We draw inspiration from the most unusual places, but exactly how does this work? We are bombarded with inspirations all the time. It is a fact that something or someone can inspire us, but when do you take the time to stop and feel it? The real question is, how do you draw inspiration from routine? Do you ever wonder why the most successful people in the world grabbed success in their life? Do you strive to know the secret behind their success? Well, we have got the answer for you. It’s none other than their “Steadfast Daily Routine,” set up by them for seeking the true essence of life.
Now the question arises, how can routine fetch success and how to draw inspiration from that routine? Not to worry, we think we’ve got it covered here with some concrete answers.
Where routine begins, and what a good routine looks like?
Heard the saying, “Early bird catches the worm?” This saying alone says everything about the role of routine in life. A well-planned routine begins from the moment of waking up early in the morning and ends with going to bed. Wait, it does not end here.
Certainly, these are the basics of a quality routine, but routine is something more. It is a broader concept that varies from person to person. Having a regular daily routine implies utilizing every second, every day in a productive way, and most importantly, in a proper order that synchronizes with time.
It is important to highlight that the routine must be in synchronization with time, i.e., the things that need to be done, as and when they are required to be done, not per the mood.
How routine is connected to physical and mental health?
Did you know that just like the clocks on our walls, our body has a clock too? This may sound strange, but it is true. According to Ayurveda and Vedic Science, our body has a biological clock within, which goes along with nature’s clock. It is most crucial to keep the biological clock in harmony with nature’s timing.
If we disturb the synchronization, the brain gets confused, and eventually, we receive signals from our body in the form of disease and illness. This is why it becomes more essential to set up a routine and follow it genuinely. Besides having physical benefits in the form of fitness, routine can also bring serene mental health in the form of peace, calmness, and self-satisfaction.
When one wakes up early, goes to a workout, meditates, has meals on time, spends the day working, goes to bed on time, it leads to a smooth life, both in terms of physical and mental health, compared to someone who starts the day by waking up at 10 a.m. and has sleepless nights.
This is why, from our earliest schooling, we’ve heard the good habit of “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
Role of routine in building basic qualities of life
“Well planned is half done.” A well-planned routine makes room for all the things to be done in time. The person with a routine can easily finish up all the work to be done during the day in the given time without having to compromise on any of the work.
It’s easy to see how organized life seems when we start living according to a firm routine that we’ve set for ourselves. People struggle so hard to achieve an organized life and complain about the chaos in their life. But they fail to understand that having organized life is hidden in having a regular daily routine itself. When you have your routine planned, it is like giving yourself instructions beforehand. No constant need for planning, no confusion, no mess, no obstacles, no shortage of time, can spoil your day and the work to be accomplished. You get a clear picture of your pending work, new duties, and other things to be fulfilled — and you simply start working on them with great efficiency.
And routine saves time. Time is one of the most valuable assets in life doesn’t wait for anyone, but it can be saved with the help of routine, eliminating the time that would otherwise be wasted in planning, preparing, decision making. You achieve a structured and disciplined lifestyle.
As an artist, you need to have discipline. It is not easy for an artist to draw inspiration from their routine and follow through with their daily activities. The biggest benefit of a routine is that it helps an artist develop discipline, which is crucial for an artist to become successful. With discipline, you can improve how you handle your time and focus on what you need to do. You can more easily eliminate distractions or things that are going on around us.
As a gallery owner, you need to gain experience and run your business. It can be hard to run a business without a routine. You feel like you are in a constant state of overload and may even be coming up with excuses and feel like you have no time left to even take care of yourself. When you draw inspiration from routine, it gives you structure and accountability for your daily activities. You will have less trouble focusing on your schedule, which will lead to more time for you. As you will be able to take care of yourself, it becomes easier to focus more on your gallery.
It can be hard for an art dealer to take time off from work for a day. An art dealer’s only time is when they are at home or away from their gallery, so an art dealer needs to draw inspiration from their routine. Even if they are too tired or think that they are too busy, a routine will help them gain discipline and become more effective in their business. They will also know exactly what their next steps are, which will help their business move forward.
A person becomes more proficient with a routine in their life because they cultivate the habit of regularly doing things. In this way, you become a master of skills done on a regular basis. Routine helps you classify your jobs as more important, less important, and medium-important tasks.
Eventually, you can prioritize the tasks and work on them accordingly.
Routine also reduces the struggle to maintain constant determination. We don’t need daily determination to bathe, wash our face or brush our teeth, right? That’s because it is a regular daily routine for us. Likewise, when you have a routine you escape the need to seek a source of determination and motivation. It simply goes with the flow. Along with this smooth flow comes self-confidence, which becomes the fuel to gear up and maintain the routine with stability.
We can choose to use our routine as an inspiration, but no one truly wants to copy their routine exactly, nor does one want to become like everyone else. The great thing about routines is that they allow you to do the same thing every day. But if we are to take inspiration from routine, we can work with it and change it up. Examples of how you can work with a routine to create something inspired:
- What were you dreaming about while sleeping? Take inspiration from sleeping and draw an artwork about your dreams or about sleeping — or even what you do as part of your routine before you sleep. This may include listening to a relaxing song or reading a book before falling asleep.
- There’s nothing wrong with taking inspiration from a routine as long as it is something that you would do anyway. Don’t be afraid to switch up your routines for a while and see what works best for you. You might give this a test by taking an hour or two every Monday for a month to work on any artwork that comes to your imagination, without worrying about making money or selling the piece. See which of those Mondays you are most inspired by.
Role of routine in cultivating hobbies
When we speak about following a daily routine, most people get the picture of a busy life, with no time for leisure. But routines don’t work that way. Instead, they reward us with more free time. When completing our routine on time, we have the rest of the time left to do things that we love, like our hobbies and other leisure activities. This brings a sense of joy as we are able to do more of the things we want in life. It is also possible that a routine can lead us toward a more stress-free life.
On a broader vision, a stable routine helps a person set goals, work towards them, achieve success, and keep a track of the success. By following a stable routine, a person can achieve basic qualities in life like punctuality, consistency, discipline, time management ability, health consciousness, better mental health, and so on, all of which are the foundation for success in the world.
To Conclude
Routine plays a magnificent role, from achieving physical health and mental health to basic qualities in life and achieving success in life. It is a medicine for most of the problems in life, be it health-related, career-related, or personal expectations. It’s the reason why health experts, monks, counselors, education providers, and almost everyone suggest the benefits of having a regular balanced routine. It may seem boring and rigid to beginners but as you start following it sincerely, it can become a source for happiness and self-satisfaction.
Routines differ from person to person on the basis of their requirements and goals. Each one of us should build our own routine. After knowing the enormous benefits you can reap from a routine, there is no place for second thoughts. Get your routines planned and set up so you can be on the road to finding a more contented, successful life.
About the Author:
Jack Lee is a journalism student at the University of Toronto and a freelance writer from ThesisHelpers.com. He is interested in a healthy lifestyle and engaging in outdoor activities, but most of the time it won’t be the case – you’ll probably find him on the couch, watching another episode of The Big Bang Theory.