How to Change a Routine That Isn’t Working

For a long time, many experts said it takes 21 days to change a habit.

Now more than ever, that number is up for debate. That’s because everyone is different and everyone takes different steps to change a habit.

With that in mind, it takes even longer to change a routine that isn’t working. After all, we’re not talking about building a habit of making a bed every morning—we’re talking about rewiring your entire routine.

It’s not easy to change something you have been doing so long that it has become a routine. However, you can do exactly that by following the tips below, whether you work in Preventative Oral Hygiene Services or are a work-from-home writer.

Don’t just look at your work tasksanalyze your entertainment

A big problem with creating schedules and trying to build a new routine is this: Many people only include their work tasks. They also don’t leave enough time to jump from one task to the next. While there are many reasons why people give up on their goals, this could be why people push off their hobbies, passions, and entertainment—because they don’t make time for those things.

Your routine might incorporate every work task, from meetings to actual work, but you might not be leaving enough time to do the things you love, or time to simply relax and refresh. If that’s the case, then most of your day consists of work, which can lead to burnout and a bad work-life balance.

Does your routine consist of any form of entertainment, from watching TV, to reading books, to spending time with friends and family members? If not, then this could be a reason why your routine isn’t working. It’s not fulfilling and only consists of work.

Figure out what you want to do

While remote workers tend to have more flexibility than people who work in an office, your routine will never work if you don’t do things you actually want to do throughout the day. Yes, there are certain priorities and deadlines you have to meet, but the order of them could be up to you, not to mention what you do between those times.

If you hate your job, then you’ll probably hate your routine as well. Figure out what you want to do and how you want to spend your days. Until you do that, and make a plan to achieve it, you will constantly try to change your routine because you won’t be solving the root problem.

Ask yourself what isn’t working

This is one of the best ways to determine why your routine isn’t working. Where are you slipping up?

Maybe you’re being too ambitious. For example, you might schedule a workout session and writing before you even go to work, and instead of waking up to your alarm clock and getting to those things … you’re hitting the snooze button over and over again. We encourage you to be ambitious, but you also have to be realistic.

Really look at your day and see where your schedule isn’t working and then make changes to reflect that.

Eliminate things you don’t have to do

Having unnecessary tasks might seem like you’re working harder, but it’s actually leading to you wasting time, time that can be spent on things that are important.

This elimination process can involve a wide range of things, such as not checking your social media first thing in the morning all the way to combining email blasts into one big email as opposed to sending the same email to multiple teams.

If something isn’t necessary, then run the numbers and cut it out of your life (of course, you might have to check with your boss if you work for an employer, but he or she should understand if you show him or her numbers on why something isn’t working).

How is your atmosphere?

If your atmosphere is off, then the best routine in the world might not matter.

For example, if you’re constantly working from home, then a change of scenery might do you some good. Get out and explore Henry County, Georgia, work at coffee shops, move around to different parts of the office—change up your atmosphere to keep things fresh.

It’s not easy to change your routine, for it’s something you’ve been doing long enough to become an actual routine. However, we hope the tips above can help you do just that.