Recently, we introduced you to Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs. Businesses and the military use SOPs to make sure processes and procedures that are done on a regular basis are completed consistently. It takes the guessing game out of a process and allows a company to trust that a standard procedure is being done the same time, every time.
SOPs for Your Life
We can use SOPs in our life too. Whether you think about it formally or not, you likely have a morning routine. You probably do the same thing every day when you wake up and get ready for work. Some morning routines may be longer and/or more intricate that others. The key is that some kind of routine exists. If you write this routine down so you don’t forget it, you have just created your own SOP.
You Need Consistency
We’ve also talked in the past about how important Consistency is to reaching you health, nutrition, and life goals. Consistency is needed to make sure you are performing necessary actions on a regular basis. Performing those actions creates a routine. Codifying that routine is an SOP.
A majority of our time coaching athletes in programs like the Coach’s Corner is spent trying to develop and maintain consistency. This is especially true when we are talking about nutrition. For the most part, we know what to eat and what not to eat. The secret is having the focus, awareness, and accountability to eat what we should eat . . . Consistently. The issue comes in when something disrupts our regular schedule. It is hard enough to stay on track with our diet when our schedule is abnormal. It is even harder to get back on track after being knocked completely off. This is where an SOP comes into play.
Writing down your routine takes away the mental fog. Remembering our routine can actually be a burden. However, when it is on paper, right there in front of us, it can feel really familiar and natural to get back the horse and ride again. So, if you know you have something like a trip coming up, or you know this weekend is going to be full of holiday party disruptions, write down your regular routines. It will be a lot easier to get back to your consistent actions.
