How to Create the Perfect Daily Routine
Here’s a day in the life that might sound all too familiar…
The alarm screeches, jolting you awake.
After some intense internal debate begging for just “5 more minutes” you roll out of bed.
Now what?
Is there enough time for a quick workout? Is this the morning you start your journaling habit? Or should you go ahead and jump online to catch up on the pile of unread emails?
Too many decisions to be made before you’ve even had your first cup of coffee.
Fast forward to 8 PM.
Somehow the day’s flown by. The list of undone tasks could fill more than a few rogue sticky notes. You skipped the morning workout promising yourself you’d get to it this evening, but now you’re exhausted. You could spend some time on that side hustle… but where to even start? Netflix seems easier.
Next thing you know it’s midnight already.
You’re already way past your intended bedtime so you skip washing your face hoping you can catch a few more moments of sleep, promising yourself you’ll do it all better tomorrow.
Girl… you need a routine.
You need a routine
Establishing a daily routine may seem like yet another item on an already overwhelming to-do list. But the benefits of an established routine far outweigh the effort.
A daily routine provides structure and organization to your life so you can stay focused and on track amidst a world filled with distractions and competing demands.
A daily routine can help create a sense of order and predictability that will reduce your stress and anxiety by removing the mental load caused by constant decision-making.
A daily routine makes you more efficient by enforcing good habits you complete on auto-pilot so you can free up valuable time for pursuing your passions.
When you don’t give yourself a clear and intentional path to follow, you’ll wander aimlessly through your days, filling your time with whatever catches your attention or seems most convenient at the moment.
If the thought of a daily routine makes you free-spirits out there revolt, consider this: A daily routine can give you more space for the freedom and creativity you desire. When you create habits that support your goals you can think less about the basics so you have more room for creation and flow.
So let’s get to it!
4 steps to creating the perfect daily routine
Step #1: Decide on ‘Me Time’ Activities
To get started creating the perfect daily routine (that you’ll actually want to stick to), decide on your desired ‘me time’ activities first.
Now, these aren’t the “if only I had more time I’d do ALL the hobbies” type of activities. These are the small habits you want to incorporate more frequently because they support your goals or simply bring you joy.
Your ‘me time’ activities could include:
Exercise
Sitting down for meals (vs. shoveling a handful of chips into your mouth while staring blankly at your computer screen)
Following a nightly skincare routine
Reading
Learning (for fun or to support progress on other goals)
Journaling
Meditation
Wind down time (whatever that looks like for you: Netflix, chatting with your spouse, enjoying a glass of wine in silence…you do you)
Nothing time (to sit and think or go for a walk)
Make a list of all the ‘me time’ activities you want more of. Include what the activity is, how often you’d like to incorporate it (daily, weekly…etc.), and when (every morning, every Sunday afternoon…etc.)
When thinking through when you want to incorporate these activities, consider your energy levels. When would you enjoy the activity the most and when would you have the least resistance to fitting it into your day?
For example: if you’re an early riser, consider your mornings as fair game for structured routine activities. If you like a midday break, consider lunchtime as a good option. If you’re a night owl, consider the end of the day as your prime ‘me time’.
Step #2: Give Yourself a Bedtime
While we’d probably all love an extra 7+ hours every day, trust me, it’s not worth the expense of a good night’s rest.
The amount of sleep you want and need should not be an afterthought when building your daily routine. Give yourself a bedtime and plan your routine around it.
First, decide how much sleep you’d like to get.
Keep in mind the average adult typically needs around 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to feel well-rested and able to function at their best the next day. Individual sleep needs do vary, so listen to your body. But, please oh please, aim for at least 7. Your body needs rest. There’s no escaping it. The multiple sleep-deprived nights aren’t doing you any favors.
Here’s my extra attempt at convincing you late-night warriors...
Sleep is a natural productivity booster. If you’re well rested, you’ll have more energy to get the work done you planned to accomplish. If you’re running on lack of sleep you’re tank is likely going to be empty before you’ve crossed the finish line on a project.
With enough sleep, you’ll have sharper thinking, improved focus and attention, and a better immune system (i.e. fewer lost sick days).
And if you think you’ll just catch up on sleep over the weekend, that’s not a great long-term fix. While a few extra hours of sleep on the weekends can temporarily offset sleep debt and improve alertness, it may not fully reverse the negative impacts of chronic sleep deprivation.
Consistently depriving yourself of sleep during the week and relying on weekends to "catch up" can disrupt your body's natural sleep-wake cycle, leading to a phenomenon known as social jet lag. This can result in feeling groggy, irritable, and having difficulty concentrating, even after a weekend of extended sleep.
Alright, lecture over. Get more sleep.
