This exercise can be summarized in 4 words – Routines create your life.
Routines give us the structure to do an important task over and over again and with greater and greater effectiveness over time.
I invite you to do this exercise right now in 10 minutes then again in 3 days for added clarity. Set a timer and go with your first attempt as it will closely match the desire in your heart.
The 5 questions you’re going to answer are the following.
1- What routines could I do every day to make today an incredible day?
2- What routines could I do every week?
3- What routines could I do every month?
4- What routines could I do every year?
5- What do I want my life legacy to look like?
Ready. Set. Go.
H3 What routines could I do every day to make today an incredible day?
- Meditate in the morning?
- Walk my dog before 8am and think about what I’m grateful for?
- Take a restful 20min power nap?
- Plan tomorrow’s schedule or 1 main goal right after dinner?
- Reflect on 3 highlights of my day before I go to bed?
You get the point. Most underestimate the power of small steps. Identify what routines you want to and that will make an impact on the quality of and satisfaction of a day that you’ll never get to live again.
What routines could I do every week?
- Is Sunday family day?
- Workout Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday of every week?
- Plan my week every Sunday morning?
- Participate in a weekly accountability call once a week?
- Do a self care night every Tuesday night?
Create routines that you do once a week to keep you connected to yourself and significant others. This helps make certain that your weeks rejuvenate and support your days.
What routines could I do every month?
- Balance the check books?
- Clean the home office?
- Have 1 weekend staycation?
- Clean the cars out?
- Review my goals for the year?
- Read one book?
- Do a 3 day fast?
We get 12 months a year, we get to have 12 months a year for about 85 years which gives us about 1,000 some odd months over our lifetime. What are you doing with your months that encapsulates what you stand for and want in your life? A month is a true snapshot of how we do or do not live out what we think we value.
What routines could I do every year?
- What skill could I perfect this year?
- How can I celebrate my life on my birthday this year?
- Where can I grow most in my relationships?
- What new part of this world do I want to explore?
- What could I do with my dearest friends that celebrate our friendships?
- What could I ask myself in my yearly review?
- What could I ask myself in my next year’s planning retreat?
Tick, tick, tick. Our years are precious. Use the year marker to evolve, elevate and reflect on who you are and make certain the outcome of every year is worth living again if you could.
What do I want my life legacy to look like?
I recently heard someone say that on your deathbed you’ll be given a document that has as many pages in it as years you’ve lived. On the last page there is a line that you will have to sign right before you pass that signifies that you were the one who chose and lived the life depicted on the pages in that document. Are you authoring your life or are you just a designated co-signer or worse, did you give over the power to sign the document to someone else?
- What does your life stand for? What meaning are you creating and for whose benefit?
Once you answer that question go back to the first question and start small, start one day at a time.
When we keep the micro and the macro of our time close, in focus and supportive of one another we experience an unbelievable feeling of compounded productivity and satisfaction.
Enjoy being the author of your life, one day at a time.