Your habits and routines make you

Discover how your daily habits and routines shape your identity, success, and overall life outcomes.

Your habits and routines make you
Your habits and routines define who you are

Introduction

We humans are creatures of habits. We tend to keep doing the same things, following the same patterns.
In a way, our habits and routines are part of us, but they also define who we are. They shape our lives and identities.
Routines and habits can either make or break us. They can enslave us, or serve as enablers, catalysts.

At the end of the day, you are a combination of your habits and the people who you spend the most time with — Naval Ravikant

This article is part of the Knowledge Worker Kit: https://developassion.gumroad.com/l/knowledge-worker-kit

Knowledge Worker Kit and community (BETA)
Who is this for? You are an entrepreneur, founder, executive or leader You are a Knowledge Worker or Lifelong Learner You feel lost and overwhelmed by the pace of innovation, disorganized, or unproductive You want to be a top performer and stay ahead of the curve You want to join a community of like-minded people you can exchange with, and learn from You want a solid system that scales You want to learn with the best What is this?TL;DR: This is a private community accompanied by a detailed guide exploring many topics (e.g., Knowledge Work, Personal Organization, Learning, Time Management, Project Management, etc), sharing proven and scalable systems/guidance. The content will keep expanding over time, with courses, workshops, and more!The Knowledge Worker Kit is an evergreen project. You buy access once, and you get lifetime access to all the past and future content, courses, and events, including all the bonuses: Private community Deep Dive Guide covering all the areas, as well as templates, references, and resources Free access to all future workshops, meetups, knowledge-sharing sessions, invited talks, AMAs, and to all the recorded sessions ... Included bonuses: Knowledge Management for Beginners Course ($69.99) Obsidian Starter Course ($69.99) Obsidian Starter Kit ($29.99) Personal Knowledge Management Library ($59.99) Beginner’s Guide to Obsidian Total value of the included bonuses: $229+.Evergreen ContentThe Knowledge Worker Kit is a living project, and a community of practice. It will continue expanding over time, and the value you will get out of it will keep growing. Day after day, week after week. Buy it once, and you will have access to all future content, courses, and events.Who is behind this?Hi, I’m Sébastien DuboisI’ve been passionate about Knowledge Management, Learning, Knowledge Work, Personal Organization, and Productivity for more than 20 years. As an author, entrepreneur, coach, and father of 3, I needed efficient and effective solutions to stay organized, focused, and productive. The Knowledge Worker Kit includes everything I know about these topics, and more!I have a proven track record of delivering at work, and with my side projects. I have worked as a software developer, team leader, project manager, IT architect, CTO, founder, coach, consultant, solopreneur, and more. I have also published 3 books, 300+ articles and newsletters, created courses, YouTube videos, digital products, and manage various communities. And I did it all with a busy life, a 9-5 job, and 3 kids.My personal system works and helps me learn quickly, achieve my goals consistently, with high quality standards, and without sacrificing my health and precious family time. And that’s why I want to share it with you: my system. Actually, my goal is not only to share my experience, but also to create a community of like-minded people, and help each other grow as much as possible.Tell me more...Being a Knowledge Worker today is much more challenging than it ever was. Getting started isn’t easy, and there are many traps to avoid. Spare yourself some time and benefit from my experience and battle-tested systems. I’ll share everything I know with you: my approach, my systems, my routines, my templates, guidance, my courses, my starter kits, and more! My mission is to help you be part of the top 1% of Knowledge workers.After you finish exploring the guide, you’ll have: Clarity in your life and an obvious path forward Solid habits, routines, and systems Clear ideas about how to “manage” your career An effective approach to learning new things Solid knowledge management and personal organization systems Knowledge about how to organize, plan, control, and manage projects (large and small!) A toolkit to prioritize work A system to manage your tasks at scale Effective means to focus your attention and manage your time Work methods that will propel your career forward What’s included?WARNING: The Knowledge Worker Kit is in BETA. The content will be added and expanded over time. If you buy access now, you’ll benefit from the lowest price. The product is already available so that I can find early adopters and get as much feedback as possible in order to make it great for everyone.If you buy access to the Knowledge Worker Kit, you’ll get lifetime access to: The guide, the templates, guidance, references, and resources The private community All past, and future courses (e.g., the Knowledge Management for Beginners course, the