Don’t go out for drinks when you need to get up in the morning to run. But you’ll need to stay on the lookout for distractions that could bring you down. That’s why you start small: The idea is to train your brain to enjoy good habits, not shock it into submission, only to retreat to bad habits after a few weeks. Making a daily routine – and building any healthy habit – is all about staying consistent, no matter what. Get up an hour earlier – even on the weekends. Once you’ve done those two things consistently for a week, go bigger. If you’re usually a night owl, don’t make your first goal getting up at 4am. If you’ve never been to the gym, don’t start with two hours of strength training.

Pick two daily routine examples and turn them into attainable daily goals. Want to be fully present with your family? Your daily routine can ease stress so you can be the best version of yourself with them. Want to build a career that will give you financial freedom? Your daily routine will give you more energy to go after that promotion. How do you do that? Connect making a daily routine to your ultimate purpose and goals in life. You must demand it of yourself because you know it will benefit you. Thinking that you “should” make a daily routine isn’t good enough. Surely you can dedicate 0.5 % of your life to making a daily routine that will lead to health, achievement and fulfillment.

If that feels like a long time, think of it this way: It’s only 0.5 % of the average American lifespan. Creating habits that last can take up to 18 weeks.

Routine daily habits