Structure vs. Routine: The Missing Piece in Your Productivity System

If you struggle to actually use your productivity system and you feel like you’re constantly having to reset everything or start over from scratch, you’re not alone.

But guess what? The problem isn’t you!

One important part of building a personalized system that works for you, especially if you’re neurodivergent, chronically ill, or disabled, is understanding the difference between structure and routine.

Today I’m going to break down the difference between structure and routine, and show you one small tweak that you can make today to make your system easier for you to use and benefit from.

Watch the video below, or read on for the full transcript.

If you’re Neurodivergent, Chronically Ill, or Disabled and are looking to save time and energy and heal your relationship with yourself, this is the place for you to be. I run an online productivity and self-care program called The Action Navigator. It’s designed specifically for individuals just. like. you. If you want a taste, click here to sign up for my free Anytime Reset.

Structure is the organizing principle of a physical, analog, or digital location or locations.

In general, a routine is a sequence of two or more actions that take place in approximately the same order. A routine begins after a trigger, which can be either an event, date, or time. (You can check out one of my morning routine videos here if you’re curious about that.)

In the context of structure, a routine is comprised of the activities required to maintain your structure. I call this particular type of routine a system.

Imagine a bookstore. The structure of a bookstore determines where books go and why, whereas the system are the activities employees do to make sure books go where they’re supposed to go. Without these activities, boxes of new books would pile up by the door, stacks of returned books would pile up behind the registers, etc.

Let’s look at a couple of specific examples:

• Time Management:

  • Structure: A Google Calendar for all your appointments and time blocking

  • Routine: Actually checking your calendar each morning and updating it as needed

  • A calendar without a system quickly becomes useless.

• Task Management:

  • Structure: A beefy Notion setup

  • Routine: Regularly reviewing your goals, projects, tasks, etc. and making updates

  • Notion won’t help if you don’t have a routine to keep it up to date and useful.

In the upcoming Version 2 of my signature course and coaching program, The Action Navigator, there will be two new in-depth cheat sheets:

• Build Your Structure Cheat Sheet

• Build Your System Cheat Sheet

Where you’re wanting to organize your life, your closet, or anything in between, these cheat sheets will guide you to a system that works for YOU.

If you’re curious what an in-depth cheat sheet looks like, sign up for my free Anytime Reset here. It’s a step-by-step system to help you regain clarity, prioritize what matters, and take small but powerful steps toward feeling accomplished RIGHT NOW.

Does your current time and task management planner or app have structure but no routine? If so, here’s what you’re going to do to get started implementing a system to keep your structure up to date and useful. It should take you 2-5 minutes tops.

1. What is your biggest pain point with your structure right now? Which piece is the hardest to keep up to date and useful and why?

2. How often would you need to review this piece in order to keep it up to date and useful? Daily? Weekly? Etc.

3. How long would it take to do this review? (Keep in mind your first review will likely take longer than subsequent reviews.)

4. Where do you literally need to be, and what tools or apps do you need in order to do this review?

   • For example, I hate using Notion on my phone, so I only use it on my computer, which lives in my bedroom.

5. Is there something you already do in that location, with those tools or apps, at that time interval? (For example, I already work on my computer in my bedroom 4-5 days a week.)

   • If yes, use that as your habit cue. (A habit cue is a recurring time or activity that you already have as a habit, that you then use to build a new habit.) Use that existing habit to “cue” you to do your review. If you find calendar reminders or alarms useful, use them!

   • If no, when during that time interval would you have the least friction to task switching to a review. Use that time as your cue instead.

I'll throw up a link to another one of my videos that can be really helpful if you struggle with task switching or task initiation.

There you have it, the difference between structure and routine, why the distinction is so important, and one small tweak you can make to improve your system TODAY.

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions, and don’t forget to sign up for your free Anytime Reset by clicking here.

I'll be back in soon with another video.

See you then.

Bye.