Life is a journey, a process. Every day you must deliberately make the effort to take a few steps. Learn, grow, become better than you are today. The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.
—John Maxwell
Have you ever heard the saying, “We always have time for what we want to do”? I disagree. We don’t always have time for the things we want to do. We work hard, we help others, we meet professional deadlines, we push ourselves to get things in order for our family, and we say, “Yes, I’ll drive the carpool tonight,” even when we are exhausted ourselves.
But when do we have time for personal tasks that are just for us—at work and at home? One way is to make time by creating time-saving routines.
Successful People Practice Successful Routines
I can imagine what you’re thinking when you see the word routine—boring, regular, no fun. But what if creating a routine included a well-groomed appearance, a spotless home, today’s work completed when you leave the office, and dinner a breeze to prepare?
Successful people don’t leave things to chance or impulse. They depend on good routines, and so can you. Never fear when your workload gets heavy and company drops by unexpectedly. You’ll be ready if you have routines that work for you.
A weekly routine can include simple tasks such as regularly taking out the trash the day before garbage pickup and assigning a regular day for grocery shopping. To get started, think of areas of your life that are cluttered or routine tasks that have hit-or-miss success. Then create a customized system for personal use, for work routines, or for home maintenance. Create a chart when you become aware of tasks falling through the cracks—those items that would enhance your life if you kept up with them.
Weekly Personal Routines
Sue always felt rushed getting ready for the day, but she realized the real problem was the time she wasted while doing so. “I have nothing to wear,” she lamented. “The clean laundry is still in the basket, and I can’t seem to get a coordinated outfit together in short order.” But she didn’t want to spend her valuable weekends cleaning and arranging her closet.
We created a routine chart for her personal area that kept everything put away and weeded out. It took the mad dash out of her mornings, and Sue later reported it felt good to walk calmly out the door. Her self-confidence in other areas grew as well.
WEEKLY PERSONAL ROUTINE
| Monday | Wash and put laundry away the same day. |
| Tuesday | Organize one category (e.g., shirts or slacks). |
| Wednesday | Empty trash cans. |
| Thursday | Clean the sink and mirror. |
| Friday | Reorganize one shelf or drawer. |
| Saturday | Put away dresser clutter. |
| Sunday | Enjoy clean personal space. |
Sue taped this schedule inside her bathroom mirror cabinet and made the five-to-ten-minute daily task part of her morning dressing time. She kept at it, and in a few weeks she was caught up with her closet organization. After that, she hardly ever spent her weekends cleaning up her bedroom.
Weekly Work Routines
Mandy rarely met her work deadlines. She often e-mailed the agenda for the weekly staff meeting only a half hour before everyone met. The meeting slipped by week after week, and the morale of her team was sliding downhill as well. “We used to be so productive,” she mused aloud.
Mandy took a look at what she once did with skill and ease and what she needed to do now. She made an important change by taping a reminder chart by her calendar for each day of the week.
WEEKLY WORK ROUTINE
| Monday | Compile sales for previous week/month. Send report. |
| Tuesday | E-mail staff agenda for tomorrow. Prepare today. |
| Wednesday | Follow up on sales meeting. Generate new business. |
| Thursday | Take client or staff to lunch. Work on relationships. |
| Friday | Confirm client appointments for next week. |
With routine tasks listed by days, Mandy became productive and received more support from her staff. She hoped it would result in praise—and a raise—at her next job review. She began to take charge again and was eager to accomplish the day’s tasks no matter how others responded.
Weekly Home Routines
Jackie and Bill decided they didn’t like letting grocery shopping, laundry, yard work, and errands fill every Saturday. So they developed a system that allowed them to get the errands out of the way during the week, leaving more time for golf or snow skiing on the weekends.
They listed what they needed to do on a regular basis and what they preferred to do during their free time now that their kids were grown. They created their list over the course of the week and posted it beside the calendar to refer to each day before work.
WEEKLY HOME ROUTINE
| Monday | Pay bills with online banking. Stay home. |
| Tuesday | Grocery shop. |
| Wednesday | Shop for needed items or free night. |
| Thursday | Do errands: banking, post office, and returns. |
| Friday | Cut grass and clean up house. |
| Saturday | Yard work, golf, or skiing. |
| Sunday | Go to church and relax. |
Jackie and Bill started to expand their social network once their home and personal chores were under control. They put the spark back into their relationship despite the empty-nest syndrome and looked forward to enjoyable activities on the weekend.
A New Way to Keep Up
Instead of burdening your mind with reminders, such as “I need to sew on a button,” or “I wish I had time to pick up a few plants,” or “I should have e-mailed the team yesterday,” create a dependable schedule on paper or your computer—where you can see it and refer to it. Reviewing to-do lists from the last few weeks may help you see a pattern of general categories that need your attention. Schedule the ones you most often neglect or overlook.
Take a moment now to walk through the following three steps:
STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE REGULAR TASKS YOU ARE NOT FINISHING. Pick one area to focus on for the next two months until you have a comfortable schedule that works.
STEP 2: POST AMONDAY–SUNDAY CHART. Simply draw a chart on an index card and fill in with pencil what you think will work. Keep the pencil and eraser nearby so you can adjust the chart as you live it.
STEP 3: POST THE CHART WHERE YOU’LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT AND ACT ON IT. For example, put your work chart on your computer monitor or on the corner of your desk. Tape your personal chart to your bathroom mirror, and place your home chart by your kitchen sink.
It Sounds So Simple
All of this may sound simple. We’re trying to free up your time and save you from the crisis that can result when you make too many decisions in a day. This reminds me of the chart I made for my daughter Lisa when she was in kindergarten.
She’d wake up and whine each morning before she even got out of bed, “What’s gonna happen today?” Her little short-term memory rebelled without a plan, so I posted an index card by her bedroom light switch that she could read as she went to bed at night:
LISA’S KINDERGARTEN ROUTINE
Monday—Show-and-tell: return folder
Tuesday—Gym
Wednesday—Music Makers, snack supper, Space Cubs
Thursday—Library; Bill Cosby show
Friday—Play with a friend
Saturday—Cartoons after 7:00 a.m.
Sure enough, it worked. By having a dependable routine, Lisa looked forward to each day. Her schedule was in order, she had time to prepare for school, and her outlook became more positive.
Adults, too, work more effectively when we preplan routines that keep our lives humming. We have a feeling of security when we know what to expect. You can simplify your time by creating a chart of those chores that now plague you. Then eliminate worry and guilt by completing each chore on the designated day.
Are You Game?
Pull out an index card and jot down what you could improve by doing each task on the same day weekly. What strategic actions could you take now that will help you easily put your week in order?
Practice the actions on your list at the same time each week until they become part of your routine. Once you’ve established a predictable rhythm, you can toss the chart. Now you have one more way to start living with the extra time savings.
It’s Your Time
Create Weekly Time-Saving Routines (Time Tool #7)
■ Post an index card at work and one at home where you will see them often.
■ Make note of regular tasks that help you feel on top of things.
■ Put down one action per day that will keep your life simple and in order.
By initiating certain routines, you can lessen the time and energy expended when it is necessary to make the same decisions day after day. You will be able to schedule your time more efficiently and even combine certain activities.
—Lila Empson