The Power of Focusing on What Matters and Building Daily Habits
The other day I found myself running late and cutting corners in my routine just to get out the door. Of course, we all have off days occasionally. Except, if I’m being honest, this had become a habit and I found myself constantly feeling behind.
Have you ever been there? You hit snooze a few days in a row and then eventually you wake up to find your “schedule” feels like it has more control over you than you have over it.
If that’s you, I can completely relate. Finding balance and structure has been one of the biggest challenges in my adult life. It’s important to have good routines in our lives, but sometimes it can feel difficult or overwhelming to find the right ones.
When I recently found myself in this place of feeling behind, I reached out to the people in my life to get help and support. But I also discovered two resources that helped me decide what matters most and that gave me the tools to build a productive routine.
The Lazy Genius Collective
The first resource is The Lazy Genius Collective. I discovered the creator, Kendra Adachi, at the beginning of 2021 and I can genuinely say her work has changed my approach to life. I know that might sound a bit intense, but I have found her content to help guide me to what matters most in my life.
Adachi’s goal is to help people be “a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t.” She makes it very clear that her message is not a “place where you’ll get tips on how to do it all.” Instead, she shares some general principles that can be customized and specifically applied to everyone’s lives in the way that matters to them.
Adachi does this often on her podcast called, The Lazy Genius Podcast. I recommended it in another recent blog post, but I am sharing it again because it is that good. For example, she recently released a practical and helpful episode about gift-giving since we are heading into the holiday season. Listen to it here!
Adachi is also an author and has a book called, The Lazy Genius Way, where she dives deeper into the 13 Lazy Genius principles. I recently finished it and highly recommend it!
If you are looking for “an easier way” when it comes to figuring out what matters to you and moving through the necessary tasks of life, check out The Lazy Genius Collective. I promise you won’t regret it.
Michael Hyatt & Company
Once you figure out what matters most, it’s important to find a way to accomplish those things successfully and productively. That’s where the next resource comes in: the Lead to Win podcast.
This podcast is hosted by Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller. Hyatt is the founder and chairman of Michael Hyatt & Company, a leadership development firm. Miller, his daughter, is the president and chief executive officer for the company. They are both authors and they co-host the Lead to Win podcast.
My coach specifically recommended an episode of the podcast called, “4 Rituals That Make You Super Productive.”The episode is centered around “four daily routines guaranteed to launch you into a productive day.”
Now, I know what you may be thinking. “Another person telling me to be more organized and disciplined with my time? I’ve heard this before.”
I was thinking the same thing at first. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people suggest methods and strategies to try to help me be more organized, productive, and healthy. But I have honestly found this concept of four daily routines to work for me and help me “enter each day calm, collected, and fully prepared to reach [my] goals.”
The focus of the episode is about the four “rituals” or routines that can help you be “fully engaged and highly productive” during your day. However, Hyatt and Miller talk about a few other important topics like the brain science behind making powerful habits and how to prioritize self-care.
Whether you need a productivity refresh or would like some new ideas to elevate your daily routine, this is an episode worth listening to. It’s also a valuable podcast to follow since all of the episodes are centered around leadership, work-life balance, and other relevant topics. In addition to this podcast, Michael Hyatt & Company offers resources like the Full Focus Planner, an online curriculum, and a coaching program.
Overview
It is easy to get caught up in the rush of our to-do lists that we forget why we are doing those things in the first place. I have been there recently, and I am in the process of resetting my priorities. The biggest lesson I have learned: Take small steps forward.
As someone who tends to be an “all or nothing” thinker, it is important to remember that small steps are better than no steps. I shared the two main resources that have helped me take those steps lately. It may seem simple but figuring out what matters most and finding a realistic way to accomplish my goals has drastically changed my day-to-day life. My hope is these resources and practices help you find more balance in your daily routine, too.
Video Description: We all want to be more productive. But you know how it goes—a little late getting started, a quick task you just remembered, and then it’s non-stop interruptions all day long. Where does the day go? Trust us when we say we’ve been there. But we finally learned a simple hack to start the day right and maintain focus all day long. The secret is a set of four daily rituals—or routines—that get your started right every morning and, every evening, set you up for success the next day. Don’t panic! When we say “rituals” we’re really talking about daily routines. You could also call them “stacked habits.” It’s a way of batching all the pesky (and some really important) things that could become disruptions as the day moves along. Put these rituals to work for you, and you’ll break free from that feeling of being always a little behind. You’ll replace that with a feeling of calm and control because you know you’re fully prepared for each day.
Inside this episode:
– What a “ritual” is (and isn’t). [4:05]
– Scientific reasons why habits work for you. [4:32]
– A simple formula for starting a new habit. [5:12]
– Three benefits of installing daily rituals. [5:33]
– The 9 elements of Michael’s morning ritual. [7:28]
– How Megan adapted her morning ritual to having young children. [8:16]
– Megan’s current morning ritual. [9:11]
– The key question that makes for a great ritual. [10:42]
– Why it’s vital to estimate the time needed for each ritual. [11:56]
– How a startup ritual declutters your day. [13:03]
– Elements of a solid startup routine. [13:39]
– The very best way to avoid bringing work home each day. [16:43]
– A simple hack to protect the time for your morning and evening routines. [19:03]
– The best way to ensure that you leave the office on time. [19:45]
– How timing evening routine on time sets you up for success the next day. [24:12]
– How to get started with creating your daily rituals. [27:04]
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