My For You Page always has an assortment of routine content. Videos depicting routines may be titled different things, such as “My 5-9 Before My 9-5,” “Get Un-Ready with Me After Class” or simply the classic “My Morning Routine.” No matter the title, each video has the same general premise of a content creator showing his or her personal routine. I am both intrigued and inspired by this content; these videos give me ideas for habits I can implement in my own life or ways that I can improve my day.
The problem is that I have never been good at sticking to a morning routine or a night routine. I have written out lists of everything I want to do before class and everything I want to accomplish before bed. However, after a few days, I struggle to maintain the rhythm of the routine. I might get the steps out of order or forget a step altogether. Ultimately, I end up creating a new routine because I didn’t like the original one, which ultimately fails like its predecessor. This process repeats, which becomes discouraging when I see that some content creators are running five miles, making a farm-fresh breakfast and writing the next great American novel before their work- or school-related responsibilities. Thankfully, I have recently discovered a routine alternative that has drastically changed my mindset: a spinning wheel.
First, let’s chat about how to use a spinning wheel. There are lots of spinning wheel apps and websites that allow you to enter in a set of tasks; simply Google “spinning wheel picker” and see what comes up. Once you have included all your chosen information, you simply click a button that will spin the wheel and select a task. Once a task has been chosen, you can remove it from the wheel and spin it again. This process continues until no tasks remain. I have made a spinning wheel for my morning routine and my night routine on an app I downloaded. I also create a spinning wheel every morning for whatever school tasks I have that day. For instance, today my wheel listed activities like “Watch analytics lecture” and “Read textbook chapters 1-2.” Spinning the wheel takes the guesswork out about what to do next and keeps me on-the-go until everything is done.
Second, let’s unpack why a spinning wheel is so helpful. While I am confident in my time-management skills, I sometimes overestimate how long a task will take. This is very evident when I am designing a routine. For instance, I might set aside 20 minutes for making and eating breakfast when I only need 15. Though five minutes seems like an insignificant difference, these unnecessary minutes can add up quickly and lead to lots of wasted time. When I simply spin the wheel, I promptly do the selected task and then spin again.
This dramatically cuts down on the time that it takes me to get ready. For example, I used to set aside an hour for my morning routine. Now, those same activities take me just 30 minutes because I am not overestimating the time for any tasks. With the time you save, you can either add more to your routine or have some extra time for yourself.
Lastly, let’s walk through knowing what to add to your wheel. When I first began this little experiment, I listed everything that I always did in the mornings. No matter what day of the week it is, I always brush my teeth, wash my face, get dressed, and feed my pets. These were the first items that I added to my wheel. Then, I started to think about things that I wanted to begin doing in the mornings with the time that I saved by using the wheel. I added activities like morning journaling, doing devotions, and eating breakfast (I haven’t always been the best breakfast eater in the world, but I am trying to get better at that.)
When thinking through your own wheel, write out a list of things that you already do every morning and a list of things that you would like to add into your morning. Repeat this process for any routine you are trying to implement, such as your night routine, your after-class routine, or your post-soccer practice routine. Then, create a wheel for each. Feel free to even create wheels for separate days. For instance, if you have a different routine on Monday, Wednesday and Friday than on Tuesday and Thursday due to classes, consider creating two different wheels that will accommodate each schedule.
The spinning wheel might seem like an odd routine alternative. After all, the last time that you spun a wheel was probably playing “The Game of Life” at a fourth-grade sleepover. However, I have always enjoyed trying out-of-the-ordinary productivity tips. (For instance, the trick where you play Mario Kart music when writing really does make me write faster.) Therefore, when the idea of using a spinning wheel popped into my head, it seemed just unusual enough to improve my day. Since swapping my shaky routines for a spinning wheel, I have become much more productive.
The wheel has decreased the time I spend overthinking because there is no guesswork. I also enjoy the wheel’s ability to maintain a feeling of spontaneity. I have found that doing the same things in the same order every day can be boring. Incorporating a spinning wheel into your routine maintains a slight surprise, which you might find makes your day a little more interesting. If you have fallen into a routine rut, try creating a quick wheel and taking it for a spin – literally.