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Do you ever notice that it gets harder to make decisions toward the end of the day?

You’re too tired to figure out what to have for dinner or do you find yourself getting snippy with the family?

That’s because we all have a finite amount of decisions that we can make on any given day.

I was surprised to learn that there is really such a thing as “decision fatigue.” Seriously.

Eliminate some decision-making by creating daily routines and habits. That way you save your energy for the important decisions in life. It also frees brain space for more creative and productive thinking. Daily routines are a great tool that simplifies our lives and reduces stress.

Make a Decision

In Gretchen Rubin’s book, Better Than Before, she says “Our habits shape our existence and our future. What we do every day matters more than what we do once in a while.” Right now matters. She says, “the habit of the habit is more important than the habit itself.”

Habits are formed by first making a decision to start or to stop doing something. But before something becomes a habit or a routine, it takes willpower to make things happen. That’s the energy you’ll need for other things throughout your busy day.

Yes, it will take some willpower, mental energy, and drive first to create new habits. But once they are set, it will become automatic like brushing your teeth before bed. I never used to make my bed in the mornings. Now it’s the first thing I do after breakfast!

Only after repeating the behavior many times over and over again, does it become a routine or habit. With them, your self-control is conserved because you’ve already made the decision and you can now do it effortlessly. Without even thinking about it!

Execute Your Change

Implement daily routines in your life wherever possible to simplify things. You will feel more in control of your day and experience less stress and anxiety. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Make your bed after you get up.
• Create a “uniform” for yourself, you don’t even have to think about what to wear. You just grab a pair of pants or skirt, a shirt, and a sweater or jacket, and off you go.
• Know what must be done daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually. Create a schedule and mark your calendar.
• Meal planning helps you figure out what meals to fix and eat.
• Create a cleaning schedule. This makes sure your household chores get done without having to use any valuable decision-making skills in the process.
• Make sure the kids’ school things are in order the night before.
• Make sure the kitchen is clean before going to bed.

Plan Out Your Daily Routines

Sit down with a pen and piece of paper and think about what parts of your day and week you can turn into routines. Write down and create daily to-do lists for yourself until you’ve established these new habits and routines.

Spending a little bit of time creating daily routines and habits will make things run a lot smoother and actually save you more time in the end. You might just find yourself less stressed and get more done during your productive hours. And that’s a beautiful thing. It allows you to save plenty of decision-making power for the more important stuff in life and business.

Habits may not show you results right away. They add up over time. Small improvements each day make a big difference over time. The greatest returns are delayed, like compound interest. Results are a measure of your habits.

Commit to Your New Daily Routines

Once you come up with your new daily routines, stick to them for a few weeks. That’s the best way to turn it into a strong habit.

Before long, it will feel like your new normal and you no longer have to remind yourself to do each thing along the way. Doesn’t that sound nice?!

It will have become a habit and a routine you’ll follow automatically. It will take less effort and mental pep-talk to get things done… even if your new daily routine includes a 30-minute run or getting up at the crack of dawn to work on your new project for an hour. We don’t have control over luck, but we do have control over our habits.

Create A New Morning Routine

Mornings have always been tough for me because I’m not a morning person. But I truly believe that if you win your morning, you’ll win your day.

So, I’ve created a Make Over Your Morning Email Challenge to help make my mornings easier. If you’d like to join me in creating a new morning routine, just complete the form below. You’ll receive one email per week for 8 weeks with tips and exercises to help you create a better morning routine.

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