Have you ever set out to create the “perfect” daily routine, only to abandon it a few days later, feeling overwhelmed and frustrated?
You’re not alone.
I spent years trying (and failing) to create daily routines that felt good — you know, the kind I could actually stick to! For a long time, it felt like a mystery … until I realised the secret: simplicity and self-awareness.
In this post, I’m sharing five simple tips that helped me finally create simple daily routines I enjoy and actually follow through with — and I hope they’ll help you too.
Why Daily Routines Matter
Before we dive into how to create daily routines you’ll stick to, it’s important to take a step back and ask: why do routines matter in the first place?
- What purpose do daily routines serve?
- Why do we want them in our lives?
- What is the point of investing precious time and energy into them?
While the details will be different for everyone, ultimately, all routines should serve the same purpose: making space for what matters most.
This might involve spending quality time with family, learning new skills, making time for rest, keeping a tidy home, or saving for the future.
Whatever matters to YOU, a routine is a tool to ensure those priorities are accounted for every day — without needing to constantly make decisions from scratch.
Keeping this in mind is essential because it’s easy to get distracted when creating routines. After all, a quick Google search will reveal thousands of “best daily routine” suggestions. There’s so much we think we should be doing — but what are you actually trying to achieve?
When your routines reflect your true priorities (instead of someone else’s version of success), they become empowering instead of overwhelming.
5 Tips to Create Daily Routines You’ll Actually Stick To
1. Work With Your Natural Rhythms
My number one tip for creating daily routines is to work with your natural rhythms. There’s no need to do things the hard way! Instead, keep things simple by paying attention to what feels natural and easy for you.
For example, let’s say that you want to include more physical activity in your daily routine. Your first instinct might be to start going to the gym every morning. It sounds like a good idea and it works for a lot of people … but before you decide, I invite you to think about how you naturally feel throughout the day.
- What types of physical activity do you enjoy the most?
- When you work out for fun, when does it normally happen?
- Have you tried going to the gym in the morning before? And if so, how did it feel?
I know some people swear by their morning gym workouts, but personally, I’ve tried them, and they never felt good. My body tells me that I feel my best when I have a slow start to the day.
With this in mind, it doesn’t make sense for me to force myself into a 6am spin class. More than likely, I’ll never make it out the front door—and after a few days of beating myself up for not going, I’ll completely abandon the idea.
Instead, I built my routine around what feels good. Now, that looks like a midday Pilates class or a run in the evening. I follow through because I’m listening to my body, not fighting it.
Quick tip: When you work with your natural energy, routines feel supportive — not like a punishment.
2. Build In Flexibility
Strict daily routines work for some people, but for me — and for many others — flexibility is the key to consistency.
As a work-at-home mum with two young kids, my free time and energy levels are unpredictable. Plus, I crave variety. Too much structure actually unsettles me.
That’s why I intentionally build flexibility into my routines. Here’s how:
- I’m generous with my timelines. Some mornings I need to sleep in, but I don’t abandon my morning routine. I just shift it to later in the day if needed.
- I make the type of activity part of my routine (e.g., self-care after lunch) but stay flexible with what it looks like — maybe a nap, maybe journaling, maybe catching up on life admin.
Quick tip: Flexibility doesn’t mean failure—it’s what keeps your routines sustainable through real-life ups and downs.
3. Start Small (Really Small)
One of the biggest reasons why people fail to stick to their routines is that they try to do too much at once. You don’t need to start ten new habits overnight; instead, be intentional about choosing one thing to focus on at a time.
Go back to your purpose—what are you trying to achieve with your routine? Get clear and then decide on ONE small change that will help you move forward. Do that for a few weeks until it starts to feel like a natural part of your day, and then you can add something else.
Slow and steady, my friends! It works and it feels better too.
4. Reflect Often — What’s Working + What’s Not?
It’s easy to forget that your routines are there to serve YOU, not the other way around. That’s why regular reflection is so important.
Just because you decided to start a journaling habit doesn’t mean you have to do it forever. It’s completely OK to change your mind and adjust your routines when needed.
Ask yourself:
- What’s working well for me?
- What’s feeling heavy or stressful?
- Have my needs changed recently?
Sometimes, things won’t add value to your life the way you think they will, or sometimes, a routine will work for a while, but then our needs change. It’s normal, so don’t feel pressured to keep mindlessly doing something just because it’s what you’ve always done.
Quick tip: Check in with yourself and make sure that your daily routines are still working for you. If not, don’t be afraid to make changes.
5. Embrace Imperfection
Finally, the easiest way to simplify your daily routine is to embrace imperfection.
Life happens. You’ll miss a day, and you’ll get thrown off track. However, this doesn’t mean you should abandon your routines.
Every day is a fresh start, and your routines are simply tools to help you live a fuller, more intentional life — not a test you’re supposed to pass perfectly.
Quick tip: Remember that consistency is about how you show up for yourself in the long term. Learn to rest, not to give up.
Final Thoughts: Make Routines Work for You
If you take one thing away from this post, let it be this:
Daily routines are there to support you — not to control you.
When you build routines that reflect your natural rhythms, allow for flexibility, and embrace imperfection, they become something you want to stick to … not something you “should” stick to.
You deserve routines that make your life simpler, lighter, and more joyful.
Daily Routine Examples
If you’d like to hear more about my daily routines—what they look like and how I practise what I preach—check out:
- My Minimalist Daily Routine: Embracing Slow + Simple Every Day
- How to Spend Less Time Cleaning: My Minimalist Cleaning Routines
Are you a fan of daily routines? What do yours look like and how do you keep them simple? Let us know in the comments! x
Love this post! Writing down everything and planning ahead really do make wonders!
Great advice. I find starting and ending the day early on a regular basis helps one to be more alert and productive 😉
I’m so glad the first tip was to work with your natural daily rhythm. I found out a couple of years ago that I’m a morning person. Actually, super early morning person, think 5 am work time. This is when my brain is working at it’s best capacity. So I start my day with work and tasks that take the most mental power for me. I’ve become much more productive and efficient since realizing I work best in the morning.