Routines - The Secret to Long-Term Success

“If a person puts even one measure of effort into following ritual and the standards of righteousness, he will get back twice as much.”

This quote on routines is attributed to the Confucian philosopher Xunzi (around 300 BCE). It is a great basic instruction for improving ourselves no matter our goal. Holding and practicing a routine frees our mind to take on the challenges we are met with every day. There are many, in fact, that use the words routine and ritual interchangeably. In a sense we practice our routines as a ritual to improve our lives.

When we look at the most successful people in their fields they all have a routine. And these routines are one of the keys to their success. Tom Brady has a routine. The internationally renowned trombone artist Christian Lindberg has a daily routine. Even the wonderful and caring Fred Rogers from “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” had a daily routine. Daily routines are used by the most successful to focus their days and improve their success. (If you are interested in these routines I’ve included them as links at the bottom of this post).

A routine unloads some of our decision making and brainpower and frees up our cognitive processes to focus on more important things. The brain is like a muscle this way. When great athletes need to perform they don’t add minor things. Pro basketball players aren’t spending their time on game days hauling dirt for chores or riding their bikes to the game. They are conserving their energy for where it is needed. The same goes for the brain. If we spend our days making hundreds of tiny decisions (What should I eat? When should I wake up? What will I do this morning?), by the time we need our brains for the work we want to do there is nothing left. A routine allows high-performers to conserve their energy and apply it towards their goals.

A routine also prepares us for performance. It puts us in the mindset to excel. It prepares the body. It primes the mind. This is an important aspect of our days, even if it is simply going to school. Routine gets the mind ready for what lies ahead. And sticking to the same routine every day prepares us for the same level of excellence every day. I have a routine for everything I do. Waking up. Getting ready to practice. Getting ready to do math. These routines are set to prepare me for pursuing excellence. There is a book by the former chess player and martial artist Joshua Waitzkin (he was an International Master in chess by the age of 16) where he discusses the process of routine even in between rounds while competing in the martial art of Taiji. The routine he put himself through was to prepare him for anything. If you are interested in reading into the mind of a high performer, I suggest you check out his book “The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance”.

Does this mean a regimented schedule for every moment of your day and week? No, and please don’t do that! Even the greats take time for themselves. Check out Tom Brady’s routine below. He has five hours in the morning scheduled for breakfast, beach time, a nap, and lunch. He then follows this up with 3 hours of surfing and working out. And then, at night, he has set aside two hours to spend with his wife and kids. The author Ryan Holiday has set up his day to focus a couple of hours on writing, a couple of hours on running his businesses, and then as many hours as possible to spend with his family. Routine doesn’t restrict our lives, it frees up our lives to do what we want to do. Eisenhower considered self-discipline and routine as necessary for freedom - kind of oxymoronic.

And the great's give themselves days off as well. When I was studying hard for the GRE I was still taking one day a week completely off from studying to allow my mind to rest. The body and mind can not go at 100% all the time. At some point the body will stop. If you get a chance check out the YouTuber Justin Sung who makes videos on learning optimization. He talks about his time in med school when he gave more than he should have and the price he paid because of it. We must give ourselves breaks. There is an aphorism about this that goes, “If you don't schedule a break, your body will take one for you. And it probably won't be at a convenient time.” How true that is.

So what does a routine look like? It is broad and leaves time for flexibility. As I write this I am in the last week of my Calculus I class preparing for a final. Here is what my day looks like.

8:00 AM - Wake up, fill a one quart bottle of water, and proceed to my office to meditate, do my Spanish lessons, and journal.

8:45 AM - Head to the kitchen, unload the dishes, make coffee, cook breakfast, and eat while listening to my daily podcasts. Also finish my quart of water.

9:30 AM - Take a short 10-minute walk to get some sun and fresh air. Brush my teeth.

10:00 AM - Work on Calculus. I do three hours of work at least with a break every hour. At about noon I take a longer break, get more water, and eat some lunch.

1:00 PM - Work on business items.

2:30 PM - Exercise, either body weight in the house or go for a long walk on a local trail.

3:30 PM - Walk the dogs with my wife while also picking up trash in the neighborhood.

4:00 PM - Shower

4:30 PM - Down time. Reading. Social media. Video games. Whatever I choose!

7:30 PM - Dinner and movies/TV with my wife. And usually at least one more quart of water.

9:30 PM - Dishes

10:00 PM - Nighttime journaling and getting ready for bed.

11:00 PM - Head to bed and read until I fall asleep.

With all of the benefits of routines we need one for ourselves. Routines are one of the keys to high performance and an enjoyable life. What is your routine? What do you hold sacred that keeps you performing at your highest level?

Ready to implement some of these ideas but need a little guidance? Reach out to me today, and let's get started creating your ideal life!

Tom Chapman, TruePath Discovery Coaching

Tom Brady’s Routine - https://owaves.com/day-plan/day-life-tom-brady/

Christian Lindberg’s Routine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5FvULGshhw

Mr. Rogers’ Routine - https://amseaman.com/2021/05/24/routine-ritual/

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