Source: medcrunch.net
We have a lot of implanted daily routines that we consciously or unconsciously do at a certain time like brushing teeth immediately when we wake up, drinking a tea or a coffee when we get to work, or going to the bathroom before going to bed. This does not only free up our mind and conserves a lot of mental energy from having to always decide when we should do them, but it also creates for us opportunities to think about solving our problems, coming up with creative ideas, or reflecting about our actions. Yet there are other things that we need to do them repeatedly that we simply do not do them at a consistent time, because we do not have the resolve to set a fixed schedule about them.Some of these activities might be:
- Writing a formal report for the accomplishments that you have achieved at your work five minutes before you leave the office
- Learn a new technology on Monday and Thursday after work
- Reading the news after you have finished the most important task of the day
- Starting your day with a specific plan about the results that you are after
There are other examples as well, but the purpose of this article is not to mention you every possible activity that can be turned into an autopilot type of behavior, but to introduce, or better said, inform you about the potential benefit that this simple approach can have.
Setting a time for those types of activities can yield with desirable outcomes that we can simply be aware of after we have already been autopiloting them for a few weeks. However, we can mention here a few benefits that one might get when he starts to routinely perform certain tasks at a fixed time, without having to always think about the time it needs to get done. It is quite possible to assume that we will have less stress, which will bring more freedom and more time to engage in other things that matter, whether that is working on a side project, staying with your family, or going for a walk.
