An Evening Routine to try
Previously I wrote about the 6 minute morning routine with the idea that you take 6 elements and do them for a minute each and then increase them to 10 minutes each over 10 weeks so it becomes your new hourly morning routine to kickstart your day. This along with short recovery sessions through the day using the power of recovery are critical for maximising your focus, mental well-being and health.
But equally important is to ensure you bookend your day with an evening routine. This could be as short as 10 minutes at the end of the day. It is used to reflect on the day you have had, be grateful for what you achieved and what happened and also to plan for tomorrow.
"Failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail"- Benjamin Franklin
It is important to take this time to look back at what you achieved in the day. Be grateful for those who made the day enjoyable or who helped you as well as learn what you may have been able to do better. By this I mean take stock of what didn't go quite right and think about it in a positive light and one you can learn from. So when you wake up tomorrow and do your morning routine you reflect on yesterday's lessons learned and adjust accordingly.
"If you fell down yesterday, then stand up today." - H. G. Wells
So before you turn the lights out take a minimum of 10 minutes to do the following:
Ask yourself what 3 things you were grateful for today
What lessons did you learn today?
What are your top 3 priorities for tomorrow? - Famous author and business consultant Jim Collins says, “If you have more than three priorities, you don’t have any.”
What actions do you need to take to achieve those priorities? - Will it take courage and for you to step outside of your comfort zone? - Gym or run tomorrow morning? Get your clothes all ready laid out.
For one or two minutes visualise what tomorrow's mornings routine will look like and what you are going to do to achieve the priorities. See yourself bounding out of bed, getting ready to take on the day.
Affirm to yourself what you are going to achieve tomorrow that aligns with your bigger future goals.
Set an alarm across the other side of the room so you have to get up to turn it off.
Put some soothing music or sounds on to assist you to relax.
As you start to relax just think to yourself that you will wake up feeling energised in the morning - predominantly the last thing you really think to yourself at night will be the first thing you think of in the morning.
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow" - Mary Anne Radmacher
The reason it is important to look back at the day with gratitude is that you will have achieved or done some great things no matter how big or small or who helped you. It is important to just think of 3 things that made the day a good day.
We all have bad moments in the day but the aim is not to dwell on those things but to focus on the good stuff and learn from the bad stuff. What happened to make that not go well? What should I do tomorrow to rectify it or change it so it doesn't happen again or that you can manage it better. Don't forget there is a big goal or goals ahead of you and everyone makes mistakes. So don't focus on perfection, focus on being grateful and learning and adapting.
The one thing we all have in common is that we were all babies who couldn't walk when we were born. You only have to look at a one year old learn to walk and realise each trial step they take is new to them but it is formulating in their brain to get to the end goal of walking and independence. Each step and each fall they have fires up synapses in the brain and they learn eventually to walk and then it becomes second nature without thinking about it.
A torpedo adjusts all the time, it never goes straight at the target it actually moves in a subtle zig-zag motion going off course and making mistakes along the way but each time it corrects its course until it gets to the target.
So be grateful for what your day was, think positively and reflect on the lessons you learned today and if possible just like the famous Thomas Edison and Einstein, send a problem to your sub-conscious while you sleep as it will have 6 to 8 hours to work on it while you slumber and who knows what it will have come up with in the morning.
'Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious.' - Thomas Edison
Just like any routine you must give it sometime to become a habit so give it a couple of weeks and see if it makes a difference to you.
