Prior to March 2020, I traveled for both career and fun routinely. For years prior to March 2020, I estimate that I attended a training, conference or traveled for fun about every 6 weeks or so.

When the pandemic landed, our family made the decision that we would stick to our little bubble and not travel. Through that experience, we became intentional about our routine to make sure that we could accomplish all that we wanted in the pillars of our life.

And it worked! It still works. Kristen and I get up before the girls wake up and do a virtual workout, we eat breakfast together as a family eating the same things, have meetings with our real estate team at the same time to start the work day… etc., etc.

It has kept us grounded, connected and focused on achieving what we want. There’s little to no disruption because we haven’t gone anywhere or had a reason to disrupt something that seems to work well.

Until this week. I got on a plane for the first time in over a year and have spent this week in a training. Which also means that the routine that I’ve had for over a year had to change. It’s an opportunity to develop new routines. I realized that I needed to consider not only what I am going to do, but why I want to do something and the results I expect to achieve. I asked these questions about my routine:

Routine Question #1: For what purpose?

This is the “why” question. Essentially, why have I been doing the things in my routine? Sure, it’s easy to say “I do morning virtual workouts because I want to be in good shape.” Go deeper. Why that brand workout, at that time? Get specific. The workouts I do at home help to maintain my fitness, give my muscles some resistance and get me moving. And, also helps create a sense of accomplishment early in the day and I have fun doing them. Ask this question of all your key routines.

Routine Question #2: What will fulfill the purpose?

Once you know the purpose of you doing something, you can begin to choose what. Knowing the purpose will give you confirmation that your routine is serving you and can also shed light on other options that might also work well. You’ll have greater confidence and conviction in what you’re doing when you know that it serves a purpose. This week, I am running along the marina and the pier. It fulfills my purpose of getting moving and accomplishment in the morning. Plus, running along the water with the salt air coming off the bay is a fun change up for me.

Routine Question #3: How will you know it’s working?

Once you decide on what to do, it’s important to be able to know that it’s actually giving you what you want. “How will you know” causes you to look into the future for an outcome. It helps rein in your intentions. How will I know that my running along the water each morning achieves the purpose of getting moving, accomplishment and fun? The fact that I feel good about doing it daily checks the “accomplishment” box ✅, my body feels good after the runs as the result of the movement (✅ “movement” box) and it’s fun to experience running near the water as a change of pace (fun ✅). Plus, momentum can begin to build here, too. When you know that what you’re doing is working for you, you want to do more of it.

Shake up your routines. Examine what you do, why do it and how you know it’s working for you! Create more variety or simply more confidence that what you’re doing is right for you. And, you don’t have to get on a plane… unless you want to!