, we must be aware of what we are doing on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. If you are motivated and serious about your goals, this is where a routine must be implemented and stuck to.
Now I’m not saying that this always works, we all know life gets in the way and we have to move things around or go back on promises we made to ourselves. However, by prioritising certain key things you know you need to improve or work on and pencilling them in, you start to gain the mental clarity and mindset to really get the most out of the time set aside. Once you start improving productivity and making noticeable strides forward, you begin enjoying it and seeing it as less of a chore which you know needs to be done. It’s at this point you start winning.
In the same way that lawyers methodically prepare a defence case before presenting it in court, or professional footballers train all week only to play in a 90-minute game, if you fail to plan then you plan to fail. A routine provides the action which creates real change in our lives. So get organised, set aside time to work on yourself and go all in!
