What is your daily routine?
- Dion Ooi
- Jan 6, 2018
- 3 min read
How do you normally go through your day?
What do you start with?
What is your daily routine like?
Different people have different ways of running and starting their day. After doing some reading and learning from others on their daily routines, I would like to share some observations…
There is an ex-SEAL high ranking officer shared in his commencement speech with the university students, first thing to do in the morning is to make your bed right. Some of us will be wondering why, making our bed is important and what is the significance of making the bed?
According to the Navy officer, when we make our bed right, we start our day right. We have accomplished the first task of the day and by doing that, we feel productive and there is a sense of accomplishment. And we will be looking forward to completing more tasks for the day.
At times, our day may not be good and when we return home, when we see our made bed, at least one thing is done right. That, in a way is a source of motivation. That is what the Navy officer is sharing and I believe that starting your day right is important for our well-being.
I would like to share some ideas on starting the day… you can make a choice and make it your own personal project or experiment to make your 2018 and beyond better.
Set theme of the day
What is your theme for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and the rest of the days of the week? For example, Monday is to focus on completing administration work (management, operations, etc.), Tuesday for Sales, Marketing and growth of the company… the key is the power of focus. When there is a distraction, at least you know where to focus on that day.
Start and End with questions
Like Benjamin Franklin, he starts his day by asking the question, “What good shall I do this day?” and ended his day with the question, “What good have I done today?”
As for Marshall Goldsmith, he has his daily active questions;
Did I do my best to…
Set clear goals?
Make progress to achieve my goals?
Find meaning?
Build positive relationships?
Be fully engaged?
And many more…
The power of questions that can trigger deeper thinking and unleash the potential in you. And you will need to put them into action to get the results and get motivated.
Start with exercise
Some leaders start their day with exercise, moving the body to gain positive energy and get fresh morning air. It may not be for everyone, as some may only exercise middle of the day or in the evening. In my humble opinion, as long as you keep moving and be active, it should be all right.
There are a lot of goodness that comes out from an active lifestyle, just do it in moderation. Too much of a good thing may not be that good.
SAVERS Morning Routine
This interesting routine comes from Hal Elrod, author of “The Miracle Morning,” and they are as below;
S = Silence, A = Affirmations, V = Visualization, E = Exercise, R = Reading and S = Scribing.
The way we start our morning can make or break the rest of our day. The SAVERS acronym reminds us of six habits or rituals that can improve our morning routines.
Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail
For those who prefer planning, it can be done in the morning or evening (for the next day). Planning can help us to focus on the things / tasks / activities to do for the day.
Some leaders focus on the top 3 most important things for the day, and they plan their day using calendar (or to-do list and there are a lot of apps that can be used for planning / scheduling).
Just sharing one of the best practices, some leaders will plan for own time and family time.
Blessed are those who are flexible…
Every day is a new day and for some, they do not have any fixed schedule nor routine. They are different every day, how interesting is that?
Different people have different styles, flexibility may stress out some people… and some really love the flexibility and spontaneity. “One man’s meat is another man’s poison…”
My recommendation is for you to do the different routines and experiment, then decide which one is the one suitable for you. You know yourself best.
All the very best in 2018 and beyond.
“Change your habits, change your world!”
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