Habit vs Routine: Understanding the difference between Habit and Routine

In our journey of self-improvement, we come across so many different ideas, concepts, and guides. It’s not uncommon to get overwhelmed by the amount of information about personal growth and self-improvement. Understanding the difference between habits vs routine is one of the best things you can learn early on to avoid getting caught up with all the information available online. 

What is the difference between Habit vs Routine? 

The difference between habit vs routine is that a habit is a behaviour that your mind has learned to do with little to no thought or in other words almost automatically. A routine is an intentional behavior or action or a number of them done to achieve a goal, often in the long term.

A cue or a trigger is all that is needed for a habit to be done. For instance, just waking up alone is a cue to go brush your teeth. Or, going to work is a cue to grab your morning cup of coffee. However, for a routine, you need to be deliberate and push yourself to do an action more intentionally. For example, your morning run or workout is a routine rather than a habit. 

Now this doesn’t mean that for simple reference you should never say I am going to make working out a habit. As long as you understand that habits are more simple and automatic while routines are more deliberate and intentional, you’ll be fine. What matters the most is that you actually do it.

What is a Habit?

Now that we have defined a habit, let’s dive a little deep into what makes a habit what it is. Any action good or bad done without much thought is a habit. The most important factor of a habit is that it usually is something done with ease and doesn’t take much energy. Over your lifetime you will develop so many habits both good and bad. Drinking enough water is a good habit that you can learn for a healthier life while smoking is a bad habit you can pick up which can be very hard to give up.

Any habit whether good or bad, is triggered by a cue. Smokers can agree that an action as simple as having a meal or ordering a cup of coffee is a cue to light up your next cigarette. So it’s up to you to live in such a way that you have more cues to do good habits than bad ones.

What is a Routine?

Sometimes, a routine is what leads to forming a habit. However, it is not always as simple as that. Not every action can become a habit. Routines require more energy and discipline for it to happen consistently. If not consistent it really does not qualify for a routine. Like the word itself, a routine only becomes what it is with consistency. Hence, actions such as writing, exercising, and learning are more of a routine than a habit. 

A routine can also be more than one action. For instance, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, meditation, and reading followed by breakfast can be your morning routine while your daily run or workout can be your exercise routine. The discipline of building routines and habits are very dynamic and different for every person.

Is Routine a Habit?

A routine is not always a habit but a habit is most of the time a part of a routine. There isn’t such a fine line between habit vs routine. It is something you need to think about and learn a little bit more to understand. This is in no way to compare the two, but to understand the difference between them.  

Why is it so essential to understand the difference between habit vs routine?

Understanding the difference between habit vs routine becomes so important for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is very important that you do not have unrealistic expectations on your journey of self-improvement. Activities such as daily exercise and working on your goals are always going to remain a routine rather than a habit. If you do not understand the difference between the two there are higher chances of you calling it quits because exercise always seems hard and never became automatic. If you understand the difference between habit vs routine, you are more likely to understand what it takes to power through ups and downs and maintain a healthy routine of actions designed toward achieving your long-term goals.

Another important reason is that by understanding the difference, you will become more mindful of your daily actions and see the bigger picture more clearly. This helps you design a more realistic routine of actions and know not to worry too much when sometimes things become a little harder. Remember, success is a result of small daily actions that compound over time. This is a key piece a lot of people miss when it comes to building habits and routines. 

What should be your key takeaway from reading this post about the difference between habit vs routine?

The most key takeaway from this post should be the fact that it is very important to not be discouraged when what you wanted to make a habit out of ends up becoming much harder than you thought and that some activities will always require deliberate action from you to make it happen. 

Another important thing to learn is that not all good habits require the same amount of effort to do with relative ease and you’re better off keeping the rest of harder activities such as exercise and working on your goals as routines. By doing this, you are creating a mental cue to trigger a response within you when you don’t feel like doing something. This will remind you of the importance of getting yourself to do it even if you don’t feel like it.

I hope that by reading this post, you understood the difference between habit vs routine and learn to know when it matters the most. Remember, the whole point of making the narrow distinction between the two is not to pick up a debate or argument, but to optimize your action plan of daily habits and routines toward achieving your life goals. So do not let anyone stop you from becoming the best version of yourself you chose to be.