Why Being Consistent with Being Consistent is the Key.

Believe it or not we all need routine, for our mental and physical health.

We are creatures of habit and our daily habits fit into our Circadian Rhythm.

These 90-minute cycles control our hunger, sleep patterns, body temperature and they regulate our mood. Without a routine, we deregulate our circadian rhythm. So, in the words of Canadian clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson, “No-one can live without a routine, If you haven’t got a routine, you’d better get one going, because you cannot be mentally healthy without a routine”

When starting out on a new goal or habit change, setting a routine is a great way to keep on track after the initial burst of motivation fades.

Routines make daily disciplines easier to manage, they reduce decision making down to a much simpler series of habits and choices.

Pick a time to get up, clean your teeth, exercise daily, go to bed at a similar time each night. Of course, at times we can’t keep to a routine and that’s fine, but more often than not, when we let these slip it’s hard to regain that routine, so be mindful to get back on track the day after a slip, your brain will thank you for it.

Consistency is your biggest ally when starting any new habit, try to set a designated time each day towards any new action and focus on actions that have a high impact on achieving the goal. When the habit is formed then it’s easier to come away from set times, knowing we will keep on track with these daily actions at some point in the day no matter what, that’s when we know we have created a new habit. For me exercise is a great example, after 20 years of playing professional sport, I am institutionalised in the need to exercise daily, and I know that no matter what I will fit it in to my day at some point. Sure, I need to see where the window of opportunity is best suited with other commitments, but I know no matter what I will do it. The best time to do anything like exercise in your day is the best time YOU can do it and fit it in, regardless of when experts or your friend says you should do it, it’s hard enough fitting everything we have to do in our busy lives without being told when we have to do it.

Don’t strive for perfection, small daily incremental improvements will reap the rewards long term, waiting for the perfect moment and deliberating over something to reach minute improvements only delays the process, it really is a case of done is better than perfect.

First thing each morning, before you start your day, mentally go through your day, and decide what you will accomplish, your ‘M I T’ – Most Important Tasks – limit these to 3 main things, 5 as a max, and commit to completing these tasks on that day no matter what. By deciding on your priorities and being clear on these commitments we put these actions at the top of our to-do list.

We can apply this practice to both our professional life and our private life, and like most things, the more we do it the better we become

Our body likes routine and when we create a schedule or routine, we are one step closer to reaching our desired goal, and remember, the goal is always to be better than we were yesterday, not to be perfect.

AUTHOR: Nicky Forster – For advice oh how to create your perfect routine, contact for information

nicky@nickyforster.com