I've seen many productivity gurus do it — experiment on what works for them. What foods, vitamins, morning routines, and more give them the most energy. I've learned from their experiments but as I adapt my own routine this is what I've learned — what works for them, might not work for me! So, I have to do my own! Here are some steps to creating your own routine experiments.
STEP 1: IDENTIFY. Determine what routines you think you need to examine and create some experimental scenarios.
Is it your morning routine, what you're eating, lunch routine, evening routine — what is it? Then, go ahead and write down several “experiments” you think you need to do. You can see my five “experiments” for my morning routine.
STEP 2: EVALUATE. Determine ahead of time how you will evaluate success.
I will evaluate success in several ways — all starting with P. These are mine — you know what you want to do, so write your own.
How I will evaluate success:
- Presence of God and Abiding in Him — Do I believe my relationship with God is positively or negatively impacted? (Based off John 15)
- Physical Impact — Weight, mood, hunger
- Productivity — Do I believe I was more or less productive as a result of this routine or can I tell?
- Purposeful Day – Did I have a day full of purpose or did I meander?
- Peace of Mind — How is my peace of mind today? Did I feel scattered or focused?
- Position — What momentum am I build towards or away from my goals?
Step 3: Do it and Log it
I'm using a yellow notebook to log my routine this morning and also noting interruptions or other issues as well. Today won't be my typical routine because I've got physical therapy this morning at 8 am. I do plan to move to a small moleskin so I can have other productivity experiments.
Step 4: Stick with it
It will take me 4-5 weeks to determine my ideal morning routine, I'm sure of that. While I can share my results with you, the results will be unique to me.
Have you ever experimented with your routines and logged the results? What did you find?
Find What Works for You
And remember that this approach can work with many aspects of your life, not just your morning routine. I guess I'm just wondering why I'm taking all these folks recommendations on habits when most of them are nothing like me. Won't my habits as a teacher and at a certain age and stage of life be different than a young man who is 28 and is now a “habit expert?” I've got kids, a busy job as a teacher, podcast, blog, church, and so many things going. I think I'm going to have to do this for myself.
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