It is 7am and I am running down this path towards the beach huts below. It is part of a four-mile run I do each morning in Whitby before my breakfast. Except for the sound of the sea, the gentle breeze, and the odd dog walkers it is perfectly peaceful. This experience is part of a routine. I have been doing this on our annual family holiday for over 20 years. This run is going to set me up for the day.

“We become what we repeatedly do.” ― Sean Covey

Why routines?

A routine is a sequence of actions regularly followed: It is often a habit that does not vary. Something routine is not unusual: routine things happen all the time. Most jobs have a routine — things that must be done on a regular done basis.

I first realised the importance of setting a routine the day after I joined the army as a young 16-year-old. I quickly realised there was so much I was going to have to fit into my day, I needed to be able to fulfil each task, automatically before the next barked order came my way.

What a routine means to me?

  • It stops me from going into ‘free fall’ (feeling that I do not have control) or
  • It stops me from drifting aimlessly throughout my day.
  • How often do we say there are not enough hours in the day to get stuff done? Over time our routines refine and improve our work efficiencies.
  • Therefore, a discipline that eliminates waste. I have a routine (thanks to my wife) if I am going somewhere in our house, I take something with me e.g. the washing backet. A routine that benefits us all.
  • It helps me with my mental health – I feel in control when I have routine(s). I am a born worrier, having set routines at certain times, both for physical exercise and mental health exercises. For me this can include ‘visualisation’ and creative thinking time (I save that one for my runs around Colchester).

My five important habits that help me (and my wife) each morning:

  1. Doing the family ironing as soon as I get up – it helps me to quickly come around. There then follows a menu of activities I follow at certain times before I leave for work at 0755hrs.
  2. For my wife Joyce, supporting our youngest daughter Bettina, who copes with a learning disability and autism. It is making B’s breakfast and preparing her medication before she gently wakes her up (there is even a routine they follow for that too!). We have found from the outset that Bettina needed consistent routines to help her get through her day and feel grounded.
  3. 10 minutes where I check and respond on social media platforms and 10 minutes where I am working on my latest article, such as this one.
  4. A final check of my kit before I head out the door. Have I forgotten anything e.g. ID card, smartphone, car pass……
  5. I enter the building to start my working day, and I start my next routine (I have just developed).

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” ― Jim Ryun

5 Tips on setting a routine (so it becomes a habit)

  1. You do not always have to fall into a routine, you can consciously set a routine(s). This is something I needed to do quickly after leaving a role that involved managing my hours, working from home, and travelling across the country for the last 15 years, to starting a new job which is structured with set hours and working in an office. From Social Care to the Military, it is quite a change in routines!
  2. Setting routines that you know you can do well – do not make your life difficult for yourself.

Related: ‘Any fool can be uncomfortable’:  https://leadershipintheraw.org/2024/02/22/10th-leadership-lesson-i-learned-any-fool-can-be-uncomfortable/

  • Design routines that will make life easier for you e.g. is it efficient and therefore will it save me time?
  • Create a routine that will consist of a sequence of actions that are done automatically.
  • Do not be afraid to alter or tweak an existing routine. It will help keep things fresh and stimulating. Once you have established a routine, a tweak or two can totally revitalise your day.

As a keen runner, sometimes I do not want to go out for a run when the weather is not so good e.g. cold and wet. It helps when I have a set sequence of actions as I prepare to take a step out of the door:  setting my running kit out, putting on my trainers, stretching, mentioning my route to Joyce and saying I will be back in 30 or 60 minutes, and then the final commitment: opening the door and taking my first step. 

Source: Steve Raw