We are creatures of habit. Our habits are what make us. No matter how much we think that we are spontaneous, and adventurous, according to statistics, we are 80% predictable.

That is simply because we are creatures of habit. We wake up more or less at a certain time, we complete a set of routines, and we go to work in the same place (minus those who are on road visiting clients, but even this is a routine in itself) and we do more or less the same things at weekend.

My weekly routine. Monday evenings physio/massage, Tuesday evening (biweekly or monthly) attending the online Professional Speakers Association event, Wednesday I am out visiting clients in the morning and Toastmasters in the evening in Marbella, Thursdays I visit clients in Malaga and attend the Spanish Toastmasters Malaga. Friday, oh yes I try to keep it to home and family, but often end up also going out to dinner or some other “adventurous” networking event. Saturday and Sunday mornings, I love gardening in the morning and running in the afternoon.

I do not consider myself bogged down by routine, I am a wild free horse. I love living in the moment and not being bogged down by these routines. Am I contradicting myself? Well first of all these routines are what make me.

Now answer one question. What do you see in this picture?

Night time or morning?

This is my morning routine. I wake up around 4:30 to 5:00 am. Most days. I don’t use an alarm clock. I wake up when my body wakes up and I find myself turning around in bed and my mind thinking about ….!!!! That’s when I realise I am awake and that my computer has kicked into action but as I am not putting it to good use, it is running on autopilot rummaging mostly unimportant issues.

I have therefore built a routine for myself. As soon as I find myself in this state, I get out of bed. Cold, hot, or aching. I follow with some exercise or stretching, jump in the shower, make myself a cup of tea and pick up my book.

My book, newspaper, or morning reading time is my most important self and self-development time. I rarely miss it. If I miss it, I know I will feel agitated for the rest of the day. It is my dopamine, it is what kicks my brain into positive thinking and feeling.

It is my routine. I adjust it and improve it on a continuous basis, but it remains a routine. Every achiever, athlete, actor, author, or scientist I know has his or her routine. It is their success routine. My routine is not the same as their routine. I take what suits me and I make it work for me. I build my own routine and I create me, my future, my habits, my new me.

We are creatures of habit. Our habits are what make us or break us. What habits are you going to adopt?