How having a daily routine can lead to success

Elon Musk breaks his day down into 5 minute chunks of time. Oprah Winfrey doesn’t use an alarm clock. Michelle Obama somehow squeezes in a workout at 4:30am every single day. Successful people, it turns out, often have routines built into their lives. Athletes, entrepreneurs, leaders of industry, celebrities; their days are often heavily regimented. They live according to structure, and it’s that structure that helps them achieve big things.

So what is a daily routine? Why is it important? And how can it help you become successful? 

Try to think of your routine like a chain. A chain that can’t be broken. “I’ll do it tomorrow” is the death of any routine. If your goal is exercise, try to fit in at least something, anything, even a 10-minute workout, every single day. Breaking the chain, and breaking the habit, makes it that much harder to pick up your routine and keep it going. If you manage to do this, you’ll find that, over time, your routine becomes second nature. All you have to do is identify your goal, and then take one small step towards that goal – here’s the tough bit – every, single, day.

Keeping a routine journal might sound like a chore, but it’s a great way to help you stick to your goals. The journal doesn’t have to be long, or overly complicated. Simply listing your achievements that day, or patiently cataloguing your progress, will help you build momentum in your daily routine. This might take the form of a food journal, or a business diary, where you record your sales figures and plot your growth, or maybe an exercise notebook, where you track your progress in the gym. Take note of your achievements, but also any potential obstacles or setbacks that might harm your routine.

Most people’s lives can’t be run like Swiss clocks. Things come up, plans get changed, emergencies happen, and all those things will probably disrupt your daily routine. And that’s okay. The best routines have daily consistency, but also flexibility built in. Got an early morning meeting? Try and squeeze in a quick run after work. Going out for a boozy lunch? No problem. Just cook a healthy dinner when you get home. Too tired to work on your side hustle? Take a break and chip away at it later. The word we’re really looking for here is ‘adaptable’. Your routine requires iron-clad discipline, but it also needs to adapt to everyday life. And everyday life tends to be messy.

This article was originally published on 18 May 2022.