Obsidian Starter Kit) All past, and future community events (meetups, workshops, knowledge-sharing sessions, invited talks, etc) Ask Me Anything (AMA) Q&As with me My starter kits (e.g., the Obsidian Starter Kit) In addition, you’ll also get free access to all future content updates. Over time, I’ll continue expanding the guide with new ideas, techniques, systems, templates, and more!What’s in the guide?The guide is a Notion space that includes detailed explanations, guidance, deep dives into the systems I rely on daily, links, references, templates, and various resources that all Knowledge Workers should explore.You will get to explore the content at your own pace, and to focus on what is useful to you right now, as each section is actionable on its own.Importantly, the guide will keep growing. It’s an evergreen knowledge base. Over time, we will grow the content further, adding new guides, deeper explanations, videos, and more.It covers the following topics: 01. Clarity: values, behaviors, goals, non-goals, priorities, and intentions 02. Habits, routines, systems, processes and methods 03. Career Management and Anticipation 04. Learning 05. Projects Knowledge Management and Journaling 06. Projects Organization 07. Planning and Prioritization 08. Task Management 09. Focus, Attention, Time Management and Action 10. Personal Development 11. Control: periodic reviews, progress tracking, course-adjustment 12. Personal Organization 13. Work Overview of the main topics01. ClarityThis part explores key elements that help bring clarity to one’s life: Needs Values Principles Goals Priorities Each of those is important to know what matters, what has value, and what to focus on.02. Habits, routines, systems, processes and methodsThis part explores the base elements of productivity systems: Habits and routines Systems, processes, and methods Those are key to building an “effortless” life, requiring as little willpower/motivation as possible to make things happen.03. Career Management and AnticipationThis part focuses on career management: its importance, your responsibility, the mindset you need to acquire, and all the related ideas.04. LearningThis part shares ideas about how to… Learn how you best learn Learn more effectively Explore new topics Research Filter information Leverage AI and LLMs … 05. Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) and JournalingThis part explores how to collect, organize, and link all your knowledge and information. It explores the main concepts of PKM, note-taking, note-making, tools of the trade, and structures/tips to help you keep everything useful, manageable, and maintainable as your knowledge base grows.It also introduces journaling and how to approach it to support your whole life.06. Projects OrganizationThis part focuses on how to organize projects and their information in a way that enables you and your teams to make focused progress.It shares ideas about how to organize project information, how to document projects, how to organize backlogs, etc.07. Planning and PrioritizationThis part focuses on how to plan projects and tasks, how to deal with deadlines, and how to prioritize work using various methods.08. Task ManagementThis part focuses on task management for personal and professional projects. It explores ways to keep tasks under control, how to organize personal work, and how to make the link between your different backlogs and your day-to-day life.09. Focus, Attention, Time Management and ActionThis part focuses on how to make things happen every single day, regardless of whatever is going on in your life. It’s all about techniques, tips & tricks, and tools to help you better manage your time, focus, and attention in order to ACT.10. Personal DevelopmentThis part explores important aspects of Personal Development that can make a big difference in a Knowledge Worker’s life. A sane mind in a sane body.11. ControlThis part is dedicated to control. How to control your progress, your trajectory, your projects, etc. And also, how to adjust course when things don’t go as expected.12. Personal OrganizationThis part helps better organize yourself and your information. It shares “zen” techniques you can use to remain organized, independently of how much information you have to juggle with.13. WorkThis part is all about WORK. How to do the work, how to improve your attitude, your results, and your recognition. It also dives into how to better collaborate with others to achieve your goals and those of your company/group.

Self-awareness is key to personal growth

Which habits and routines are key in your life? Which ones are valuable, and which ones are negative or even toxic?

Paying attention to your own patterns of behavior is important. It enables self-awareness, becoming conscious of, changing and improving. It enables letting go of the negative ones, and doubling down on the positive ones. This self-knowledge is thus key to personal growth.

By being conscious of your habits, routines and patterns, you will be able to live a more intentional life. A life that you design to serve your goals.

You fall to the level of your systems and habits

Systems and habits are what give you consistency to make long term changes. If those are inexistant, or weak, then so are you.

