Routines can help create a sense of security and stability as well as create roadmaps for your time, effort and attention.  Here are a few tips on how to build routines and help you stay on course.

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Assess your needs.

Pay attention to your own behavior to see what makes it hard for you to get work done or distracts you from key tasks.  Make resovlving those issues the focus of your new routine.  Then decide whats working based on your own indicators of success.  Remember what works for one person, doesn’t always work for another.  The key factor here is developing a routine that leaves you feeling mentally refreshed and gives you a sense of control.

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Create a dedicated workspace.

A lot of our behavior is driven by the environment around you.

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Set yourself up for success.

Set small goals and objectives to begin. This allows you to feel a sense of accomplishment, which is a motivating factor in engaging and maintaining your routine.  Most people tent to repeat what they find enjoyable.  Reward yourself for tackling those goal that are on your daily to-do list.  This does not have to be a big gift but rather something that acknowledges what you have accomplished.

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Clear away distractions.

It is one thing to set up a routine, it is another to keep it going.  The more distractible you are, the harder it is to stick to a new routine.  Set your smartphone on grayscale for example.

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