2/19/2013–Seek a routine for effectiveness.
I’ve been back home almost two weeks and ironically the only negative is I miss the hotel. Not the room itself–I won’t stay at Extended Stay America again–but the routine I was able (forced) to develop due to my role in the other restaurants. Because I was just visiting each place, I did not need to spend time on projects related to the staff. This provided free time which I used to read and plan my attack once I was home. These were an incredibly productive 6 weeks. Using the habit of scheduling by the hour and choosing to stick to it allowed me to start and finish over 3 books, register/prepare for the GMAT in April, develop an action plan for a 3-yr goal, and continue work in two online classes.
Now I’m home and unorganized. The biggest obstacle is choosing to go to bed when I should to make the next day productive. 2am-9am is when I should sleep, and going to bed at 3am is affecting my next day. It would be nice to get to a schedule of 1-8 but that is unrealistic. Knowing my sleep requirement (7 hours) is maybe the most valuable info I’ve learned. Literally everything I do is affected by whether or not I got enough sleep, including sticking to my routine.
Even if my routine filled the hours available, an important element of being human is requiring slack. If I work at 1pm, I make sure there is at least 1 gap on the hourly schedule–maybe 30 min–because I might not stick to the plan. Planning is everything, but plans are nothing. Having a routine allows you to schedule spontaneous things also. It’s effective, relaxing, and a professional skill that differentiates productive people from unproductive ones.
QOTW: “I’m sick of being yelled at all the time.” –Alaine
?FNW: Will the directional start/end on time? Not even close (two people late)
10/25/2017 review: How timely! I just finished my first week of having a morning routine again. Since leaving restaurant management I have not developed a routine–and have been less effective than I could’ve been. I now begin every day with this routine outlined in Tim Ferriss’s Tools of Titans. Slightly re-ordered for preference:
- Make my bed (Bonus: read a few sentences of Stoic philosophy or The Bible)
- 10 reps of any exercise, slow, and focused on the muscle
- 60-second cold shower
- 10-20 minute meditation (any kind)
- Morning Pages or 5 minute journal. (Bonus: hot tea or coffee while writing)