It's not only about productivity and optimization. It's more profound than that. First and foremost, it's about alignment, health, and happiness.

By designing the life you want, you can reduce stress, grow, improve your relationships, feel healthier and happier.

Key areas to explore and questions to ask yourself

Here are the key areas you need to think about and explore:

  • Routines (morning, work, evening, etc)
  • Health habits
  • Self-care practices
  • Leisure activities
  • Relaxation methods
  • Harmful behaviors
  • Stress management
  • Things to start doing
  • Things to stop doing
  • Decision-making
  • Personal development
  • ...

Reflecting on these areas can provide a good view of your daily life and habits, helping you identify areas for change and growth.

People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures — F. Matthias Alexander

Here are a few questions that you can use as prompts to learn more about yourself:

  • What do you do in the morning? What are the first things on your mind?
  • How do you spend your work days?
  • What do you do in the evening? How do you end your days?
  • What are your sleep habits and bedtime routines?
  • What are your weekend routines like? How do they differ from weekdays?
  • How do you spend your leisure time?
  • How do you prepare for the week ahead?
  • How do you take care of yourself?
  • How do you relax?
  • How do you take care of your health?
  • What habits do you have around personal grooming and self-care?
  • What rituals or routines do you have around meals?
  • How do you harm yourself?
  • How do you handle stress or difficult emotions?
  • What do you regret in your life?
  • What do you need to start doing?
  • What do you need to stop doing?
  • How do you manage your finances and spending habits?
  • How do you approach learning and personal growth?
  • What habits do you have around technology and media consumption?
  • How do you celebrate accomplishments or milestones?
  • What spiritual or mindfulness practices do you engage in, if any?
  • How do you approach goal-setting and planning?
  • What habits do you have around your living space (cleaning, organizing, etc.)?
  • Do you spend time in nature or outdoors?
  • What creative outlets or hobbies do you regularly engage in?
  • What are your social habits? How often do you connect with others?
  • How do you give back or contribute to your community?
  • What habits do you have around travel or exploring new places?
  • How do you approach decision-making in your life?
  • What are your core values?
  • What are your principles?
  • How do you approach work?
  • How do you make career decisions?
  • ...

Redesign your life regularly

I'm a huge fan of Periodic reviews. I've often mentioned it in my writing. Doing this exercise a single time is not enough. Life design is an ongoing activity. We evolve, the people around us evolve, society evolves. Everything changes. Change is the only constant. So, make sure to regularly evaluate the way you live your life, and identify new opportunities for change. Take risks. Embrace change.

Why You Should Perform Periodic Reviews for Productivity
Discover how to leverage periodic reviews to achieve your goals and get more out of your life

Conclusion

It's all too easy to live on autopilot, and wake up one day, feeling disconnected from your own existence. The habits and routines that make you who you are often operate in the background, shaping your days and ultimately your life without much conscious thought.

By bringing awareness to the habits and routines that make you who you are, you can start to shape your life more intentionally. This process of self-discovery and intentional living can lead to a more fulfilling and purpose-driven existence, where you're actively participating in creating the life you want, instead of just following the path in front of you. Break free from this autopilot mode and take control of your life's direction. Live more mindfully. Be more self-aware. Design your own life and career.

Your habits will determine your future — Jack Canfield

That's it for today! ✨

About Sébastien

I am Sébastien Dubois. You can follow me on X 🐦 and on BlueSky 🦋.


I am an author, founder, and coach. I write books and articles about Knowledge Work, Personal Knowledge Management, Note-taking, Lifelong Learning, Personal Organization, and Zen Productivity. I also craft lovely digital products . You can learn more about my projects here.

If you want to follow my work, then become a member.


Ready to get to the next level?

To embark on your Knowledge Management journey, consider investing in resources that will equip you with the tools and strategies you need. Check out the Obsidian Starter Kit and the accompanying video course. It will give you a rock-solid starting point for your note-taking and Knowledge Management efforts.


If you want to take a more holistic approach, then the Knowledge Worker Kit is for you. It covers PKM, but expands into productivity, personal organization, project/task management, and more:

Knowledge Worker Kit and community
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If you are in a hurry, then do not hesitate to book a coaching session with me:

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