A Productive Day Starts The Night Before – Set Yourself Up For A Successful Morning
One of the biggest shifts in my productivity, personally and professionally, started after I altered parts of my daily routine. The first step was waking up earlier. Then, the next discovery that paid immediate dividends was finding out that a productive day starts the night before.
In my post Waking Up 5AM Changed My Life I share details on how getting up earlier compounded benefits across my financial situation, career, fitness and general wellbeing.
One area of that post that generated a handful of questions and comments was the routine I was doing the night before.
Which is fitting because these mornings have only become so beneficial because I’ve set myself up for success the night before. Through trial and error, I’ve developed a routine to ensure I can most effectively and efficiently take advantage of that 5AM – 8AM window.
The 5 main areas of my productive nightly routine focus on:
- Organizing For Productivity
- Reflecting On The Day
- Planning For A Productive Tomorrow
- No Screens & Reading
- Getting Enough Sleep
No two situations are the same and so many variables may not make this feasible in your own life. For example, I have no children, walk to and from work everyday and have always been a morning person.
Below is the system that has worked for me.
Initial Shift To Waking Up At 5AM To Increase Productivity
As I alluded to in my waking up at 5AM post, I’d slipped into an unproductive habit a few years prior. My alarm in the morning was being pushed later and later.
I was rushing off to work having accomplished nothing in the morning. By the time I returned home after a busy, often stressful day at the office, my energy level was low and I’d either skip or put in a pathetic workout. Any thoughts of side hustling, starting a side business or exploring new opportunities was lost.
Long-story short, the trajectory in many facets of my life was heading the wrong way.
Thanks to Tim Ferriss’ 4 Hour Work Week and interviews I’d seen around that time with successful entrepreneurs, executives and industry leaders, I decided to wake up at 5AM. The Huffington Post shared an article highlighting when successful people wake up and the routines that have helped their lives.
There seemed to be a consistent mindset from these individuals…
Win the morning, win the day.
That first 5AM alarm went off approx. 28 months ago and has remained locked to that time for 97% of the days since.
A Productive Day Starts The Night Before – 5 Tips From My Routine
Time is a finite resource and we are each only given so many days, hours, minutes and seconds to achieve our goals.
I’ve always been a morning person. Some of you might be better suited to being night owls. Again, no two situations are the same. I’ve found that I’m most productive in the mornings (outside of my downward trajectory period).
Therefore, I’m looking to use that time most effectively on 3 specific areas. Those focus points are: fitness, side hustling (blog and freelance digital marketing) and preparing for work.
To read about what I’m doing with those 3 focuses in more detail, check out the waking up at 5AM article. This post will concentrate on the night before and that routine. More specifically, the 5 areas that I concentrate on to best prepare for a productive morning.
The goal for me then is that when I wake up I’ve set myself up for the most success possible.
1.) Organizing For Productivity
This stage of the night before routine can be nailed down to: clean, lay out and prepare.
The objective is to complete or set up any of the tactical, administrative and cumbersome tasks the night before so I can leverage those most productive morning hours on what matters most.
I’ve looked to organize for productivity the night before by focusing on removing any morning distractions from my:
- Food
- Dishes
- Clothes
These might sound trivial but my morning mind can remove these worries and spend the energy elsewhere. After getting out of bed I can immediately get started on my bigger goals by accomplishing these 3 things the night before.
Preparing Food To Help Morning Productivity
I bring my own lunch to work 95% of the time (generally 19 out of 20 days over 4 weeks). On Sunday, I will bulk cook meals to cover Monday – Wednesday. Then on Wednesday night, I do the same to cover Thursday – Saturday.
Each night I package up my lunch for the next day so that the only thing I need to do in the morning is grab it from the fridge.
For my morning food and drink needs, every night I will organize my pre-workout snack and arrange my breakfast items to the front of the fridge or cupboard. Plus I get everything to make coffee out and set it beside the machine.
Everything I could possibly need for the morning is now prepared and ready. All I have to do is turn on the coffee machine and pull out the food. I’ve written about bulk cooking and getting the best bang for your buck with food in this 13 Easy Ways To Save Money On Groceries post.
Dishes Clear For A Clear Mind
This was something my Mom instilled in me. She used to say something along the lines of “a dirty dish in the sink is a slippery slope”.
It might’ve been a ploy to get me to always clean up after myself. However, what she really meant was having the mindset of “I’ll do it later” was a slippery slope. Outside of dishes, that way of thinking can have a compounding negative effect.
Therefore, each and every night the sink is empty. The counter is clear outside of my coffee mug and water bottle.
Clothes Ready For A Productive Morning
The final cumbersome task of setting myself up for a productive morning is clothing. More specifically, getting the clothes out needed the next day’s workout and time at the office.
These are hung and laid out every night.
Again, I’m most productive in the morning so the goal here is to alleviate any trivial tasks as best possible. I can wake up to immediately put on my workout gear and again get changed for work after showering without putting thought on what to wear, finding items, etc..
I want to run on autopilot when it comes to smaller decisions so I can put the majority of focus on those fitness, side hustle and work prep priorities.
2.) Reflecting On The Day
Each night as I’m winding down I take time to reflect on the day that was. This generally occurs after the trivial prep tasks above are done.
What went well? Was there any personal or professional wins to celebrate? Did anything not go as planned? Is there something I did wrong to cause that?
