Productivity & Routine
How these 2 concepts work hand in hand
Productivity can be defined as: “The effectiveness of productive effort, especially in industry, as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input”, or “Efficiency of production”. Both of these definitions are saying the same thing, in order to be productive you have to take action and DO something. Hint: Here is where we need the routine. Routine can be defined as “A sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program” or “Performed as part of a regular procedure rather than for a special reason”. The routine is the DO of productivity, and in a sense the routine part is what ultimately drives the level and extent of the productivity! This is the relationship that these two concepts share! It is not too often that we stop to consider these two as partners, but they are, one will not work without the other.
Your desired productivity level will be determined by no body else except you. You might have deadlines for a job or someone expecting something from you at a certain time, but ultimately you have to be able to self motivate to meet these exterior expectations from others and from yourself! Most of the time we set a blind plan and stick with it for a month or two. There will only be 2 outcomes, one you fail miserably, or two, you skate past and make it but not to the potential your inner self knows to be possible. This will do nothing except drive a bad attitude and/or bad feelings about yourself. So, why not start out right and well? What might that take? Step one, something different. I have said it before and I will continue to because each time I say it I know someone out there needs to hear it. A good friend of mine once told me, “In order to see change, you must do something different”. If you know something did not work, leave it there and try something new. How about a routine?
A routine is something that becomes part of what you do and who you are over time. The important thing about routine is that it has to be YOUR routine, for YOU! If you dig into what makes successful people successful you will quickly find out that one of the most common similarities you will see are that they all have a routine. A routine that may start in the morning with a quick read and coffee, then a workout, time allowed to prepare for the day, review of a schedule, then straight into taking action on whatever it is that stands in front of the to do list! A routine is a predictable series of events that your mind and body can accept and get accustom to that allows the ample time it takes to start each day well and be successful into the evening! Just as a parent with a child starts the “night time” routine to prepare the child to sleep at a certain time, for a certain period of time, and there will be preparation to get to this point. Maybe it starts with brushing teeth, reading a book, potty before bed, a night time prayer, tucking in, sweet kisses, and lights out, eventually the child knows what to expect and how to react to each action it will take to finally lay their head down and sleep. This is the same way as adults we train for sports, or running a marathon, or anything that takes a certain amount of productivity, it is all about the consistency and repetition of the routine.
It is said that it takes 12 days to train your body something new, 30 days to create a habit, and 90 days to have the complete routine down and it become successful. This does not mean you get it right the first time and start counting down days, or that you won’t slip up here or there, this just means that your commitment to consistency will get you to where you want to go and you will have created the routine. Each of us will face different obstacles in our lifetimes, and all of us have different paths, so make sure that the routine you are entering matches you and your lifestyle. Also, just as important as the rest of the information, is knowing and understanding why you need/want/ have a routine. Some people find comfort in the knowing of what comes next, some are trying to reach a certain goal (work, health, life). No matter the reason, knowing the expectation of the product (productivity) of your routine is the most important. What do you need to DO to reach the level of the productivity necessary to find the path of success you are striving for? Your WHY must be understood and strong enough motivation for you to commit and be consistent, if this is wavering, step back and reevaluate your WHY.
So you see, there is a science in placing the routine where it belongs in order to achieve the productivity you are after. Now is the time where you first must figure out for what and why you are being productive and at what level. Then you will be able to easily set up (trial and error) a routine that you can commit to consistently, and you can count on your WHY factor that will push you day in and day out until this routine is who you are. You must give this time to settle and work, and give yourself grace when it is needed to get up when you fall and try again, because after all it is not about the fall, it is about your willingness to get back up and try again. You are worth it.
