There’s no doubt that your habits are excellent predictors of your current and future circumstances. It doesn’t matter where you are now – it is jsut the starting point. If you think about it, it makes sense – The things you do each day matter in a big way. Slightly overeating each day is vastly different from slightly undereating each day when you consider the results months down the road. Save a little each day or spend a little more each day. Consider the difference.
Most people have a morning routine, but fewer have an evening routine. You’re not in a rush at night, so use the time to the best of your ability. A few effective evening habits can pay off in a big way in the future. I have written before about my WHOOP fitness/health monitor. One of the many things it monitors and lets me know about is my nighttime routine and my sleep patterns.
Develop a nighttime routine that enhances your life. You can do some or all of the following, depending on what resonates with you! Try these on and see if you like any of them:
Plan the following day.
Avoid going to bed without a concrete idea of how you’ll spend the next day. Just a list of three things you’d like to accomplish the next day can be a good start. When you wake up in the morning, you won’t have to think about what you should do first. You’ll already have a basic plan
Forgive everyone and everything.
Each day is a new day. The best way to prepare for tomorrow is to let go of today. Many of the negative things that happened to you are outside of your control. You can choose to make yourself miserable, or you can choose to move on. Are you fearful of something happening? Remember that FEAR is just a False Evidence Appearing Real. Most of the time, it never materializes.
A grudge can feel like an appropriate response, but you’re only hurting yourself. You need your mind clear if you want to become a high achiever. This reminds me of the story of the Two Monks and a Young Woman.
Read.
This is the most common bedtime habit shared by those that have achieved a high level of success. Make an effort to read for at least 30 minutes each night. Spend the time wisely. You’ll learn more from a book on current events, an autobiography, or something related to your field than you will from re-reading a Harry Potter novel.
I recently purchased a copy of Alan Turing: The Enigma: The Book That Inspired the Film The Imitation Game. I remember learning about the Turing machine that he invented in Comp 101 when I was in college. Reading about his background adds fuel for my success. Reading is good for your brain health and your stress levels too.
Excercise.
Many successful people report taking a walk or engaging in other types of exercise before bed. But i have to say this – Be careful with this one. WHen I tried working out late at night, I actually felt energized and did not fall asleep! Of course, your mileage may differ 🙂 Experiment and see what works for you.
Use the time to be creative.
You’re likely to find that your creativity is at its peak either early in the morning or later at night. The evening can be a great time to problem-solve and brainstorm new ideas. You might use the time to write, journal, and/or reflect on the day. Let your imagination roam and see what you come up with.
When I am faced with a challenge, one of the things I will do is ask myself a question about it before I go to sleep and submit the question to my subconscious to work on while I am sleeping. Several times, I wake up with the answer to the question!
Meditate.
By meditating before bed, you’ll sleep better. It’s also a great way to unwind from your day and let go of the stresses you’ve accumulated during the day. There are plenty of excellent resources to get you started with your meditation practice. Just a few minutes each night can be productive for you.
I have used meditation apps and in person. One of my favorite ways is with Kimberly Winters on her weekly virtual meditation calls. Come join us if you are interested!
End the evening with feelings of gratitude.
Spend two minutes thinking about the blessings in your life. What are you grateful for? Focus on the great things, experiences, and people you already enjoy in your life.If you want, write these down in a gratitude journal – list 5 things at the end of each day in the journal.
Do you have a bedtime routine? The hour or so before bed can be put to good use. You likely use that time now to watch TV or play on your phone. Imagine the changes you could make over the next year if you harnessed that time wisely.
Leave a comment below and let me know what (if anything) you do! Thanks for sharing!
I have my planner next to me as I’m reading this. I’m focusing on my Top 3 and being more mindful about how I spend my evenings -reading, gentle movement (stretching mainly), and gratitude. Living well intentionally really is about the small, consistent choices.
Over my 75 trips around the sun on our blue green planet, I’ve done various things in the evening – for many years I journaled …
Though I enjoy more serious books, I am more likely to enjoy fiction before bed – and just finished listening to – Harry Potter
Lol –
Our Sister Circle bookgroup was reading a book on energy recently – (not on Reiki and such, which I’d have enjoyed – but very, very dry) … and our discussion leader commented we could read it again later, ‘not like a novel, that you’ll only read once!’ … well…. not likely for me!!
I have a sweet land blessing that I do before bed, and love stepping outside to say goodnight to the stars. Sometimes self Reiki.
Nadya
Haary Potter, huh? Oops! Well, I am a fan of letting our minds be creative. I am sure that reading that before bedtime will help the creative juices flow! Do you ever have dreams about any of the things you read?
Reiki can be very energetic or relaxing – I hope you using it to calm down before bed.
Thank you for sharing.
Hee, hee … I think sometimes stories do weave into my dreams.
In my first class, my Reiki teacher suggested going to sleep with one hand on our heart and the other the belly, which does tend to be calming. I sometimes do a Reiki meditation in the evening.
Oh, I love this blog post…. Definitely the things you do each day matter in a big way. Out of the 7 suggestions, I do 4 of them, so I appreciate learning more ways to make my bedtime routine better and set me up for a great night’s sleep! Diana
4 out of 7 – you are ahead of the game, Diana!
I agree with this and just read another article arguing that it was not well-structured mornings that were the key to success, but rather what we do the night before. I have also found that having a ritual at night, as I do in the morning, even simple ones, is like bookends to the day that keep everything in place.
A lot of “Stuff” happens when we sleep with our subconscious – why not set iy up for success before we drift off into dreamland? Thanks for stopping by, Kathi!
I enjoy reading before bed, always fiction though as I find when I’m reading something related to my work I want to take notes and it activates my brain too much. Fiction helps me wind down…not HP though…LOL
I too have found that exercising at night gets me way too energized, working exercise into my schedule is something I’m working on now. Early in the morning? During lunch? Still working out what I’m most likely to stick to.
I’m excited to build out my evening routine, thanks for the inspiration, Paul (and for the shoutout, I am grateful for our meditation time together!)
So now the Harry Potter wars have begun! What have I started!
Of course you are welcome for the shout out – I like showing up and so do others!
I’m the odd one here. Since I can’t sleep no matter what I try, I find that I can get so much done between 10pm and 2am. Last week I was rearranging the garage all night. LOL I can finally fall asleep around 3am and I’m up at 7 or 8 to start the same routine.
Hee, hee … I think sometimes stories do weave into my dreams! I appreciate the timer option with Libby, so i can drift off, and can listen again, if i do. I sometimes listen to chants – Krishna Dass is a favorite.
In my first class, my Reiki teacher suggested going to sleep with one hand on our heart and the other the belly, which does tend to be calming. I sometimes do a Reiki meditation in the evening.