Consistency Over Intensity: Practical Tips for Building Your Ideal Midlife Routine over 50 [Ep 36]

Is your daily or weekly routine working against you instead of for you?  This episode of Midlife Mojo provides practical tips for creating a balanced, sustainable routine that aligns with your current goals and circumstances. Lisa emphasizes the importance of long-term consistency over short-term intensity, offering actionable strategies to help women over 50 stay focused and energized. 

From identifying priorities and time-blocking to habit stacking, get step-by-step guidance for building a routine that fits into your life and supports your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. 

Episode Highlights

1. Why Routine Matters (00:00:57)  
2. Identify Priorities and Build Around Them (00:05:12)
3. Time-Blocking for Productivity (00:09:11)
4. Habit Stacking for Long-Term Success (00:11:20)
5. Consistency Over Perfection (00:13:34)

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Transcript

00:00:00] Hello. Hello and welcome back to the Midlife Mojo podcast, where we're focusing on empowering women over 50 to be fit and flourish. I'm Lisa DuPree, and I'm glad you're joining me today. In the last episode, we talked about the challenges of midlife transitions and how important it is to really find or reconnect with a sense of purpose during these times. This week, we're diving into the practical side of things, how to create a routine that really works for you. 

[00:00:28] This episode is all about giving you actionable tips to build a routine with intention so that it aligns with and supports your current goals. We'll explore how to identify your priorities, break down your day into manageable chunks and then stay consistent because I firmly believe the secret to success is consistency of purpose. 

[00:00:48] And when you prioritize long-term consistency over short term intensity. You can accomplish just about anything. 

[00:00:57] So let's start with why a balanced routine is so crucial, especially during times of transition. When everything feels up in the air. It could be a career change. It could be the kids finally leaving the nest. Or it's just adjusting to a new season. Having a routine can anchor you. It provides a sense of stability and control and this significantly reduces stress and that can improve your overall wellbeing. 

[00:01:26] When your day is structured in a way that supports your physical, emotional, and mental health, you're better equipped to handle whatever life is going to throw at you. For example, starting your day with a small routine. That could be a morning walk or a few minutes of meditation that really can set the positive tone for your entire day. And then rather than jumping from task to task, create a routine that you're able to stick to. 

[00:01:51] And this is going to help you waste less physical energy, less mental energy and less emotional energy. It really frees up this valuable bandwidth so that you can make better decisions. You save your brain power for the important choices.

[00:02:07] One way to maintain consistency is to complete daily tasks at the same time each day, for example. If you have to do a report for work every day or like doing the dishes every day. Do these tasks at the same time can help get you into your routine. 

[00:02:26] This way you can carve out enough time to finish these tasks and you don't have to worry about how you're going to fit them into your to-do list. At least for me, my to-do list grows every day. So I put the things that I feel like are important into a schedule and I do them at the same time every day. Another strategy is to remove as many variables as possible. One example is when I used to have to get up and go into the office every day and get dressed for work. I would spend a lot of time just standing in my closet, looking, What is clean? What is going to go together? 

[00:03:05] What am I doing today? So that I'm dressed appropriately and I just would feel anxious. One idea for this specific example is a paring down your wardrobe to just the essentials, like really good basics, that mix and match and make sure they all fit you. They fit you well, you feel good in them. I cannot tell you the amount of stress and low key anxiety that just went away when I did this . I spent some time to do this, it took me a couple of weekends to really get it down. And then, I found a pair of jeans that really fit me well, and I loved them. They were so comfortable. I bought four pair. I bought them in different washes, darker blue, lighter blue, black. 

[00:03:54] Different looks, but same jeans. I didn't have to think about it. And it's such a small thing. It seems so insignificant, but it really made a difference. I've had those jeans now for about seven years. So, yeah, it works. The same goes for meals. 

[00:04:10] It's perfectly fine to have a few go-to meals, especially on weeknights that are quick and easy to prepare. By removing excess choices, it helps you save time and energy. And so this ties into the concept of the paradox of choice. Where too many options just leads to decision fatigue. For example, I like to keep my meals pretty simple. 

