Creating a Daily Routine – The Magic of Repetition

Creating a Daily Routine

March 12, 2021 by Lesley Seto

Everyday is a fresh start

The Magic of Repetition

If you decided on a new year’s resolution or intention for 2021, how’s that going for you? I don’t personally set resolutions, instead, I consistently evaluate the present to see if I like where I’m heading and if not, adjust myself accordingly (it could be the official new year, or it could be at the end of each day, week or month). I hear so many clients (+ friends/fam) saying “I just need to get into the routine of things” or “I know what I need to do, I just need to get myself to do it”. We all have the best of intentions when we want to start taking better care of ourselves, but what is it that’s really holding us back from actually achieving or setting in motion our true desires?

• We’re constantly distracted and stimulated by everything going on around us – you only have to be on your phone/online for a minute to stimulate your brain with millions of messages that impact your thought processes (that distract you from your priorities!)

• We often want to change several habits and as quickly as possible. We often have little patience to work at the root of the issue and develop something that’s sustainable, something that actually lasts. 

• We get in our own way! Whether Influenced by our upbringing, experiences, or society, limiting beliefs can make it hard for us to get out of conditioned responses. This is why repetition and the power of routines can help us.

Routines help us to consciously establish our priorities and makes us less dependent on willpower to achieve our goals. Routines help to root us and free our mind by preventing us from shifting into autopilot, but with freedom of routine and repetition is the risk for monotony – or boredom.

In the repetitive nature of routines, the key is to ask yourself if you can experience something new within it? As I do my yoga practice every day, my experience each day is different because I always go in knowing that there’s something new to experience from it. This perspective creates the opportunity to explore and learn something from everything we do, even if it’s a repetitive task.

Whether you want to start going to bed earlier, start a fitness routine, cook more meals or eat more veggies. Here are 4 tips to keep in mind as you get started or back on track with your goals.

1. Choose one simple task to work on and do it every day at the same time. Immerse yourself in it and do it without distraction. 

What is one thing you want to work on to improve your health and why? Break the goal down into simpler tasks. If your goal is to have more energy in the day, maybe the first step is getting enough sleep. This might mean setting a time to wind down and go to sleep earlier.

2. Make the task simple and as easy as possible for you to achieve (and keep a positive mindset!)

If you want to meditate or do yoga when you wake up instead of instantly going on your phone. Set a mat or cushion in a place that’s easy for you to get to. Mine’s right next to my bed, sometimes I literally roll off the bed and onto the floor. I believe your experience with each task will ultimately decide whether you’ll keep going back, but you need to immerse yourself in it long enough to give it a fighting chance. In the example of going to bed earlier, start with going to bed 15 min. earlier then work your way up. If you’re having a hard time going to bed earlier – what’s the issue here? Are you binging on a Netflix series or lost in the Youtube or social media rabbit hole? Maybe your first step is setting a time to take note of your body’s signals (energy or lack thereof) and then responding to these signals in a way that supports your body. 

3. What works for someone else might not work for you. Don’t do what someone tells you to do or what you think you should be doing.

Instead, find the importance within yourself. I always hated going to the gym, but that’s what everyone was saying I should do to get stronger. I’d never follow through because I didn’t enjoy it, but more importantly I didn’t feel comfortable. It wasn’t until I joined a women’s only gym that I felt more comfortable and embraced the experience. So, give yourself a chance to experiment and really understand yourself, knowing that this is a journey, and you don’t have to start 100% out of your comfort zone.

4. Surround yourself with like-minded people who have achieved a similar goal.

Connect with someone or a group who can be your accountability partner(s) or mentor(s). We first do the work for ourselves, but eventually it’s for the communal. Connecting with others elevates all of us, even if during these times it means to connect virtually.

Creating a routine around something you prioritize makes sure that you integrate one thing each day that prioritizes you, which we all need! Know that creating a routine doesn’t mean there’s no room for flexibility and tweaking. It’s a journey that ebbs and flows, allowing you to learn what works for you given your present circumstances.