The Importance of a Routine (The Secret to Productivity)

How can a routine help you be more productive? Why is mechanical attention important for those who get easily overwhelmed?

The difference between Gloria Mark’s views on attention and those of traditional productivity experts is her emphasis on the value of mechanical attention. Mark’s book, Attention Span, shows that routine tasks requiring only mechanical attention are key to bolstering your mental reserves and, by extension, your productivity.

Below, we’ll look at the importance of a routine in your daily life.

The Power of Routine

Mark describes mechanical attention as the mental state that occurs when what we’re doing is engrossing but easy, as when doing routine work such as data entry, collating files, or checking inventory. This attention state also occurs when performing “mindless” activities like checking social media or rewatching your favorite movies. Mark says that mechanical attention relieves stress and provides quicker rewards than tasks requiring intense concentration, and also that doing routine work makes more challenging tasks easier to tackle. That’s the importance of a routine, according to Mark.

(Shortform note: Routine tasks do more than just provide a mental boost—they also help you build momentum toward greater things. In The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy explains that daily, weekly, and monthly routines reinforce any goal-directed habits you’ve created, such as athletic training or energizing yourself to do creative work. Hardy says that if your schedule is subject to change, the best time to engage in your personal routines is at the beginning and end of each day. Routines of preparation in the morning and reflection in the evening can maintain your momentum and refuel your mind in exactly the way Mark describes.)

The conventional wisdom among productivity experts is that people are happiest and most productive if they can achieve the deep immersion state of focused attention, commonly referred to as “flow.” However, Mark’s research seems to contradict this: She found that people are most content when performing routine, undemanding tasks like digitizing documents, scrolling through the news, or cooking a recipe they know by heart. Mark points out that focused concentration on a challenging task, such as writing a grant or crafting a presentation, is correlated with higher levels of stress. Also, routine work uses up less mental energy and provides quicker—if less significant—rewards.

(Shortform note: Routine tasks may provide mental relief, as Mark suggests, but leaning on them too heavily presents other problems. Consistently avoiding challenging tasks in your career or your personal life may lead to stagnation and monotony. Furthermore, in a rapidly changing world, relying too heavily on routine tasks may leave you ill-prepared to adapt to new situations or technologies. While routines play a crucial role in maintaining your mental health, it’s also healthy to break them now and then.)

Use Routine to Recharge

While Mark doesn’t argue against concentrating on challenging tasks, she suggests that incorporating routine work in your schedule gives your brain a means to recuperate. Completing routine tasks can give you a much-needed positive boost and even enhance creativity. For example, if you’re stuck on a problem, you might redirect your attention by doing something more mundane and then stumble upon a solution to your problem when you’re not thinking about it. However, Mark cautions against letting yourself slide into a non-stop routine to the exclusion of more important projects. Getting into a rewarding state of “flow” may not always be achievable, but concentrated attention is vital to accomplishing meaningful goals.