[00:04:36] I started this at the beginning of the year, so I might eat the same meals each day for a week. And then the next week, the food makeup is the same. But I change up the spices, proteins, the veggies, while I keep the same macronutrient makeup. And that approach really simplifies meal planning. 

[00:05:02] It simplifies shopping, it simplifies prep. And it reduces the stress of deciding what I'm going to eat every single day. 

[00:05:12] Before you build a routine, it's important to get clear on what matters. Right now, what matters most right now? Priorities can change as we move through different stages of life or even different times of the year. So it's important to reassess them regularly. What are the top three to five things that are most important to you at this moment? And these can be bigger categories. 

[00:05:36] So higher level. Is it your help? Is it your career? Is it family relationships, having those connections, is it personal growth? So it can be anything. No judgment on what it is. It's just thinking about what are those top three to five things that are most important for you? Right now. And. Really encourage you to take a moment to do this, pause this podcast. 

[00:06:04] If you need to and write down those top three to five priorities, if you're out for a walk and you're listening or you're driving. Yeah, this is a good time to just make a mental note of what those might be and then jot them down later. So once you have your list, think about how much time and energy you're currently dedicating to these areas. Does your current routine reflect these priorities or is there a disconnect there? I know when I did this. A few months ago. I had a pretty good inkling that there was going to be some big changes in my life coming up. And it was really eye-opening to see the amount of time I was spending. In my day in my week on things that. Had become normal and part of my routine. But they weren't really a priority. They may have been priority for somebody else where they were prior priority of mine. But it didn't really fit anymore. Let's look at some other examples and where there might be an opportunity for adjustments. 

[00:07:06] And thinking about if improving your health, or it could be something more specific, like building muscle, building strength or losing fat. If those things are a priority, but you're not finding time. To exercise and prepare healthy meals. That's an opportunity to adjust your routine. 

[00:07:27] So consider meal prepping on the weekends. So that healthy options are readily available during the week. And look for pockets of time in your day, like early morning or lunch break or right after work to fit in some short workouts. Even 20 to 30 minutes of exercise a few times a week over time makes a significant difference. 

[00:07:52] If you are focused on advancing your career, pivoting your career at this point, But most of your day is spent on tasks that don't contribute to that goal. it might be time to reevaluate how you're spending your time. So consider can you delegate some things? Some responsibilities. Can you Automate some tasks. And that can free up time for skill building or networking or strategizing what might be some more logical next steps for you. You could also block out time in your schedule to specifically. Have professional development opportunities, whether that could be. Taking a course online attending events in your industry, conferences, networking, things like that. Once you've figured out some of these things, creating a routine that works for you. Aligns those. And so think about time-blocking. Time-blocking involves dedicating specific chunks of time to different activities through your day. So instead of letting your day control you or letting other people's priorities control, you take control by assigning time blocks to a specific task or activity that supports your goal. 

[00:09:11] It doesn't have to be all day, but it's just like whatever. those tasks that are priority, have a block of time for them. 

[00:09:18] So for example, let's say your top three priorities are improving your health. Advancing your career, getting a promotion. And spending quality time with your significant other and your kids. 

[00:09:34] a time block day might look something like this. in the morning, Like seven to 8:00 AM exercise. that is supporting your health goal. Then you have focus, work time from nine to 12. From 12 to one could be focused on networking or continuing education or skill building. 

[00:09:56] So that's focused on moving your career forward. And then you after work, maybe from five to six, that is the time that you're transitioning from work to home and recharging. It also helps you have that time to, to really be able to walk into the evening with the family time. From say six to eight or 9:00 PM to have that time to connect and strengthen your relationships. And then maybe, the last hour of the day, nine to 10, before you go to bed is doing some sort of reading or some sort of self care for relaxation. And so thinking about starting to assess your current schedule and identifying where you can carve out time for your priority activities. 

