Fashion Business Owner Musings: Do You Have a Routine?

Do you have a routine?

I know, I know. Trust me, there was a time when if you told me I needed a routine, I would have rolled my eyes, chuckled, and said I’ve got too much going on to have a routine.

I would have been wrong.

For anyone working to launch or grow a fashion business, every day there is something new. Something new to learn, something new to do. And while that’s exciting, when there’s no routine, you quickly realize that it was not quite as exciting for the efficiency of your business.

Without a routine, I think you’ll quickly find that it’s difficult to create consistency in the work you’re doing. It’s difficult to thrive. You spend most of your time doing reactionary work, not proactive work.

What actually happens is that you find yourself starting over, constantly. Rather than comfortably building on what has already been done.

I think a lot of us believe in the power of freedom, both in life and business. We thrive on the idea that our time is spent in our fashion businesses the way we believe it should be. There’s nothing wrong with that.

But that doesn’t mean that freedom isn’t balanced with a lot of planning, systems, and yes, routine.

Over the years, I’ve learned that routine is a good thing for business. As opposed to being rigid and boring, it’s something that actually makes the adventures easier to pull off and enjoy.

When you wake in the morning you most likely have a routine that sets off triggers in your life. These triggers are associated with your mindset.

Like, for me, I wake up, get my coffee, drink it while gazing out the window and people watching (I’m a little embarrassed to say that watching people trudge to the subway on their way to the office in the morning is very motivating for me to work hard at growing my business so that I don’t ever have to do something I don’t enjoy.).  I read. Then I walk to my desk, open my computer, and take a look at my plan for the day.

This routine, while simple, is one big trigger for my workday. It’s what tells my body and my brain to get in the game and without it, I feel like something is off. I scramble and do random work, rather than focused work.

And focus is so important for business success. I talk about this a lot in the free class I host about how to launch a fashion business even if you have no prior experience doing so.  Focus and planning are keys to success.

Take a minute to reflect on your routine. I bet there are things you do that get you moving on your business: things that give you that excited feeling and cause you to get your work started.

Have you ever thought about how important these things are?

If you don’t have a routine, if you find yourself feeling a little sporadic and unorganized, consider creating one.

Start implementing a habit into your day and reflect on the impact it’s having on your efficiency.

Because you may not have realized it until now, but having a routine is a big part of your road to your own success.

Lots of love and encouragement,