Routines, routines, routines! One of the easiest way to create lasting improvements is to build short, simple, and easy to follow routines. Having a strong morning and evening practice allows you to start (and end) the day focused on YOUR goals and feeling relaxed.

AND why wouldn’t you want to be focused on your goals and feeling relaxed?

In this post I give some specific examples of routines and linking activities clients have created.

Today, I’d like to expand on this a bit by sharing some ideas that Leo Babauta explains in his book, The Power of Less.

A few guidelines…

  • Start with a couple of tasks first.
  • Implement the routine for a few days.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness. (Are you actually following the routine you created?)
  • Adapt and adjust the routine if needed.
  • Repeat.

Once your routine is pretty solid, you can continue to add additional pieces to it. Just be careful – if the routine gets too long, you won’t continue to implement it!

Here are his examples of tasks that could go into a morning routine (remember, start with 4 – 6 tasks!).

  • Drink tea
  • Watch the sunrise
  • Exercise
  • Shower/bathe
  • Read
  • Identify the 3 most important tasks for the day
  • Gratitude session
  • Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Walk/enjoy nature
  • Prepare lunch
  • Write
  • Journal
  • Review goals

Here are some of Babauta’s ideas for an evening routine. He recommends 2 parts:  a part to review your goals and a part to wind down from the day. Note there is an overlap between some of the tasks from the morning and evening routines.  You need to decide 1) which tasks are important to you and 2) whether you would prefer to do these tasks in the morning, evening, or both.

Goal Check

  • Review / identify priorities for tomorrow
  • Review today
  • Log data and progress towards goals
  • Write

Wind Down

  • Cook dinner
  • Eat dinner
  • Shower/bath
  • Teeth / floss
  • Prep Clothes
  • Meditate
  • Facial
  • Read to kids
  • Talk with partner
  • Journal
  • Write
  • Read
  • Exercise
  • Make Lunch
  • Clean up
  • Keep house clean

What are some of the tasks in your daily routines? What will you do differently after reading this post? Remember to continue using these daily practices to stay focused and relaxed…every day!

You are focused, successful and high achieving, yet the “big success” is just out of reach. What you need is to upgrade your capacity-building strategies so you can feel a sense of accomplishment each day.