Routine is a good thing, right? For many of us who start home businesses, it takes us a while to establish a routine and get into a groove—once we do, we feel like we are finally making headway. Then, how and why could routine ever be a bad thing? Well, if your well-organized routine is keeping you from making progress, taking chances, or trying new things in your home business than it may have outlasted its usefulness.
Of course, I am not advocating throwing out the baby with the bathwater here. I know that I really do NEED a certain level of routine in order to stay productive and not feel too ungrounded in my work. For me, having my own business seems to lend itself to the occasional free-floating feeling, so if I do certain tasks and routines, I can get myself settled down and stay productive. BUT, if I cling too tightly to the routines and what I have been doing for a while, I can get in a rut and stop making progress or reaching out to generate new business. Not to mention, my ideas become stale and I am not getting the inspiration I need to keep things fresh.
So, yes, getting a bit of a routine going is a very good thing, being able to organize your day and your work life amidst all the other things you have going on at your home is also a good thing—but too much routine and structure can pinch your process and your creativity. It helps to try to shake things up periodically and change around the way you do things so that you don’t get stuck in a rut and feel uninspired or your business doesn’t stop growing. Remind yourself that change is good and that you need some new perspective in order to keep things moving!
Also: Are There Things You Haven’t Tried Yet?