My last post was about creating a routine for yourself to maximize your productivity and general well-being. Well, today I have a little exercise that I think it would be fun for everyone to try. It’s strange how we’re more likely to stick to a bad routine vs a good one, because a good routine “takes too much time” – but doesn’t it take MORE time to correct the results of not having a routine.

Here’s something to try. Make a list of:

1. Things that ARE in your daily routine that you want to KEEP.
2. Things that ARE NOT in your daily routine that you want to ADD.
3. Things that ARE in your daily routine that you would like to CHANGE. Don’t forget to add you are going to chang

Here are my answers to the above questions:

What do I want to keep in my daily routine:

Every morning, before going to school, I wake up early enough to pack a nutritious lunch with snacks that lasts me throughout the entire day. This routine saves me money, and helps me maintain my healthy lifestyle.

For the last 2 weeks I have been taking my multi-vitamins everyday without fail. I have also been adding a swig of liquid chlorophyll to my water – the first thing I drink every morning. Committing to these healthy choices has rewarded me with significant increases in my energy levels.

I truly never waste a moment. On my commute to school in the mornings (if there’s an available chair) I read whatever fiction book I’m currently engrossed in. I like to take this time to relax and enter into another world for a short period of time. Reading is one of the things I like to do to unwind after a busy day, and it’s a necessary part of my daily routine. I also read every night before going to bed.

Exercise: I am currently exercising at least 6 times a week, and I feel fantastic. I also just started P90X on Monday, so this will be part of my routine for the next 90 days.
What do I want to add to my daily routine:

There was a period in my not too distant past where I was diligently flossing every night before I went to bed. As an actor, maintaining my physical appearance is important. Oral health is included in this, which is why I want to incorporate daily flossing back into my routine.

I have a template for a budget that I keep meaning to fill out so that I can better control my financial situation. Knowing exactly how much money is going out, and controlling how I spend it needs to be vitally important to me moving forward. Although I’m careful with my money, not knowing where it’s going is not helping me. I would like to commit to updating my budget everyday with all of the transactions I made that day. I also need to commit to keeping and filing away any relevant receipts for when it comes time to file those taxes again.

Daily Vocal Work was something I was really diligent in doing awhile back, but I have definitely neglected that aspect of my instrument as of late. This is something I want to start doing again, because when I was doing it I noticed significant improvements.

Every night before going to sleep I want to start filling out my success journal. In this journal I record three things that I’m grateful for, one way I gave back, my favorite memory from the last 24 hours, and I list all of my accomplishments for the day. I also like to make some goals for myself for the following day, just to keep me moving forward. When I was diligent with this practice in the past, I found that my ability to be mindful and in-the-moment was improved. Every week felt 10X longer.

Morning Meditation and Morning Pages are the final two things I want to incorporate into my daily routine. I want to start getting up a bit earlier, and taking the first 30 minutes of my day to just spend with me. This 30 minutes would be spent with free-association writing (to organize my thoughts) and a positive meditation (to get me in the mindset for success).

What do I want to change in my daily routine?

I have a bad habit of not putting things back after I use them. My habit is to leave the dirty saucepan in the sink, and get to it eventually. I would like to change this, and make it my habit to clean immediately, not later. Mastery of this habit will positively bleed into many other aspects of my life.

When I go to bed and when I get up. Right now my sleeping pattern is sort of all over the place, and I really want to regulate it. I feel the best when there is some regularity regarding when I wake up in the morning. Pressing the snooze button needs to stop. My ideal sleep schedule would be: in bed by 11pm and lights out by 11:30, up at 6:30am to start my day off strong.

Worry and anxiety is something that I want out of my daily routine. I’m much better than I used to be, but I still get hit in the face with self-doubt once and awhile. I need to come up with a strategy for getting me out of this sort of negative mind space when I fall into it. This is a necessity.

When You fill out the answers to these questions for yourself, you’re probably going to find some easier than others. Make sure that you acknowledge the things you’re doing right before you start to examine the things you believe you’re doing wrong. This is very important. The purpose of this exercise is to discover how you can facilitate improvements in your life. It’s not a pity party.

So, do your best with this. I would love to hear some of the things you came up with.