The Last Word

By Ruie Hyslop | Posted: Tuesday April 29, 2025

The importance of routine.

A routine is a set of habits we follow each day. It might be waking up at the same time, having a healthy breakfast, going to school, training, or doing your homework. It could even be simple things like making your bed in the morning or checking your timetable before school. 

These small, daily actions might not seem like much on their own, but together they create a structure for each day. Having a good routine set in place helps you to stay organised and manage your time better which keeps you moving towards your goals. Routine can also help a lot with motivation, knowing what you need to achieve in your day makes it easier to get started and stay focused on the tasks ahead.

A good routine makes sure we stay on top of the important things while still leaving time for the things we enjoy. It’s about building a routine that makes life easier and more balanced, so we don’t fall behind or feel overwhelmed when things get busy. Over time, being consistent with your routine shapes the person you become.

For me I have recently decided to start stretching every day after training. It seemed like it wasn’t helping at first, but over a few weeks, I noticed I was recovering faster and feeling less tired. It wasn’t a huge change, but being consistent with the new part of my routine helped me to perform better on the sports field.  

There’s a quote I want to share with you by Sean Covey:  “We become what we repeatedly do.” 

The person you’ll be in a year, or five years, won’t be decided by one big decision or one lucky breakthrough, it’s shaped by the small things you choose to do every single day: the way you train, the way you study, the way you treat others, and the way you use your time. Success isn’t built on one moment of greatness, it's built on the everyday actions you commit to. It’s not about waiting for a breakthrough, it’s about the consistent effort you put in, day after day. 

I’m sure every one of you has experienced those times when you’ve had a good week, stuck to a plan, gone to bed on time, trained hard and kept up with schoolwork, you’ve felt sharper, stronger, more confident. That’s the power of routine, it's those small actions that add up over time, creating a better version of yourself.

Now as we head into a new term, it’s the perfect time to set good habits and build a strong routine.

So here’s my challenge to you all: 

Choose one or two habits you can build into your routine this term. It might be something small like getting off your phone earlier at night, reading for 10 minutes a day, stretching after training, or waking up earlier. Do it every day. And watch how those small habits start adding up.

Now I'll leave you with a quote from James Clear's book Atomic Habits.

“Success is the product of daily habits, not once in a lifetime transformations. Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become.”