[00:10:45] The key is to be intentional about how you're spending your time, ensuring that each time block is devoted to an activity that aligns with your priorities. It's also important to be realistic in your time block. So don't over-schedule yourself. And really leave some buffer time between activities to account for things that are unexpected, things that come up. 

[00:11:05] Another powerful strategy to help solidify your teen is habit stacking. So habit stacking is a technique where you pair a new habit with an existing one, making it easier to integrate this new habit into your daily routine. 

[00:11:20] For example, you already. Have a habit of making coffee in the morning. And then you can stack a habit on Making coffee in the morning because it's an existing habit. So that could be spending five minutes journaling or you could spend five minutes stretching while your coffee brews. Because the act of making coffee is already pretty ingrained in your routine. 

[00:11:46] It's easier to remember and stick to that habit. While adding this new habit on top of it. Another example. Could be stacking a habit of taking your vitamins. Or if you're taking any kind of supplement or medications while brushing your teeth. In the evening. Since brushing your teeth is probably something you do every day. Adding that. Act of taking your vitamins or supplements or medications immediately afterward or immediately before can help make that a consistent part of your routine. So I know I have started doing this specifically. With making sure that I get my vitamins. And my hormone replacement. I started doing that because I just kept forgetting and it wasn't working really well. 

[00:12:35] It's made a huge difference. Cause I. Brushed my teeth every night. All right. So just start habit stacking first, identify how that you already do consistently. Then think about a new habit you want to build in and find a way to pair the two. If you want to incorporate more movement into your day, you could stack a quick set of squats. Or stretches into an existing habit like checking your email in the morning. So over time, these become automatic. And that helps you build a routine that's both effective and sustainable. So by combining time-blocking with habit stacking, you can create a routine that, that aligns with your priorities, but also feels natural in manageable, which is. Super important. 

[00:13:22] So you don't get overwhelmed and you don't give up. Because we're going to talk about consistency next. It's really easy to get caught up in the idea that your routine has to be perfect. 

[00:13:34] But that's just not realistic. Things come up, life happens and there are going to be days when things do not go according to plan. And what's important is that you stay consistent over all in your efforts. Let's say you miss your workout one morning, instead of feeling like you failed, remind yourself that consistency is about the long game. We'll get back on track the next day. 

[00:14:00] It's the small, consistent efforts over time that lead to lasting change. One tool that I really have been loving.. Is a consistency calendar. It's a really simple way to visually track your progress. And hold yourself accountable. So each day you complete a habit or a task or stick to your routine, you mark it on your calendar. And this could be a physical calendar that you hang on your wall. 

[00:14:26] It could be one of those planners. Or even a digital app. I bought a dry erase board calendar. It's about. Yay big and I do month by month. this consistency calendar serves as a really vivid reminder. Of the progress you're making it emphasizes progress rather than perfection. 

[00:14:50] So even if you miss a day seeing all the other days at the end of the month, that you stuck to your routine is so motivating. And it really, for me helps me to continue. And I know if I miss a day, if I have, so I do a green check mark by the tasks on the day that I. You know, on my consistency calendar. And then if I don't do it, I put a black X mark next to that tasks. 

[00:15:16] And if I have too many Xs in a row, I get my button gear. I will do things to make up for it, or I make sure that I really look forward and plan things into my schedule. So just start choose one or two habits you want to track or one or two things, tasks that you want to do. And each day that you complete it, mark that on your calendar and over time you can see that progress at up, and it's just such a simple tool, but it makes such a big difference. To keep you on track and keeping you motivated over the long-term. I find it incredibly satisfying to see a lot of green check marks on that calendar at the end of the month. All right. 

[00:15:57] So let's talk about some common obstacles that can get in the way. Of stablish thing. A new routine because honestly life's full of distractions. One of the most common complaints that I hear. From coaching clients is. I don't have the time. I can't find the time. There's not enough time in the day. Whether it's work family, other obligations, it can feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day. 

