The Power of Routine
Sometimes people ask me what my success secrets are for being an overachiever who is such a prolific writer and content creator. They want to know how I’m able to do so many different things.
I always tell them that it’s just a simple matter of self-discipline with a schedule. Yup. Just simply schedule your days, and you’re going to be a lot more successful. And guess what? Schedule is just another word for routine. Have a routine that can become a habit, and you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish within one short year, or maybe even one short season…
You see, our brain likes patterns. And because our brain likes patterns, it encourages us to have models of human behavior or routines, whether we know it or not. I mean, think about this for a minute. We all have morning routines. Whether we realize it or not, we all get up pretty much at the same time most days. Then we do the same thing almost every day after we get out of bed. Maybe we go straight to the bathroom. Pehaps the refrigerator. Maybe the coffee pot. Perhaps we roll out of bed and get changed. Maybe we put on our right sock every morning before out left sock. Or vice versa.
The point here that I’m making is that we all have a routine, whether we know it or not. Habits and patterns are what our super-computer brains like. So why not help our super-computer brains along some by establishing routines in our authorpreneurship lifestyle?
If we self-publishing indie authors really want to up our game to becoming the real deal as an authorpreneur, then we need to tap into the magic of routines. Routines or productive patterns give our super-computer brain more of what it wants. When we create these fertile conditions for our work output, our ability to create and do amazing things will soar. And then people will be asking us for interviews on our secrets to success too.
So let’s create patterns or routines. Let’s schedule our days to fall within the human behavioral patterns. Our brain likes this scheduling thing, so let’s start it immediately every morning.
Set your alarm clock and get up at the same time every day, whether you’re working your day job or not. Next, make sure the first thing you do after waking up is the same every day. Maybe it’s eating. Perhaps it’s going for a job. Maybe it’s just taking the dog out. The secret here is to just establish a routine first thing in the morning that you do every day, seven days a week.
This ritual of doing the same first thing every morning after getting out of bed will help you create a more productive pattern for the rest of the day, every day. Schedule everything you can every day, including family time. Go ahead and try this. You’ll be surprised over how efficient you can become and how much more you get done. Now, if you’re not the type of person who doesn’t want to schedule your entire day, then minimally, schedule the first 5 things you do every morning.
Get up early at the same time every morning while the rest of your family is still sleeping. Next, do something for your health like drinking some water and going for a quick walk or stretching. Then do something for your mind, like reading for 20-30 minutes every morning. Next, do something for your content creation, like free-writing, for 20-30 minutes. Then do something for your business like answering emails for 20-30 minutes. Next, do something else for your authorpreneurship business like marketing for 20-30 minutes. Now eat and go to your day job. Or if you have the day off, eat breakfast with your family.
Are you getting my drift of what I’m saying? Look how much you have already done before breakfast with just this simple routine. Now, imagine if you had this same self-disciplined schedule for the rest of your day too… The world is your oyster, buddy…
Next, make it easier for yourself and your audience by creating content with the same props. For example, if you’re writing a blog, use at least one of the same pictures every time. When you pull up that picture, it will just feel normal for you to be writing that particular blog. And when people see that picture, their brain circuits will fire off that they know which one of your blogs is coming up. All of our brains like patterns, and we like to know what’s coming up. It’s sort of a caveman safety thing from our old days. Something as simple as the same picture prop helps us all feel a little more at ease because it’s familiar to us.
Do the same with your videos. Record your videos in the same location and time if you can. The familiarity of the surrounding environment and the way the sun is hitting your face will put people at ease right away when they see it. This will make it easier for your audience to take in your content or message. It also helps you because you fall into a pattern of time and place for your recording. If you skip it one day or do it outside of your routine, your brain lets you know that this is a little weird, and you need to get back on schedule. That feeling helps production.
The bottom line is that you’re trying to find the routine, or maybe I should say create the routine that feels like a comfy pair of old blue jeans or sneakers. Put on that comfy routine every day and let the magic begin in it helping you be productive in your authorpreneurship business. The secret of success here is that once you’re well-established, if you break your productive patterns, your brain will tell you that something is off. It will push you to get back to the familiar. This is not being boxed in. This is how you create your own successful life the way you want it to be.
*Check out the free video lesson on this chapter!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkwyP_Wogp4&list=PL_-39bUXJitwL8cHUpiZ5mO0-JJuaPOVl&index=35
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