Over the past month I’ve had to establish some routines for myself in regards to some health circumstances that are going on in my life. Don’t worry. I’m fine. It’s just that I’m getting older and have some new challenges that are forcing me to be more disciplined.

In the meantime I’ve gotten some content that helped me to think through my daily productivity and discipline. It has been so helpful to me that I thought I’d pass it along to whoever may read.

Michael Hyatt, in his Free to Focus course suggests that every person needs to do 3 things to really get on track.

1. Written goals.

2. Written routines

3. Written ideal weekly schedule.

I’ll blog later about written goals and the written ideal weekly schedule. Just know that writing down your goals, if done the right way, can greatly increase the chance that you’ll reach them. I’ll also blog about an ideal weekly schedule and how that can help you focus appropriately and give yourself space to work and think on the most important things.

What I wanted to write about today are the 4 routines that I’ve implemented due to Michael Hyatt’s suggestion to stay highly productive and on course. The four routines are these:

• Morning Routine

• Workday Startup Routine

• Workday Shut Down Routine

• Evening Routine.

I wrote down a routine (which is really a checklist) for each of the 4 times. By sticking to these routines it has helped me to take care of the daily details like planning my day, entering transactions into my budget software, keeping up with my mileage, journaling my prayers, and sticking to a daily Bible reading plan, amoung other things.

Now this may seem like overkill, but what it has done for me is helped me stay disciplined with my health, my spiritual life, my home life, my financial life, and even with work. I have been able to get a hold of things that I’ve had a hard time being consistent with in the past. It has given me space and time to think and work on the most important tasks and not just to react to my entire day. The results have been incredible.

The truth is that leading yourself is one of the most difficult things you’ll do. We need God’s help to do this. What’s also true is that often our own personal disciplines are what keep us doing the right things in terms of our relationship with God. If you want to be a good leader to others you have to lead yourself well. Personal disciplines are foundational for public leadership.

Personal foundations are foundational for public leadership.

I’m not perfect in all of this. I’m certainly still growing as a husband, father, pastor and leader, but I have found this to be really helpful.

Do you have any routines? How do they help you?