Why structure creates freedom
It sounds backwards, but it isn't.
How do you feel about structure and defined routines? Do you think that adding more structure to your life will make you feel constrained? Do you picture schedules and routines replacing spontaneity and flexibility? Feel like you’d be giving up your freedom?
The truth is the opposite. Structure results in more freedom, not less. Structure means having a plan for what happens, when it happens, and how you do things.
Knowing when you are working and when you are not allows you the freedom to fully enjoy your free time without guilt. Structure reduces stress and confusion because you know what to do and when to do it. It increases efficiency, helping you get more done in less time, which creates time freedom. Over time, structure also drives success, which supports financial freedom.
The purpose of structure isn't to schedule every minute of your life. It's to eliminate the recurring decisions that don't deserve your time and attention. Then, when something unexpected happens – or an opportunity comes along – you have the flexibility and mental energy to handle it well.
Every recurring decision should eventually become a decision you make only once. Think about how many recurring decisions you make every day:
What time should I go to bed and get up?
Should I exercise today?
What should I eat for lunch?
Should I check my email now?
What should I work on next?
When should I start and stop working for the day?
None of those decisions are particularly difficult. But together they consume a surprising amount of time and mental energy. You end up with what’s known as “Decision Fatigue”, making each additional decision harder. And because you're making them in the moment, they're often influenced by convenience, distractions, or how you happen to feel at that time.
Now imagine that you've already made all of those decisions.
You have a morning routine you enjoy. You know what your work hours are. You've decided when you'll exercise. You know when your workday ends, and you have an evening routine that prepares you for tomorrow.
Instead of negotiating with yourself throughout the day, you simply follow the plan you already created.
Over the next several days, I'd like to share a few of the ideas from our new course, Winning Every Day: Routines and Habits for Success. My hope is that each blog gives you at least one practical idea you can put to use, whether or not you decide to take the course.
- Paul
