Begin Your Day the Night Before…
If you could take just 10-20 minutes to plan and prep for your following day, you could double your productivity and focus!
Did you know that more hours are wasted each day in distraction, low priority, unimportant busyness and trying to remember what they should be doing while repeating these actions daily and calling it life? So if you feel like you are spinning your wheels and getting no traction toward your life and business goals, these following steps might help!
If you could do this one action, and that’s to have a hard stop to your evening to evaluate your current state and strategically plan in relationship to your pre-defined terms of success, you could get back nearly 6 hours of your waking day.
Don’t believe me? Try it for a week. Too much to confront? Try it for 3 days.
Still seem daunting? Then do it, just once, and see what happens.
Here’s how it works:
- Decide what time you must awaken in order to have optimized energy to start your day refreshed and to fit in your optimized actions of movement, meditation and nutrition. Let’s say that is 6AM.
- Now reverse your time back to have at least 8 hours of sleep. YES more is ok.
Studies show sleep is the key to greatness in all areas of body, mind and business. The hours before midnight being most beneficial.
Lack of sleep is also the root cause of a weakened immune system, being reactive instead of proactive in business and life as well as diminished clarity and focus.
For this study, let’s decide that your bed time will be by 10pm.
3. Now let’s reverse to the next key action, a “digital sunset”. That includes all digital, yup smart phones – turn them off. Better yet, un-plug altogether, at least 2 hours before bed. By the way, never have your digital devices, TV or other in your bedroom or bathroom. (the most successful exec clients I have are religious about this one)
Not following this one step will virtually eliminate a healthy night sleep, not to mention any deep connection with your intimate partner.
Also, binge watching another episode because of that cliff hanger? This step is going to be extra essential. It’s not easy if you’ve come to use escapes like these. But what is really going on is that you are disconnected to what is truly meaningful in your life and with what you want to accomplish.
So what would you do instead for those 2 hours before bed?
I bet you can come up with at least 3 far more meaningful, nourishing and fulfilling actions you can take that would move you closer to your goals and dreams. Take just a moment and let your mind look…
Here are a couple of suggestions: family time, quiet reflection soaking in a bath of Epsom salt and essential oils, (perhaps with beloved joining in), a moonlight walk...
4. Enjoy your evening meal between 6-7PM and avoid over doing the alcohol or other stimulants. Ideally you want to be complete with your last bite 3-4 hours before bed to optimize brain and body health and function. Digestion takes a lot of body and brain power, sleep should be for restoring.
5. That gets us to the actual planning time, which could be anywhere from 4-6.
I like having my complete business shut down by 5:30 each evening. You can decide what is best for you, ideally best on your best use of energy.
During this time planning time, take a look at what you have done that day. If you keep statistics, evaluate where you are today vs where you were at a prior point in time, so you can gauge relevant progress and establish your battle plan for the next day based on true data. Note this down in your journal. You want to be tracking it and always have a pulse on your important and relevant numbers.
Ask, “What do I still have yet to do?”
Define the actions that forward your purpose, then choose the 1-3 actions you will get done and focus on, include what you need to BE (your identity) as well as DO in order to accomplish your target. Note this down in your daily planner.
For example, on writing days, I show up to my life differently and block out 3 hours uninterrupted time to write. All of my notes and ideas are ready and at hand. My identity is a motivational communicator and best selling author, when I sit down to write from that perspective, you can bet I show up differently in my energy and I’m much more motivated. You must try this! It works. Start identifying your BE in each area of your life and notice how your own energy shifts.
On client delivery days/times I show up as a calm, clear presence outward focused to support my clients.
This will also influence how your dress, how you speak and the internal dialogue you have going on.
The idea of assuming an identity from the place of desired outcome (successful business owner, world class athlete, calm, confident presenter, etc) is scientifically proven to invoke an internal state that propels you forward to your better reach goals.
What clothes would you lay out for the next day?
What is on your calendar for the next day in terms of appointments, anything you want to take to your sleep to get insight on?
Now, go take the simple actions, set out your clothes, update your calendar. It’s far easier operating from a creative mode the evening before, rather than in reactive mode from an unplanned hectic morning.
Take a look at your actions, thoughts and habits that do not serve you or your purpose, choose 1 to eliminate. Write this down in your journal so that you can be reminded to jetison that.
Again, write all of this down in your journal or day planner, and when the next day comes to an end you’ll be able to calmly and clearly assess what went right and what you still need to do.
When you begin your day the night before, I believe you will absolutely see a positive change in your life.
Try it and let me know how that goes!