The Power of Routine When Life Feels Unsettled

This time of year is always crazy busy for everyone and I’m sure you are like me and there are moments when life feels a little off balance. The weather changes and creates travel issues and changes in times which causes schedules to get disrupted-which happened to many of us this week! Emotions run higher than usual this time of year because of so many events happening and seemingly less time to get things done.

However, It doesn’t always take a major event—sometimes it’s just enough small changes stacked together to make things feel unsettled during this time of the year. During those times, I’ve been reminded how powerful simple routines can be.

I’ve always been a creature of habit. Retirement definitely disrupted a lot of routines I’d followed for years, and now stepping back into coaching has created another shift. More than ever, I’ve realized how important routines are for me personally. The small, daily habits—when I wake up, how I prepare for the day, time spent planning, exercising, traveling—help keep me grounded when everything else feels like it’s in motion.

In sports, routines are closely tied to a “Next Play” mentality. Players rely on pregame habits, warm-ups, and consistent practice structure because those routines allow them to move on quickly—whether after a great play or a tough mistake. When the scoreboard changes or momentum swings, routines give athletes something steady to return to so they can focus on what comes next instead of what already happened. This has been an important part of my basketball coaching this year….putting routines together with players utilizing their input which help them stay grounded before games and help build positive habits for the competitions.

Life works the same way. We can’t always control the outcomes, but we can control our response. Routines help us reset, refocus, and move to the next play when things don’t go as planned. When life feels unsettled, the answer isn’t always to do more or fix everything at once. Sometimes it’s about returning to what’s familiar and reliable—the habits that keep us centered and the commitments we’ve chosen to keep.

As we move through busy seasons, changing roles, and full calendars, it’s worth remembering that stability is often built through ordinary, repeated actions. It reminds us to keep showing up, keep doing the work, and to trust our routines. When life feels unsettled, routines help us stay grounded—and be ready for the next play.

What routines do you have that help you stay grounded and lower the pressure you feel in life? Are there any routines you have that are having a negative impact on your life? Examining our routines and adding some to make our lives better while eliminating ones that are hurting us, could have a big impact on our lives.

I challenge you to take a few minutes to list the daily routines you have and see if there are any additions or changes you want/need to make. Are these making your life better or making it worse? Doing some reflection on these routines could move the trend line of how your life is going upward….I promise it is worth the time!

Have a great week!

Coach K