Occasionally we get into a rut at work, three letters from the word RoUTine. Routine can lead to boredom, which can lead to complacency, and complacency can lead to accidents.
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you're doing your job and thinking about other things, and suddenly, something happens that snaps you out of your thoughts? You're left wondering where your mind has been for the last 10 minutes, running on auto-pilot in a routine.
So how do we remain focussed? You get into rituals rather than routines.
A routine is where we are disconnected from what we are doing:
# Wake up.
# Brush our teeth.
# Have breakfast.
# Catch the bus.
# Start work.
# Coffee at 10.
# Lunch at 12... you know the drill!
A ritual is doing the same thing, but knowing the reason behind why you are doing these things; mindfulness.
I like to use the example of commercial pilots; before every flight they walk around the plane checking all of the bits are still where they should be, pushing the same buttons to ensure they still work, and checking the water, fuel, and oil. They do the same mundane checks before every flight, often many times each day. How do they maintain alertness? They 'think' about the reason why they are doing it.
So how do you change a routine into a ritual?
* Use a checklist to ensure that you don't forget anything.
* Have someone check your work as you do it.
* Use self-talk as you do your tasks by telling yourself why you are.
* Break patterns by changing the way you do your tasks.
Do you have a ritual that you like to use to keep yourself engaged and focused on your tasks?
Let's talk!
Stuck In A Rut?