If it were half as easy to get into a routine as it is to fall out of them we would all be right on track more often than not. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Listed below are a few tips to help you get back into a routine. Let’s face it, whether it be exercise, work, or day-to-day life, being in a comfortable and productive routine makes us feel a whole lot better about what we are trying to accomplish. Give it your best effort and get back on track!
Develop a plan. Sit down and figure out what it is that needs to be accomplished. Write your ideas down and look at them frequently to be sure that you’re doing your best to achieve them.
Work on one thing at a time. Even though there may be a long list of goals that you wish to achieve just focus on one at a time. This can help you avoid getting off track. The only way to achieve everything is to get each goal knocked out individually.
Start small. Instead of overwhelming yourself with your largest objectives, start small and work toward daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Once you feel as if your daily goals are consistently being reached, move on to weekly goals. Once you’ve got your weekly goals under control move on to monthly goals, etc. This is how you build a routine.
Reward yourself. As you begin to take back control not everything is going to go smoothly. Avoid beating yourself up over the days and weeks that everything did not go as planned. Getting discouraged will only delay your efforts. Instead, celebrate and reward yourself when things are going right; this will encourage you to stay on track. Just be careful not to reward yourself with things that are counterproductive to the goals you have in mind. (i.e. If your goal is to lose 30 pounds do not reward yourself with ice cream when you lose the first 5.)
Meditate on it. Some people are comfortable with this and others are not. Whether through meditation, prayer, or other means, we should always be conscious of the things we are trying to achieve. This doesn’t mean dwell on the things we haven’t yet accomplished, but remind ourselves that our tasks are achievable and that we are in control of our own destiny.
