This blog post shares the reasons you must have a daily routine checklist.
Even though I have a daily routine that I adhere to, I am always writing out a daily routine checklist. Each day is unique its own way, so they warrant a specific checklist of their own to take those differences into consideration.
Here are the top five reasons it’s a must to make a daily routine checklist every single day:
1. It gives you a sense of accomplishment throughout the day.
There’s nothing more satisfying than checking off an item on your to-do list! It gives you a good visual of how you are progressing through your day and will give you the motivation to keep going.
2. It gives you the flexibility to change.
When you created your daily routine, you were probably dreaming of ideal days that went smoothly and according to plan… but we all know that sometimes days are just rough. That spin class you planned on going to? You can simply remove it from your checklist after your boss has asked you to stay late at work to finish a project. This allows us to practice acceptance that not every single day is going to be perfect and it’s perfectly okay.
3. It’s the best way to keep up with your daily routine.
If you love creating routines but struggle to follow them, this daily practice of writing a checklist will be super helpful to you. It can help you decide if you even like the routine you’ve created for yourself! Finding the right routine that works for you is half the battle.
4. You can reference it when you get off track.
This happens to me all the time — I’ll finish a task then get distracted on my phone or by watching an episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Luckily, I can just swipe back to my Notes app to see what is next on the list and get on with it.
5. You can share it with others.
Maybe it’s the weekend and you’re going to be spending the whole day with your spouse. Why not create your daily routine checklist and share it with them? That way they’re aware of the individual things you need to do and also the things you’re planning on doing together. Sharing your list with others is also a great way to be held accountable for the things you need to do!
Paper Vs. Phone?
So how should you write out your daily routine checklist? On a piece of paper or on your phone? That’s entirely up to you. If the action of making a check with a pen or pencil would be the most satisfying to you, consider carrying a little notebook solely for your daily to-do lists around. While I like to write out work tasks in my physical agenda, I write out my daily routine checklist in my Notes app on my iPhone. It’s simple, effective and easy to keep up with. If you don’t particularly like the built-in notes app on your phone, you could try other platforms. Evernote is great, and while I’ve personally never tried it, I know a lot of people love Notion, too.
How To Create Your Own
Here’s how I create my daily routine checklist and how you can, too!
I typically like to write my checklist out at night for the following day. This helps me relax for bed and prepares me for the day ahead in a nice, organized manner.
First, I start by looking at my current daily routine. (Visit my blog post “Building A Routine | The 5 Best Steps For Success” to see how to create your very own routine if you haven’t already done so.) After I’ve followed my daily routine for a while, I have it memorized and don’t even need to reference it, but it’s good to have handy anyway. Here’s what it looks like this month:
Now here’s what my schedule for today looks like:
Today is actually not a typical day since I have a hair appointment! My hair dresser is about a 45-minute drive from my house and I’ve been craving a change of workspace. When I was writing out my daily routine checklist last night, I decided to switch it up. As reflected in my daily routine checklist, I left home early to go work in a coffee shop closer to my hair dresser instead of going for my morning walk. No two days are the same! 😊
How do you like to write out your daily routine checklists? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
This blog post was all about having a daily routine checklist.
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