The importance of routines
I pride myself in being organized and having a really-well scheduled life. One element that really helps me stay organized is having developed routines for everything. For example, when I get to my office at The Network Hub I follow the same routine every day (some steps may be skipped depending on whether someone already prepared the coffee).
1. Hang my coat, sweater, scarf, stow my umbrella.
2. Approach Monique (our coffee maker) and check whether there’s coffee made. If not, wash coffee pot and start a new fresh pot of coffee.
3. Arrive to my desk, unload laptop, cables, adapter, earphones, wireless mouse, cooling mat.
4. Plug everything to whatever needs to be plugged (laptop cord to power outlet, wireless mouse USB end to laptop, cooling mat to USB end, etc.) – start laptop.
5. Secure my laptop with the key chain.
6. As the coffee brews, go fill my stainless steel water bottle. If coffee is ready, bring a cup of freshly brewed caffeine to my desk (along with water bottle already full).
7. Log in to my account – say hi all around to my fellow entrepreneurs.
8. Start TweetDeck, various emails, etc. Check my @ replies, urgent emails, To-Do task list.
9. Check my Inbox (the physical one, on my desk) – add items as needed.
10. Quickly read one academic article – starts my juices.
11. Review my daily plan and prioritize items.
12. Get to work.
Do you have a routine when you get to work?
Related posts:
- Create a new habit in 21 days through routines
- Coffee shop review – Esquires Coffee
- Coffee shop review – Lugz (Main St and Broadway)
- It’s all about the equipment – installment # 6
- Caffeine crazed – The tradition of working at coffee shops
I do:
I set down my bag containing breakfast, lunch and newspapaer.
I sit down, turn on my computer and view emails.
I get a spoon from the kitchen to eat my yogurt, fruit and oats, and drink a glass of water.
Then I read blogs (like yours)
Check Covenant House Facebook page
Read newspaper.
Map out the day.
I am a routine freak. I get comfort from it.
I would NOT describe myself as an organized person, at all. (Just ask Lucy! LOL)
I don’t have much of a routine… since I work at home and my computer stays on I basically have a shower, grab a bowl of cereal and sit down at my desk. (That of course all happens once I get my girls out the door with their nanny.)
Then I check email, Tweetdeck, Facebook etc and try to not get completely distracted. If I ever get off of those, I try to do real work. LOL