Is routine the secret weapon of high performers?

Success isn’t an accident, it takes consistent effort and dedication. 

Personally I believe one of the key elements that differentiates high performers from the rest is their commitment to a solid routine.

When you hear the word routine, your mind likely goes straight to your morning routine or your evening routine. Or lack thereof. . 

You find yourself waking up at the same time everyday, getting the kids up, having a shower, getting dressed, packing lunch boxes, getting everyone out the door and heading into the office or to your designated work space at home. 

But have you ever considered the impact that your routine has on your performance or better yet why you would even bother having one? 

In today’s musing we explore how you can use establishing a routine as a tool for success and give you some key actions you can take to review where you’re currently at and make any necessary adjustments. 

It will support you in reducing your stress and anxiety levels.

Let’s start with the psychological aspect; when you embrace a routine it provides a psychological safety net, leading to a reduction in stress and anxiety levels.  

Who doesn’t want that? 

Routines will help you to create a sense of control and stability, ensuring that you can focus your energy on the tasks at hand. Both personally and professionally, establishing clear boundaries allows you to do this with ease. 

Take action:  

• Reflect on your current stress levels and assess whether your routine helps you manage these pressures or adds to them. 

• Identify areas where adjustments may be necessary to better support your mental wellbeing. 

It impacts how you manage your time and your productivity. 

Routines are so important in managing your time, it allows you to allocate specific time blocks for your tasks and responsibilities.

If you’re not already time blocking, firstly what are you doing and secondly, now is the time to start. 

It allows you to create specific periods for focused work, minimises your distractions and maximises your productivity. 

Take action: 

• Audit your current workday to identify any time wasting activities, meetings you no longer need to attend or periods of low productivity. 

• Structure your work week incorporating time blocking to optimise your workflow - make sure you include all of your priorities. 

They say consistency breeds excellence. I tend to agree. 

Success is born out of consistency. 

Having a solid routine fosters consistency allowing you to create habits and rituals that support your growth and development. 

There’s a reason the most successful people have somewhat “boring” mundane routines as it creates the foundation from which they can flourish.

Take action: 

• Identify one key aspect of your development that you wish to improve - it can be personal or professional. 

• Develop a daily routine focused on this area, making sure you incorporate deliberate practice and consistent effort until you master it. 

Prioritise your health and wellbeing, use it as your leverage. 

I don’t care what anyone says, prioritising your health and wellbeing is the biggest leverage you have when you want to be a high performer yet it’s the one thing that gets pushed to the side when people are chasing success. 

To be able to sustain high performance, it is essential that you prioritise your health and wellbeing within your routines. 

This means regular exercise, proper nutrition and incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine which will in turn enhance your energy levels, cognitive function and general wellbeing.

The days of not taking a lunch break or trading morning movement to be in the office early need to be a thing of the past. If you want to perform that is. 

Take action: 

• Audit your current habits when it comes to diet, exercise and stress management. 

• Set specific goals to support your physical and mental health, incorporate health focused activities into your daily routine. 

Build structure but also be willing to be flexible and adapt. 

One of the best parts about having a routine is that it provides structure and predictability and equally one of the worst parts of having a routine is that it provides structure and predictability.

This is why your routine needs to allow for adaptability and flexibility, not be so rigid that if you try to change anything everything gets thrown upside down. 

Think about incorporating contingency plans and accept that things change, this will help you to navigate unexpected situations without completely derailing your progress. 

Take action: 

• Evaluate your current routine, is there flexibility or is it rigid? 

• Where your routine might be rigid, think about contingency plans to accommodate anything unexpected so you can still maintain your productivity and focus. 

If you are chasing being a high performer, creating a solid routine can be a supportive tool in your success.

Learning to harness the psychological benefits, mastering time management, being consistent, leveraging your health and embracing adaptability will help you to unlock your full potential and achieve peak performance. 

There are a number of actionable steps that you can take throughout this musing to help you to optimise your performance by assessing your current routine, identifying areas for improvement and then making any refinements to maximise your impact.

I work with leaders, executives and founders; blending personal and professional coaching to support the whole you, so you can thrive in your career and life without burnout.