The Value of Routine

Happy Groundhog Day, friends! Like Punxsutawney Phil, I make my way downstairs each workday morning and prepare to start the day. I heat water and ground beans for my coffee. I make oatmeal and add my favorite mix-ins. I give each of my dogs a treat and let them out in the back yard.

Breakfast in hand, I sit down at my desk and begin my day. I write out a list of things that I need to think about or take action with. I see what new emails and messages might have arrived overnight, because in CA we start our days a bit later than my colleagues in Europe and the east coast.

Routine is truly my guidepost. I've honed the schedule and tasks that work best for me, over the years and I lean back on it whenever I need to. I'm the one that others can "set their clock by" when I take care of something at work or in my personal life, and I appreciate that quality in myself.

When something new surfaces and needs to make its way to the front of the "queue," that's ok too. My routine is a flexible one that can make room for the urgent or challenging thing that needs to be done, stat. I can focus more energy on the new and urgent activities, because I know my routine "by heart."

Are you guided by routine, or do you thrive with a more spontaneous way of working or "doing life?" In truth, I use a hybrid approach. I do know that learning my routine allows me to shift focus when I need to concentrate on learning (and performing correctly) any new tasks. Not surprisingly, my colleagues and I apply a similar principle when we design technology adoption solutions.