Now you might be thinking, “Why are we talking about routines?”

With the school year about to start (and some have already), it’s good to look at this season of life with a holistic approach. Don’t compartmentalize your life as one thing here with another thing over there.

You want to create a flow that propels you forward without draining you emotionally and physically.

So let’s start with the basics. A routine is a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program.

You can apply many routines in your life; a morning and evening routine. You might have a Friday evening routine. The cool thing is you get to set the routine, which establishes the habits.

Now before we get too far down the rabbit hole, consider the studies that show how people, who do the same thing each day and have a steady daily routine, tend to be happier than those who choose adventure.

These routines can be anything you want.

• Devotional routine in the morning
• Bedtime routine for the kiddos
• Writing/Study routine

But if you want to be successful like the geniuses in history, the masters of their crafts, you want to build daily routines.

• Jane Austen wanted a specific squeaky hinge to never be oiled, so she would always have a warning when someone was approaching the room where she wrote.
• Tchaikovsky made do with a two-hour walk, but refused to return too early, because he was convinced that cheating himself out of the full 120 minutes would make him ill.
• Charles Dickens famously took three-hour walks every afternoon, and what he observed fed directly into his writing.

For these gifted and talented individuals, a routine was not a luxury, but an essential part to their every day.

So why not take some pointers from those who lived their dreams and achieved their goals?

Why not choose to be happy in your every day by establishing daily routines that serve your purpose and expand your vision?

The K.I.S.S. ~ Establish daily routines!

When you establish these daily routines, you are neutralizing the fears of the unknown, which allows you to move forward without the apprehension of not knowing.

It’s like the adventure awaits without distracting anticipation.

1. REGULATE your daily actions. When you regulate your daily actions, you neutralize the fight or flight within, which makes way for you to enjoy your day. Happiness can happen even in the craziness.
2. DICTATE your day with conscious decisions. You know what you know. But if you don’t know, then you can talk yourself into what you don’t want, which then becomes what you know. And that’s not what you want. But there you are. So if you dictate your day by making conscious decisions, you have control. You’re not giving in to your fears or impulses or what confuses you.
3. CREATE your mood with your habits. Some assume that moods are created from thoughts or stressors that throw us into a tizzy. But this isn’t true per psychologist, Robert Thayer. He emphasizes that moods are created by our habitualness: how much we sleep, how frequently we move, what we think, and how often we think it, to the point that it’s not one thought that throws us into a tizzy. It’s the pattern of continously experiencing the thought that compounds the effect and makes it appear valid. So create your mood with your habits. How do you want to feel and live every day, and what do you need to do in order to achieve that?

Ultimately, you want to be choosy. Remember the days of Red Rover, Red Rover send (your best friend) right over?

CHALLENGE: How do you want to live your every day?

CAUTION: This can change from season to season. So be flexible and do what it takes to maintain order.

CELEBRATE: When you find that flow for the season you’re in, enjoy it to the fullest.

Don’t let procrastination take over. Establish your daily routines and enjoy life more even when you’re in a situation or struggle.

There is happiness to be found in your every day.

Create Your Now: Master today to impact tomorrow!

“Be present. Be incredible. Be YOU!!!“