Night Routine For Daily Success
Planning ahead is an important tool when it comes to helping you feel more in control of your time and of your life. One small trick I’ve learned over the years can help you amp up your planning routine even more, and that’s planning your day the night before. Read on to discover how planning your workday the night before can lead to a better and more productive day.
This is part of my 30 days to a happier life challenge! Along this challenge, I’ve shared some of the advantages of getting information out of your brain in order to be more productive and to feel better. Planning is an incredibly important component to this process and can really keep stress away!
About Planning the Night Before
We have a lot to do each day between work life and family life. Juggling it all can be overwhelming and sometimes we forget things- like crazy hair day at school, your husband’s birthday or the phone bill.
Making a plan for your day ahead of time offers a lot of benefits. Planning the night before is even better because it can help you sleep better knowing you’ve planned your day and it will help you keep track of everything.
Why it Works
Planning your workday before it has even arrived allows you a little separation from the stress of deciding in the moment.
When you approach the plan the night before, you have some space that allows you to look at tomorrow as a clean slate. You won’t feel time-crunched, and you can more objectively see what activities should take priority.
Also, by making decisions ahead of time, you’ll be freeing up executive function space in your brain to allow you to think more clearly during the day and get more done. In addition, when you make a plan, you’re more likely to stick to it.
When flying by the seat of your pants, you may tend to slack a bit, leaving yourself feeling frazzled when you end up stuck staring down a deadline at the last-minute.
How to Get Started
Make it a habit
Getting started is actually really simple and should even become a habit once you start seeing how it’s improving your life. Grab a journal, planner or even use an app on your phone to make planning easier!
Just 10 minutes each night can save you tons of time, frustration and anxiety the following day. You’ll feel more productive and wake up with purpose, knowing just what you have to do that day.
You’ll also find you can sleep better knowing you have your day already planned out and on paper, rather than laying awake worrying about it or feeling like you might forget something.
Steps To Plan Your Day
- Take a few minutes before bed to go over your following day.
- List what projects you have to accomplish
- List the calls you have to make
- Write down the appointments you have to schedule
- Schedule in the meetings you have planned
- List the errands you need to run
You can plan your day using a planner or calendar, either in paper form or digital. You can even use your smart phone if you prefer!
Put your most important tasks, first.
Always make sure you get the biggest, toughest job, out of the way first! Once you finish your biggest job, you’ll feel less pressure throughout the day and end up being more productive.
- Look at your calendar and decide in which time blocks these activities best fit. Don’t let yourself panic about locking yourself into a timeframe. We all know things come up unexpectedly sometimes. You can always move things around. At least having a basic plan will get you on the road to being more in charge of your day.
Make it a habit to give yourself an extra 10 minutes or so every night to plan ahead. I know we are all time-crunched, but this 10 minutes will actually save you time, worry and struggle the next day!
With some practice, you’ll soon find you’re able to tackle your day no matter what comes your way because you’re more prepared. The benefits from planning the night before are great when it comes to freeing up your mind, helping you to prioritize and encouraging follow-through. Give it a try tonight! Set aside a few minutes to prioritize and prepare for tomorrow!
[…] Plan Your Day, The Night Before For An Easier Day! […]