Routines don't determine your success. Habits do.

This is something that came to my mind recently. Mostly because I had to make changes to my usual schedule to better accommodate engagement with other fellow creators and to be available for my client's work.

It made me think that routines, as much as they're touted to be the key to success, don't make you a top-of-the-line individual (as you may have led to believe.)

There are many advocates to morning routines. Others advocate night-time routines. Others say all of that is a bunch of nonsense and mock them through memes or images.

It's like using new tools to write/build/do something. The tool can make the task easier or save you more time. But it won't compensate for your lack of skill.

Likewise, a routine won't make you a productivity powerhouse in a couple of days. It can improve your current situation but that's it.

Consider the following scenario:

We have Tom and Matt. They both live in the same city. They have access to pretty much the same places and activities. They both can work remotely. They both live in a regular house.

Both wake up early, go to the bathroom, and then spend around an hour and a half on their phone. They check social media, their email, catch up with messages and DM's.

They then go to the kitchen to make breakfast and start the day.

The difference, however, is that Tom is your regular person that is glued to his phone watching other people's lives and what "updates" his friends may have.

Matt is an online entrepreneur. He uses social media to build his brand, email to reach prospects, and messaging apps to talk with his clients.

Both do pretty much the same things with wildly different results.

Same routines. Different habits.