The power of the mind and getting into routine this January

Building a routine might sound like the easiest thing in the world, but actually sticking to one is another kettle of fish. As difficult and tiresome as it sounds to get into a routine, establishing a positive routine means you carry out daily activities that vary your day and keep you engaged.

Without a routine, it becomes easy to fall into bad habits that encourage negative thinking, a bad mentality and unhealthy attitudes that can impact your work, your relationships and more. The mind is a powerful tool, and creating a routine this January will set you up for the year ahead if you find a structure that works for you. It comes down to consistency over motivation.

If you’re lacking motivation to do something like exercising on a cold, wet and windy day, it’s easier to give up than find motivation, whereas if you stay consistent you are much more likely to fulfil the task. The key to sticking to a routine is regular and consistent patterns that you can hold yourself accountable to.

To help build consistency you could use a physical calendar to mark off the days you did the activity, and by physically seeing the consistency in front of you you will encourage yourself to keep it up to avoid breaking your streak, even on days when you don’t have motivation. This in turn will form a daily structure and help you carry yourself through to achieve your goals.

There’s a saying which might resonate: ‘Good habits are hard to form but easy to live with. Bad habits are easy to form but hard to live with’. 

It’s important to remember that what works for someone else might not work for you, so when you’re thinking about your routine make sure to build it around activities you enjoy and will likely stick to.