[00:16:26] Think about this though, when you're combining tasks, when it makes sense, like listening to an audio book or listening to this podcast, when you're doing chores or going off, going out for a walk. Or waking up just a few minutes earlier. That actually helps you create more pockets of time, or you can do these meaningful tasks that you've prioritized. So the other thing is distractions. 

[00:16:52] We live in a world chock full of distractions. You've got phones, you've got social media. You've got unexpected interruptions. It can really be hard to stay focused on your routine when you're constantly being pulled in multiple different directions. And so creating a dedicated space for your activities can help. 

[00:17:13] So if you're working from home, set up a workspace, that's free from distraction. If you're exercising, choose a time and place where you won't be interrupted. 

[00:17:25] One thing that I did that helped me regain a good bit of time and also. Mental and emotional bandwidth. At the same time was to remove social media apps from my phones, homescreen. I created a folder and I moved all of my apps into that folder. And then I took that folder and I put it on the third screen of my phone. 

[00:17:47] And then if I actually want to look at social media, I have to swipe that I have to go to that folder and have to click on it. So that creates multiple points where I can pause and decide if I really want to spend my time looking at Instagram or my new thing is threads. Every time I go into threads. I don't know why, what it is, but it is, I get sucked into it. 

[00:18:12] And then I realized like 45 minutes is gone. So yeah, it gives me multiple times that I can pause in and make. The decision to, yes, I have the time or no, I don't have the time. 

[00:18:25] Another thing is motivation. Staying motivated can be tough, especially when the initial excitement of starting a new routine or starting a new habit wears off. So one strategy is to set short-term goals that gives you something to work toward. For example, if your goal is to exercise more regularly, to work out three times a week for the next month. 

[00:18:47] And this is great because you can put it under a consistency calendar, track your progress, reward yourself when you hit that goal.

[00:18:54] That reward could be something simple, like treating yourself to, A relaxing bath. It could be treating yourself to a favorite meal whatever is meaningful for you that would feel like it is a reward for accomplishing all the exercise throughout the month. And so let's take a moment to just visualize what that ideal routine might look like for you, because visualization is a powerful tool. And it really helps you mentally prepare for changes that you want to make. So if you're in a place that's safe to do so. close your eyes. 

[00:19:28] Take a few deep breaths. Picture yourself waking up tomorrow morning, you feel rested and ready to start the day. You go through your morning routine, maybe it includes some stretching, healthy breakfast, a few minutes of journaling. Now see yourself moving throughout your day with purpose 

[00:19:48] You're taking on the task and you're tackling them and then taking breaks when you need to recharge. 

[00:19:57] Moving through your day, you're making time for what matters most. So, whether that's work. Exercise family self care. And finally imagine ending your day with a sense of accomplishment, you've stuck to your team and it feels great. That you're building a life that's aligned with your values and priorities. 

[00:20:21] So as you open your eyes, think about the steps you can take today to bring this routine to life. 

[00:20:27] What's one small change that you can make that will move you closer to your ideal day. 

[00:20:35] All right. Let's recap. Today, we talked about the importance of a balanced routine. How do identify your priorities and then the practical steps you can take to create a routine that really works for you. Remember, it's really starting small, staying consistent, being kind to yourself. Also, as you make these changes. So I invite you to take the first step today. 

[00:20:57] So whether it's blocking out time for a priority activity, starting a new habit. do something today that is going to move you closer. To that life you're aiming for in that life that you want at this stage of the game. And then don't forget to download your jumpstart checklist for energy, strength, and confidence. 

[00:21:17] This free checklist is designed to help you kickstart your wellness routine, to start feeling more energized and confident. You can find the link in the show notes. Or you can go to lisadupreecoaching.com/checklist. Next episode, we are going to be talking about finding your purpose in work and making that align with your wellness. Until next time, keep taking those small steps forward to a life that feels true and authentic to you. I am with you. every step of the way. So get out there and keep your mojo rising.