What you do first thing in the morning has a huge effect on how successful and productive your whole day will be.
It’s no coincidence that successful entrepreneurs get up much earlier than the average person (even if they can afford to sleep in).
They dedicate the first hour or so of their day to activities and habits that get them in a good mood, set them up for a big day, unleash their creativity, positivity and peace, and help them get to work and start getting things done with motivation and passion.
That’s why a powerful morning ritual can turn your whole life around.
But there’s something else you can do that will double your results in every area, and will let you build even more successful habits: having a night routine, an evening success ritual.
Yes, there are things you can do right after you wake up that are healthy, positive and productive. But there are also the ones you can make time for before you go to bed.
I believe that your evening habits are what makes you have a good night’s sleep (or are responsible for the lack of it), can help you leave the problems of the day behind and empty your mind so that you can be ready for tomorrow, can give you an idea of how you’re performing at work, personal life, etc.
So yes, what you do before you go to bed matters a lot. And if you take control of it and dedicate as little as 20 minutes to create a pleasant night routine that includes some powerful evening habits, you can guarantee tomorrow’s success from the night before.
Here’s what you can do:
Night Routine: Do This Every Night to Sleep Better and Be More Productive Tomorrow
1. Evaluate your day.
That can take no more than 5 minutes a day but can have a tremendous effect on your personal development.
Most people just keep trying to improve themselves and achieve more, and even if they do a lot of things every day, take action all the time and are motivated, they still don’t know whether they are doing things right.
Truth is that you may think you’re being productive, when in fact you spend hours every day in time-wasting activities, bad habits, procrastination and taking decisions that can be automated.
To change that, assess your day in the evening so that you can see what works and what doesn’t.
Here’s what to watch out for:
- what you did and didn’t get done;
- how you feel about it;
- if you could have done it in less time and how;
- were you productive;
- were there things you did that weren’t urgent or even necessary;
- did you prioritize;
- what would you change to be more productive tomorrow.
2. Write your to-do list for tomorrow morning now.
That will make it easier for you to get to work after your morning ritual the next day simply because you will have scheduled your day.
Make sure to include the following as part of your night routine for peak performance:
- the things that need to get done tomorrow;
- small things like a meeting or calling a friend, and other arrangements;
- daily errands and habits (grocery shopping, cleaning the house or starting a new habit);
- your most important tasks for the day;
- things you’ve been putting off for a long time (you probably don’t need to complete them tomorrow but it’s better if they are on your list so that you can eventually do something about them);
- things not to do (maybe there’s a bad behavior you want to stop doing).
All this will give you a sense of what you have to do tomorrow and it will be easier for you to dedicate time to each but still keep the other tasks in mind and not forget about them.
You can also keep a bedtime journal.
3. Don’t eat or drink 2-4 hours before bed.
If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, that may be the main reason.
Make sure you eliminate that bad habit in order to optimize your night routine and have a great end of the day.
4. Accept today for what it was.
Tell yourself you did your best and feel good about it.
Many people tend to carry the burden of the day with them to the next one. And thus can never achieve more as they’re always in the past somehow.
Don’t be like that.
5. Let go.
Leave behind all the problems, thoughts about work, negativism, doubts and regrets about this day.
Focusing on them will make you sleep deprived and stressed as you’ll be overthinking for a long time when you try to get to sleep.
You can’t really change anything about today. It is what it is. And it’s not bad. It’s just how you performed.
The good news is you can be twice as productive and positive tomorrow if you decide to and turn letting go into one of your success evening habits.
6. Unplug.
During that evening routine make sure you don’t use any devices. At least during the last 30 minutes of your day.
I know it may be hard for most people to close their laptops (especially if they’re working from home) or to leave their phones. But it’s the better thing to do.
7. Do some reading (offline) to get yourself to sleep.
If you find it hard to get yourself to sleep, add this habit to your night routine.
Not only will you bring back the essential practice of reading daily, but you’ll also learn new stuff, get inspired or come up with new ideas. Be it fiction or non-fiction, the book will make you sleepy after a while too.
Read also: The Sleeping Habits of 50 Successful People
8. Meditate.
That’s not a must, of course. It may just not be your thing. But you should at least give it a try in order to feel the benefits a quick meditation session before bedtime can have on your mental health and life in general.
That’s one of the top habits of successful people. And they say it helps them empty their mind, let go of the worries and be in the present moment.
Add to it positive affirmations about how proud of yourself and your performance today you are, about the good sleep you’re going to get in 15 minutes and about tomorrow and all the opportunities it will bring.
9. Floss.
Do it together with brushing your teeth, taking a shower, washing and cleansing your face, or whatever else you do during your evening hygiene routine.
10. Prepare your clothes for tomorrow.
Build that together with the other evening habits and you’ll make things easier for the next morning.
You can get other stuff ready too, so that you won’t forget anything and won’t need to be in a hurry.
11. Set up an alarm and put it on the other side of the room.
This will help you wake up immediately.
12. Go to sleep and be excited about tomorrow morning.
That’s one of the most natural and powerful ways to actually get up earlier than you have to and kickstart your day.
Just think about what tomorrow may bring – you may take opportunities and thus open new doors, you may double your productivity and see more results in just one day, you may meet new people, take a serious decision about your life and decide to change, etc.
It’s all up to you. And all that can start in the morning. So be happy about it.
This way you’ll wake up not in a bad mood, but with a smile on your face and gratitude in your heart.
What do you think? Would such a night routine be a nice addition to your day? And which of these evening habits would you like to develop first?