I have been doing the Daily Stoic Daily Habits for Success and Happiness and it has started to shape my daily routines. I am a big fan of routines especially when it comes to habit building, health and productivity. I am starting to realize that a great nighttime routine leads to an even better morning routine.
With that being said, I want you to sit down and think of the things you do each morning before you go to work. It can be things that almost everyone does (packing a lunch for work, making coffee) or things that are particular to you (swimming laps at the gym, riding your bike to work). Everyone’s routine is different, because every person is different. You need to find the specific one that works for you instead of trying to copy someone else’s routine.
Then tonight, before you go to sleep, do the prep work that will have your morning going as smoothly as possible. Figure out what you want to bring for lunch and prepare it the night before. Load up your coffee maker with grounds and water; you can even set the timer to start it automatically, making it one less thing to worry about. If you work out before you go to work, get all your gear together and put it next to your bed so it’s right there in the morning. Get the journal in which you write your morning pages and put it and a pen on your nightstand.
Below are some suggestions for good things to do the night before to prepare for the next day:
· Check your schedule
· Choose your outfit
· Prepare lunch, breakfast or both
· Prepare gym bag and routine
· Prepare your coffee
· Prepare your work bag
· Write out your to do list for the next day
· Go to sleep on time (have a good wind down routine eliminating screen time)
· Put your morning pages journal where you will see it first thing
· Declutter your office, desk, computer, and email inbox
· Read a chapter out of a book you’ve been working on
· Meditate, Pray or use other relaxation methods
· Go to sleep on time (have a good wind down routine eliminating screen time)
When you prepare for tomorrow today, you’re setting the stage to achieve success in whatever you choose to do—because you no longer have to worry about splitting your effort between a million mundane tasks. Now, instead of focusing on what color suit to wear to work, you can direct your effort toward those critical projects that make or break your case for a raise this year. And instead of rushing around the kitchen tomorrow morning throwing together a slapdash PB&J for lunch, you can prepare all the fixings for a nice lunch salad, something healthy and satisfying.
Why is it so important to engage in this kind of place-setting the night before? Because of something called decision fatigue.
Decision fatigue is the fog that comes over you when you’re faced with too many decisions to make. Just like our muscles can get fatigued with overuse our mind can as well. If you’re inundated with decisions, even small ones, the stress of deciding begins to add up. Before you know it, you’ve used all your mental energy trying to decide what socks to wear to work or which gas station to fill your car at before you get there, and you’ve left yourself with few reserves to help you with the decisions and choices that actually matter.
So, let’s start tonight by putting together a routine that works for you and seeing where you can simplify your mornings to start your day off on a better foot.
Dr. JP Guidry DPT CSCS TPI FL2