This is a great passage on how the power of routine works.

But how often are we undisciplined and sloppy and let the time and tasks we care about get away from us?

See, a routine allows prioritization to be a strategic forethought.

After that, all there is left is action.

“Routine is one of the most powerful tools for removing obstacles. Without routine, the pull of nonessential distractions will overpower us. But if we create a routine that enshrines the essentials, we will begin to execute them on autopilot. Instead of our consciously pursuing the essential, it will happen without our having to think about it. We won’t have to expend precious energy every day prioritizing everything. We must simply expend a small amount of initial energy to create the routine, and then all that is left to do is follow it.”

–Greg McKeown, Essentialism

McKeown follows this with the classic quote by W. H. Auden:

“Routine, in an intelligent man, is a sign of ambition.”