How Important is a Routine?
How Important is a Routine?
Perhaps you already have a daily routine?
Or maybe you’re just starting to create one?
How important is it?
We’re all unique individuals so the answer is going to be very personal. Our individuality shapes our perspectives, and what matters to one person may not hold the same weight for another.
Understanding Your Priorities
Consider your lifestyle, aspirations, and personality. What are your hopes and dreams? How do you envision your ideal self? These factors play a pivotal role in determining the importance of a routine to you.
The Power of Consistency
While there’s no magic formula, one truth remains: consistent effort yields results. Imagine your goals as distant peaks – daily steps inch you closer. It’s not rocket science; it’s the steady rhythm of progress. Whether you’re an aspiring writer, a fitness enthusiast or a seeker of inner peace, adopting a daily routine can be your compass.
Lessons from the Greats
Maintaining a daily routine is a strategy that’s been used by many successful people, from the likes of Benjamin Franklin & Winston Churchill to Tony Robbins & Oprah Winfrey and Tao-Porchon-Lynch, who – when she passed away aged 101yrs – was known as the “oldest yoga teacher in the world”.
Making a Daily Routine
Embracing Small Steps: A Path to Progress
Rather than striving to carve out large chunks of time from our busy lives, let’s shift our focus. Imagine the impact of taking a small step each day—a mere five or ten minutes dedicated to our goals. It’s through these small daily rituals that huge transformations can occur.
Creating Daily Habits
We can create a list of what I call: “Dailies“.
Small, daily steps we can take towards a goal.
Say, for example, you want to:-
1. Speak another language
2. Be more mindful
3. Feel better in your body
Each day you might, for example:-
1. Complete an online language lesson (5mins)
2. Write in a journal (7mins)
3. Practise 3-6 specific yoga poses (3mins)
The consistency will pay off.
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Release Worries, Seize Today!
Not only will daily efforts boost Motivation, this strategy also helps us to release any worries about the future as we need only concern ourselves with the present.. what we do today!
This mindset aligns with the ancient wisdom of the Yoga Sutras, where this state of contentment in the present moment is known as “Santosha”.
Do I have to do my Daily Routine EVERY day??
The wonderful thing about “Dailies” is that it really doesn’t matter if we miss a day here and there. Once the routine is set, if life gets in the way one day (which it will) it will be easier to come back to it the very next day. The longer we stick to it, the easier it is to come back to it when we do falter.
If you’re struggling to get into a daily routine, my recommendation is to:-
1. Start Early: Try to do your dailies as soon as you can, preferably in the morning. This not only makes sure you do them, but also gives you a sense of accomplishment for the rest of the day.
2. Keep It Achievable: Make sure your daily routine is manageable even on busy days. Don’t set unrealistic goals that become overwhelming.
3. Be Kind to Yourself: On really hectic days (or lazy ones), if you can’t stick to your routine, don’t stress. Take a day or two off, and then get back on track.
Remember, perseverance matters more than perfection.
Even if you slip up, just come back it as soon as you can. It gets easier to recover the ground lost & advance onwards every time! Rather than beating yourself up, let the knowledge of the progress that could have been made – had you not taken a break – inspire you & be the fire to fuel your ongoing daily attention towards your goals.
How is This Yoga?
Yoga’s Timeless Wisdom
Along with Santosha – contentment in the moment – as previously mentioned, having a consistent daily routine also allows us to practice two absolutely fundamental principles of yoga:
1. Vairagya (Non-attachment): Vairagya is the art of letting go. It’s the freedom from clinging to outcomes, desires, and external circumstances. When we release our attachment to results, we find inner peace. The Yoga Sutras remind us that true mastery comes when we are “without thirst for visible or revealed things” (ie: when we no longer crave & chase things that we have seen or heard about, or have read about in scriptures.)
2. Abhyasa (Practice): This refers to unwavering, persistent effort. It’s the consistent practice that leads to transformation. Patanjali, the sage(s) who compiled the Yoga Sutras, emphasized that this practice must be sustained over time. It’s not a fleeting endeavour but a dedicated commitment.
Abhyasa propels us forward, while vairagya keeps us light, unburdened by expectations. Through them, we can find Peace and Progress.
Ancient Wisdom in a Modern World
I find it both interesting and beautiful that ancient texts – written millenia ago – hold a wisdom that can still help us so much in our current, ever-changing, modern world.
In the hustle and bustle of life, our daily routines quietly shape us. Whether it’s a morning walk, a cup of coffee or a few moments of meditation, these small acts add up. So, make your daily habits conscious – better yet, make them intentional – they’re the stepping stones to the future version of you!
Adapted from the July Nirmala Loveletter, 2018. Updated March 2024. To sign up for the latest Loveletter, click here.
Jeannette Amy (Nette) Hopkinson (BSc Hons Sports & Life Sciences) is a compassionate, trauma-informed Yoga Teacher & educator based in Andalusia. Follow on Instagram & Facebook.
