Bored of Your Routine? 3 Ways Adults Can Build Flexible Routines and Strengthen Executive Function Skills

Planning/PrioritizationProductivityFlexible Thinking
Written By Annie Belott, M.Ed

Routines are powerful tools for staying organized and reaching your goals. But if you struggle with executive function skills, sticking to the same routine every day can get boring fast  and that boredom can lead to procrastination and guilt.

The good news is you are not lazy or broken. You just need flexible habits and a little accountability to keep things fresh. Let’s break down practical ways to build flexible routines, stay motivated, and develop the executive function skills you need as an adult.

Why Executive Function Skills Matter for Adults

Executive function skills are the mental tools you rely on to plan, prioritize, start tasks, and follow through. When these skills are shaky, daily routines can feel repetitive and hard to maintain. Adults with executive function challenges often fall into a cycle of starting strong, losing motivation, and abandoning habits altogether.

Learning how to adjust routines and add small twists keeps your brain engaged and makes habits stick.

1. Refresh Your Routine by Changing the Setting

You do not always have to reinvent your routine. Sometimes, a small shift is enough to wake up your motivation.

Try these quick ideas:

  • Move your morning routine outside, even if it is just to your porch or balcony.

  • Change your work environment for the day — a new coffee shop, library, or different room at home.

  • Swap your usual playlist for something fresh while cleaning or working.

  • Use a whiteboard or sticky notes instead of your planner for a week.

These micro-changes keep your routine familiar enough to stick, but fresh enough to feel interesting.

2. Build a “Choose Your Own Routine” Menu

Rigid routines can feel like a trap. Instead, create a flexible routine with a few options you can choose from each day.

Here is how:

  • Morning Options: Take a short walk, do light stretching, listen to music, or enjoy your coffee with a quick meditation.

  • Focus Block Options: Work in 25-minute sprints, buddy up with a coworking friend, or switch up your location.

  • Wind Down Options: Relax with a shower, listen to a podcast, or spend time on a simple hobby like coloring.

Picking from a menu helps you match your routine to your mood and energy level — without abandoning structure altogether.

3. Add Accountability and People to Stay Motivated

One of the most powerful ways to maintain routines is by not doing it alone. A bit of social support can keep you engaged and motivated.

  • Body Doubling: Work alongside a friend on Zoom or in person while you each tackle your own tasks.

  • Accountability Check-Ins: Send a friend a photo of your to-do list or text a quick morning update. You do not need judgment — just encouragement.

  • Join Group Activities: Try a coworking group, workout class, or a “Sunday Reset” with a friend where you meal prep or clean together.

When you add people to the process, staying consistent with your habits gets easier and more enjoyable.

Build Sustainable Routines with Accountability and Support

Building flexible routines and strengthening your executive function skills does not happen overnight. But the right tools, community, and accountability can help you stick with habits long enough to see real results.

If you often feel scattered, stuck, or bored with your routines, our Adult Group Coaching Program can help you break the cycle. This supportive program helps adults build life habits that last, tackle procrastination, and stay motivated, all alongside people who understand what you are working through.

You will get:

  • Weekly group sessions on core topics like time management, procrastination, and stress resilience.

  • Small breakout groups for personalized accountability.

  • Peer coworking calls for real-time progress.

  • Expert executive function coaching and tools you can actually use.

Take the Next Step Toward Better Habits

You do not have to figure this out alone. If you are ready to build flexible routines, strengthen your executive function skills, and stay motivated week by week, join the Adult Group Coaching Program today and turn your ideas into real, lasting habits.

Stop putting it off. Register now and get the support you need to make meaningful changes that stick.

Annie Belott, M.Ed

With over nine years of experience working in academia, including university settings, Annie has worked with various student populations including individuals with disabilities, first-generation students, and student-athletes. She focuses on strategies to improve upon time management, procrastination, test anxiety, self-testing, learning styles, etc.

From 2016 to 2020, Annie worked as a Learning Skills Specialist at Georgetown University. Here she oversaw the implementation of academic support services to all students on campus, specifically individual consultations with students seeking assistance with their study habits, tutoring for foreign languages, and study skills workshops/webinars.

Annie has worked for Life Solved since the Fall of 2017 and recently transitioned to a full-time position with the company. She continues to work with students from middle school through the collegiate level to improve upon their organizational systems, test-taking and self-testing strategies, and help students create effective study schedules to make workloads manageable.

Annie has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Salisbury University and a Master’s degree in Multicultural Special Education from the University of Texas at Austin.

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