This is my Weekly Review checklist to help me focus on content, not form.
My morning routine begins the night before. I lay my robe across the end of the bed, turn my slippers around, facing away from the bed and place my iPhone in the doc with a low-light clock app running. The alarm is set for 5:00, ready to wake me to The Choir of Christ’s Church Cathedral’s rendition of Psalm 23
If it sounds like I am a creature of habit, it is because I am. I have learned the best way for me to accomplish something is to turn it into a routine. Once the routine is engrained, the habit is easier to maintain and improve. By profession, I am a process analyst. My job is to watch how tasks are done and find ways to improve them, saving everyone time and money, while improving quality. On the mornings I ride the bus to work, I observe many people who have their personal routines. Some read, some play games, others sleep while others watch a TV show on their iPod. I notice they rarely vary from their routine.
Why do we gravitate to personal routines, or processes? I don’t pretend to know all the reasons, but I believe some of the answers include:
- Greater certainty in a repeatable outcome.
- Comfort in habit.
- Ability to focus on the content instead of the form.
One of the first principles taught in process management is there is quality in process. As we repeat a task in an exact pattern, the results become more predictable. I observed this in action last week in my friend’s company. They are very careful to do everything exactly the same way. Intel lays out every new fabrication plant identically – upon entering the building, it is impossible to tell whether you are in Beaverton or Taiwan. It doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. In fact, the argument is a process cannot be improved until it is first standardized. Otherwise, it is impossible to tell if the change actually has a positive or negative difference in results. Personal processes can be created so as to provide predictable results. Because my morning routine is laid out so carefully, I find it easier to get out of bed and get started. I am well into the routine before I wake up enough to think about doing otherwise.
Humans are creatures of habit. We will follow our habits, even if the habit is destructive. Once the habit is engrained, changing is extremely uncomfortable and difficult. Ask anyone who has tried to quit smoking or overeating. I often find myself staring into the depths of the refrigerator minutes after pushing back form the dinner table, not because I’m hungry, but because it is a habit. Just walking through the motions of a habit can reduce stress and anxiety.
By forming a habit, we provide our brains the opportunity to focus on other aspects of the task, For example, when I first started playing French horn again, I tried playing some of the songs I used to play. It was horrible. I had forgotten many of the basics, such as how to breath, what finger combinations produced which notes and other basics. I couldn’t even begin to concentrate on making the music sound good. I have had to start over with the basics so I can eventually concentrate on the music. It will happen just as soon as the habits take over the mechanics.
Want to build a new personal process? Start by making a checklist of the process. Leading through each step, a routine will be built and the process will become a habit. A good example is doing a weekly review. I have struggled with them over the years. Since creating the checklist (pictured above), it has become easier and I am slowly building that habit. Having the process detailed in advance helps make sure undesired steps don’t creep in. That is how I came to put the robe at the bottom of the bed. When I had to go find it in the closet, I found something else would distract me and I would lose focus and not get started. Having the robe in place sends me down the stairs and immediately to the rest of the process. Using the countdown timer helps me, too. It makes sure I don’t spend too little or too much time on a task. I look for little tricks to help keep me in the process and not wandering off into undesired practices.
Take a look at the goals you created for the new year. Are any struggling to gain traction? Build a process around them designed to lead you through the motions. Write it out and follow it. Soon the goal will be well on its way to accomplishment. Share some of your personal processes. How to you use habits to your advantage?