Now, once you’ve decided how much sleep you’ll aim for, do the math. Determine what time you’ll need to get into bed based on what time you plan to wake-up.
When committing to a bedtime, also keep in mind your ideal bedtime routine such as your skincare protocol or sneaking in a few pages of your latest book before shutting off the lights. Work backwards. If your goal is to go to sleep by 10 PM and your bedtime routine takes 30 minutes, make note that you’ll need to start making your way to bed around 9:30.
Step #3: Corral Your ‘Have to dos’
Now the not so fun stuff. The ‘have to dos’.
We all have them. We all want to procrastinate them. We all find ourselves fantasizing about a reality free of chores and errands. But just like our taxes, we have to do them.
But you can set boundaries around your ‘have to dos’ so they take up less space in your routine.
First, timebox your work schedule. How many hours do you need to work to fulfill your obligations to your employer and yourself? (i.e. if you are paid for 40 hours of work, cap it there.) Then decide when you want to work these hours. Are you a typical 9-5er? Or would you prefer to split up working blocks throughout the day?
Then, list out the other errands, chores, or regular occurrences of everyday life. Your other ‘have to dos’ could be:
Getting ready for the day
The “everything shower” (hair washing, leg shaving…IYKYK.)
Cooking or meal-prepping
Laundry
Dishes
Commuting
Grocery Shopping
Once again, decide how often these activities need to be done (daily, weekly…etc.) and when (every morning, every Sunday afternoon…etc.). Consider if you can reduce those time commitments just a bit.
For example: you could forgo cooking once per week for Thursday take-out night. Or switch to grocery delivery vs. wandering mindlessly down the aisles. The best routines are full of more of what you love and less of what you feel obligated to do.
Step #4: Create a Plan
Once you have all the building blocks, it’s time to create the plan for your routine.
Just like putting together a puzzle, start piecing together a schedule either in a digital calendar (my preference) or simply by writing down an outline in a notebook.
For my fellow Type As, you can create a very structured time-blocked schedule outlining your routine like this:
5:30 - 5:45 AM: Get up/Get ready
5:45-6:45 AM: Workout
6:45-7:30 AM: Get Ready
7:30-8:00 AM: Journal and coffee
8:00 AM: Start Work
…etc.
(Grab your free Time-Block Like a She Boss template to get started!)
Or if you’re new to planning your time, keep it loose. Write down some guidelines for piecing your day together like this:
Wake up by 5:30 AM to workout
Start work by 8:00 AM
Lunch break/walk around 1:00 PM
Finish working by 5 PM
10 minutes of journaling
Dinner at 7 PM
Start skincare routine by 9:30 PM
In bed by 10 pm
Planning your routine will help you decide how long you can actually spend on each of your routine activities. You may not be able to fit everything in as originally hoped so you’ll need to adjust the duration or number of days that include the activity. Or, you may find an untapped chunk of time you can plan ahead to use!
Now, most importantly, allow for flexibility.
The unexpected will come up. You may forget to set your alarm causing you to sleep in or an urgent project may keep you later at work than planned. This doesn’t have to completely throw off your routine. Allowing flexibility means you’ll have room to adjust and rearrange. Your morning workout can move to an open spot in the evening. Or your Tuesday laundry plan can move to Thursday. Routine still in tact!
Make it Easy
A routine that’s easy to stick to is one that’s set up for success from the start.
If your new routine includes a lot of new habits, try including just one new habit at a time. Focus on that new addition for a few weeks then experiment with adding in more or removing new habits that just aren’t working for you.
You may want to do it all. But if you try to do too much at once, you might be setting yourself up for failure. For instance, if you’re new to working out, start by including a workout into your routine just 3 days per week. Or if you’re not sure you have the time to master the 10-step skincare routine you found on YouTube, start with a 2-step version instead.
Finally, try fitting the ‘have to dos’ in the margins of your day You can get a lot more done in a few extra minutes than you might think. For example: instead of trying to fit in a 2-hour cleaning frenzy once per week, consider where you can use 10 free minutes to pick up the house or wipe down the counter.
So What?
Planning a routine takes some upfront work. But it removes so much stress on the backend.
Establishing consistency and habits means you don’t have to think about the small stuff. You won’t have to constantly be deciding if or when you’ll do the things you hoped to.
You’ll be following the routine of your dreams with little struggle because it will happen almost by default.
And remember, it’s not about adding more to your plate. A routine is about simplifying your life to make room for what truly matters to you. Trust in the routine. You’ve got this!
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About Me
Hi, I’m Kara. I’m a former workaholic turned time-management expert. I help women stressed out in their 9-5 get more done, in less time, so they can get back in the driver’s seat and start living a life they love.
