Been thinking about this a lot lately in relation to work. When I do certain things before I go out and work each day I have a much more productive day. I have been coaching a youth hockey team for the last 3 years and I have noticed when players have a certain routine that they do before each game they are much more consistent than ‘non pregame routine’ players. When I was playing hockey competitively I had a few quirks before each game I played. I always put my left skate on first, tied it, then right skate, tied it, then left shin pad, then right, same order with my elbow pads. I did the exact same stretch before every game, I still do the same one when I play now. I used to have a few other things I did and I at one point had to drop them because if I messed up the routine at all I would feel off when the game started. I made it a focus to not have anything superstitious because it was too easy to get disrupted mentally if I messed anything up.

Professional Athlete Routines

So in thinking about this my idea is to do the same thing in relation to work each day. Having a few things to do before each work day to make sure you start the day off right. I used to have a very strict morning regiment.

  • 5:00-5:10 Prayer/Meditation
  • 5:10-5:40 Read Spiritual Texts
  • 5;40-6:00 Shower
  • 6:00-6:15 Get dressed- smelling good.
  • 6:15-7:00 Reading a self help or business book.
  • 7:00-7:30 Read current business periodicals- Mags and such.
  • 7:30-8:00 Review plans for the day-Start working

This routine got absolutely destroyed when I met my wife and we were hanging out late every night. I look at it now and it was good, I learned a lot, but it was also so tedious and robotic. I think about keeping something like this with young kids and it would be almost impossible to make it a week with that specific of a routine. This routine did form the habit for me now that I do certain things every morning. Pray, read-spiritual and business, and either get some hockey in or another kind of workout. Getting up early and doing something physical makes a huge difference for me. Having a young son now, I don’t adhere to anything nearly as structured, but I do have those certain things I do every single day.

Professional Athletes Routines

I did a few quick Google searches and found these articles on athletes routines:

I am thinking about a new routine/mechanism to make sure I start off each work day with guns blazing. I would love to hear what you do, especially if you have a specific thing you do every day, before any certain event, or if you had/have your own sports related pregame routine.