Why Your Routine Isn’t Sticking (And It’s Probably Not Because You Lack Discipline)
- Dr. Katherine Lewis, OTD, OTR/L
- Mar 30
- 4 min read
Many people assume that if a routine isn’t working, the problem must be motivation, discipline, or willpower. But in reality, routines often fail for a completely different reason.
As a lifestyle-based occupational therapist, much of my work focuses on helping people build sustainable routines and improve executive functioning so they can make meaningful lifestyle changes.
Many of my clients come in feeling frustrated with themselves. They’ve tried:
Planners
Habit trackers
Morning routines
Productivity apps
Countless “life hacks”
Yet nothing seems to stick.
The problem usually isn’t discipline. The real issue is often a mismatch between the routine and the person trying to implement it. For a routine to feel sustainable and easy to maintain, it needs to match three important elements:
The Person
The Occupation (the activities in the routine)
The Environment
In occupational therapy, this is known as the Person–Occupation–Environment (POE) Fit.
When these three elements align, routines feel natural and sustainable. When they don’t, routines can feel exhausting, forced, and nearly impossible to maintain.
Let’s explore what these mismatches can look like:
1. When the Routine Doesn’t Match the Person
The most common reason routines fail is that the routine doesn’t align with the individual implementing it.
Each person has unique characteristics that influence how routines work for them, including:
Personality
Interests and preferences
Values and motivations
Energy levels throughout the day
Sensory preferences
Cognitive and executive functioning patterns
These factors provide critical insight into what routines will actually support you. However, many routines people attempt to adopt are based on what someone else said works, rather than what works for them personally.
I often work with women who want to improve their routines but eventually realize they struggle to maintain them because the routine simply doesn’t match who they are.
For example:
If you know you’re not a morning person, why are you trying to fit ten tasks into the first hour after waking up?
If you hate running, why is your exercise routine centered around training for a 5K your friend suggested?
If you dislike leftovers, why are you forcing yourself to meal prep five identical meals?
When routines ignore your natural preferences and rhythms, they require constant effort to maintain. Over time, that effort becomes unsustainable.
2. When the Activities Within the Routine Don’t Match Each Other
Another type of mismatch occurs within the routine itself, specifically between the activities that make up the routine.
A popular habit-building strategy called habit stacking involves pairing a new habit with an existing one. For example, reading ten pages while drinking your morning coffee.
Habit stacking can be helpful, but I often see even greater success when people combine it with task batching. Task batching means grouping activities that are naturally related to one another. In other words, matching occupations with similar occupations.
Examples include:
Instead of laying out clothes for the next day at bedtime, do it while you’re putting away laundry.
Instead of cleaning out the fridge randomly, do it while making your grocery list or meal planning.
Instead of cleaning your bathroom sink later in the day, wipe it down after brushing your teeth when you’re already using the space.
When activities within a routine logically fit together, they require less mental effort and feel more intuitive to complete.
3. When the Routine Doesn’t Match the Environment
The third mismatch occurs between the routine and the environment where it takes place.
Environments can include:
Physical environment – your home, workspace, and neighborhood
Social environment – the people you live with or spend time around
Temporal environment – time of day, season, or stage of life
Physical Environment
Your physical environment includes the spaces where routines happen. For example, if your goal is to cook more meals at home but your kitchen is disorganized or missing basic tools, cooking will feel frustrating every time you try to do it.
Small environmental adjustments can make routines much easier, such as:
Organizing your pantry
Keeping frequently used tools accessible
Stocking easy ingredients
Social Environment
Your routines are also influenced by the people around you. For example, if you’re trying to establish an early bedtime but your partner watches TV in bed until midnight, your routine may constantly feel disrupted.
Possible adjustments could include:
Creating a separate wind-down space
Using headphones
Coordinating sleep schedules together
Temporal Environment
Our routines may also change based on time of year or season of life.
For example:
In summer, longer daylight hours may make evening walks or outdoor workouts more appealing.
In winter, indoor workouts, yoga classes, or heated studios might feel more motivating.
Food routines often shift seasonally as well:
Lighter meals and fresh produce in warmer months
Heartier meals in colder months
But temporal environments go beyond literal seasons. Life stages also influence routines.
For example:
A new parent may no longer have long uninterrupted mornings.
A student’s routine changes when transitioning into a full-time job.
Moving to a new city or changing work schedules may require completely restructuring daily rhythms.
In occupational therapy, routines are viewed as dynamic rather than fixed. They should adapt as your life, environment, and responsibilities change.
These changes don’t mean you’ve failed at your routine. They simply mean your environment has changed, and your routines need to evolve along with it.
Building Routines That Actually Stick
If your routines haven’t been sticking, it doesn’t mean you’re lazy, unmotivated, or bad at habits. More often, it simply means something in the system doesn’t match.
When building routines, ask yourself:
Does this routine match who I am as a person?
Do the activities within the routine naturally fit together?
Does this routine align with my environment and current season of life?
When these elements align, routines stop feeling like something you have to force yourself to do.
They simply become part of how your life flows.
For individualized support in routine-building and accountability, book a FREE 15-minute online meet & greet with me!
At IVY Integrative, you can work with one practitioner or build your own team of holistic practitioners! Reach your optimum health in-person or online. Check out our Get Started page to learn how to work with us!
Until next time,
Disclaimer:
This information is generalized and intended for educational purposes only. Due to potential individual contraindications, please see your primary care provider before implementing any strategies in these posts.
