Welcome back to Day 14 of 31 Days to a Life of Purpose!
We have all had those days that start off bad and end up worse. The outfit you needed for an important meeting isn’t clean. Your son can’t find his library book. You’re out of milk, and bread, and eggs…and pretty much all other breakfast items. You woke up late. It happens to the best of us at some point. However, you can set yourself up for a successful day by creating and following effective morning and evening routines.
The most important of these is actually the evening routine. An evening routine helps finish the day out well and eliminate the potential chaos of the next morning by preparing in advance. Here are a few things to consider for your evening routine:
- Cleaning the kitchen
For me, there is nothing worse in the morning than walking into a messing kitchen and having to get breakfast ready for four people. I try to clean as I go while making dinner, and then finish washing any dishes and running the dishwasher before bed so that I will have a neat space to start off my day.
- Do a 15-minute pickup
By spending just 15 minutes picking up the house each evening, you can likely keep most items in place and help eliminate messes. If everyone in the family participates, this could add up to over an hour of cleaning (or 30 minutes of cleaning, because let’s be honest – no one picks up like mom picks up).
- Prepare backpacks/lunches for the next day
If you have children in school outside the home, this step can be especially crucial to a successful morning. Make sure that everything that needs to be in the backpack is there in the evening, including any papers that need to be signed. If your children take their lunch to school, then packing it the night before helps eliminate one more thing that would have to be done in the morning and can eliminate stress if your child has trouble deciding what to take or simply isn’t a morning person.
- Decide clothes for the next day
Choosing clothes the night before allows time to make sure everything that is needed is clean. It can also be easier to make that decision at night than trying to make it in the morning when you aren’t fully awake yet.
- Reflect on your day
What went well? What didn’t go well? What tasks weren’t you able to finish that need to be completed the next day? This is a key step when trying to live purposefully.
- Make a to-do list for the next day
Use the information from your reflection to create a to-do list for the next day. By making a to-do list the night before, you allow your mind to rest, knowing that those items will be addressed in the morning.
- Go to bedtime in time to get enough sleep
Sleep is SO important! When we are super busy, it is often one of the first things we skimp on. Your body needs time to recharge each night. You will have more energy and will generally feel better if you allow yourself enough time to sleep. The amount needed can vary from adult to adult. Generally, adults need 7 – 9 hours of sleep each night. This is a tough one for me because my husband can make it on 7 hours, but I NEED 9 hours. It is important to know what your body requires. If you require 9 hours of sleep to reduce stress and have energy for the day, your bedtime and waking time will be different than someone who only requires 7 hours of sleep.
I hope these suggestions will be helpful for you in creating an evening routine. There are many other things that you could choose to include as well. The important thing is to find a routine that works for you and helps to alleviate stress in the morning and to set yourself up for a successful day.
[…] Each evening, I have been pausing for a time of reflection about my day. I mentioned this in a post earlier this month. During this time of reflection, I ask myself 4 […]