Evenings are tough because they are not as predictable as mornings. You have social events, work emergencies, date nights etc. I manage a predictable evening most days and here is my routine:
First I make a to do list for tomorrow. Everything I need to do organized from most important to least important. This clears my mind and allows me to turn off the work mode.
Then I prepare for the morning routine. The goal is to take any and all decision making out of my morning. When I get out of bed in the morning I want to be able to start my day on autopilot. No emotional energy required. No variance. What I’m going to do in the morning is as good as done.
So I lay out my clothing for work, hang my towel on the shower hook, grind beans and set my coffee pot to instantly brew at 6am, get my bike ready to workout and ride on my trainer along with my water bottles, kit, and towels.
I then put my question or problem on my google document on my computer and put my computer in airplane mode. I put my phone on the charger in my office and leave it there. No checking email, social media, or texting after this point around 7pm.
Then I usually put my baby to bed and spend time with my wife.
My goal is to be asleep by 10pm so at about 9:15 I take a hot shower and meditate through it taking deep breaths throughout. At around 9:30 I brush my teeth and then spend about 15 minutes stretching and using my self massaging tool to ease tension in my pressure points on my back, in my shoulders, and on my neck.
Then its 15 minutes of fiction reading on my kindle before sleep. No business books, no input from social media or work email or my mind will jump start and I’ll find myself on my computer in my office until 1am.
After the fiction reading I lay on my back and meditate until I fall asleep. And my meditation consists of simply taking deep breaths and trying not to think. This is nearly impossible but I practice not pursuing thoughts and instead letting them pass through and go on their own way. This works really well for me.
Thats it. Give it a shot and see how it works for you!
I’ve been working on a morning routine for about a month now and have had great results. I forget where I read about this. Maybe Tim Ferriss.
Before I go to bed I write a question or problem I’ve been working on with my business or life in general at the top of a google document. I close all other windows and put the computer in offline mode.
The next morning I wake up and brush my teeth. Then I drink a full glass of water and a cliff bar while making coffee. No phone or input at all. No checking emails. Then I do a 15 minute workout routine. Cardio 3x per week and weight training 2x.
I then read the question at the top of my google document before taking a quick hot shower. While in the shower I purposely breath very slowly and try to let all the thoughts pass through my head without focusing on any of them. I’ve gotten better now and a few showers I have been able to meditate through the entire thing.
As soon as I get out of the shower and get dressed I sit down at my computer with my coffee and begin to type out my thoughts. No phone and no email and no social media. Just this blank page with the question on top. My computer is offline and my phone is still in the other room.
I start thinking and I start writing.
Bullet points at first. Some days I write for 20 minutes and some I write for 2 hours depending on how much time I have. Some days I have 5 or even 10 pages of thoughts out on paper. I am often super productive during this time get a lot of very important business planning done.
It is amazing how this makes you feel and the insights that come. This blog and podcast are a product of this creative time in the morning.