Reflecting back on these crazy, busy and fast-paced days helps me reset and re-engage with what I did (or didn’t do). Sometimes, the takeaways aren’t going to profoundly impact anything. Other times, this process gives me a clear picture on bettering my life, money, career and relationships.
I spend 5-10 minutes penning these down in a mole skin journal.
Journaling – Reflection For Productivity
I definitely wasn’t always someone who wrote in a journal or spent anytime on self-reflection. Similar to the reason I shifted to waking up at 5am, I was hearing so many successful and interesting people mention it as part of their nightly process.
I decided to give it a try. And it’s definitely helped over the last 2+ years.
The Huffington Post touches on 10 Surprising Benefits You’ll Get From Keeping A Journal.
The journaling process I do every night has definitely helped with #2, #3, #6 and #10 from that list. Asking myself about the wins and losses from the day has increased my mindfulness and self-discipline.
In turn, that leads into goal setting and planning.
3.) Planning For A Productive Tomorrow
The next step is laying the groundwork for what I want to accomplish the next day. The wins and losses from the journaling step 1 above often help develop these goals and priorities.
Knowing I have this 5AM – 8AM window before work to concentrate with limited distractions, I want to ensure I know what I’m actually trying to do.
The goals and priorities focus on the 3 areas to my productive morning I mentioned before:
- Fitness
- Side Hustle
- Work
Planning for a productive tomorrow has really helped me take ownership and spike commitment to what I want to achieve. However, writing these down the night before had also made my mornings more streamlined as I know what I’m looking to focus on from the moment I wake up.
This is accomplished through my journal again and the app Todoist.
Journaling – Goals & Priorities
The next section in my mole skin journal after the daily reflections section is the goals and priorities for the next day.
I will write out a fitness plan for the next morning. I’ve been doing this long enough now that my different routines are ingrained in my head. But the act of writing it out really reinforces that commitment and accountability.
Next up is the side hustle and blogging goals and priorities for the next morning. Since starting this blog I’ve shifted my freelance digital marketing hours to 50% of what they used to be. I now spend approx. 1 hour working on each in the morning after the workout, shower and breakfast.
Finally, I will make note of any meetings, projects, upcoming deadlines or key details on the schedule or priority list for my work. Again, this is to help set myself up for success the next day by actively planning and thinking about the coming day.
Todoist – Check Lists For A Productive Day
After making note of these fitness, side hustle and work goals and priorities by hand, I create some quick Todoist checklists in my phone.
Todoist is the amazing app and web platform for organizing, planning, setting reminders and staying on track.
The whole goal here is peaking that accountability, commitment and discipline to my biggest goals and priorities. It’s also very fulfilling to “check off” items on your to-do list on Todoist.
Medium has a great feature on mastering Todoist so you can best use the app.
4.) No Screens & Reading
Given my brand marketing career in a dynamic always-changing industry, side hustle digital marketing projects and running this blog, I often don’t hold up my end of the bargain with the ‘no screen’ rule.
However, a goal of mine is to continually limit my screen time before bed. I noted having a full 24-hour digital detox as one of the items on the 30 small wins challenge.
Sleep.org discusses 3 scary ways technology affects your sleep and The Huffington Post shares results from a survey on the negative impacts of screens before.
It’s safe to say, I’m trying to cut screen time at a minimum of 30 minutes before lights out.
In place of screens, I’ve been picking up books.
Lifehack notes these 6 benefits of reading before bed:
- Sleep better
- Reduce stress
- Become more creative
- Improve concentration
- Increase empathy
- Create serenity and peace
Adding more reading to my routine before bed in place of screens has definitely helped set myself up for a successful morning. It’s another key element of the idea behind a productive day starts the night before.
If you’re looking for a book suggestions, check out my book recommendations page or this post with 25 Books On Personal And Professional Development.
5.) Getting Enough Sleep To Drive A Productive Morning
When I first started waking up at 5AM I was sleeping 6 to 6.5 hours. After 9 months of that I knew I needed to get closer to 7 hours consistently.
Recently the goal is to be lights out and falling asleep at 10PM or earlier. However, this is currently another shortfall that I’m actively looking to improve my consistency with.
I notice the difference in productivity even on the days I get 7 hours 15 minutes versus 6 hours 45 minutes. To avoid burn out and remain productive I need to ensure I’m getting enough sleep.
The Mayo Clinic notes 7 to 9 hours for adults is the target range but also mentions the quality of sleep is just as important.
Some strategies that have “seemed” to be increasing the quality of my sleep are:
- The shift of screens to books as noted above
- Drinking 2 cups of water before bed
- Using flux on my computer
- Eating dinner earlier
- Developing a consistent schedule and routine
My goal for the rest of 2018 is to consistently hit that 7 hour mark and keep the sleep quality high. Continuing to ensure I get enough sleep will make my routine even more beneficial and help me best create a productive morning.
In Closing…A Productive Day Starts The Night Before
As I mentioned earlier, no two situations are the same. What is feasible and beneficial for my life, may not totally be applicable to your lifestyle and living situation.
There are countless strategies, resources and tricks that can increase productivity.
Personally, my goal is to leverage the morning as an opportunity to better reach my goals – financially, creatively, physically and so on. In recent years, setting myself up for a successful morning has made major momentum by building out the system above.
The framework of my routine around a productive day starts the night before is:
- Organizing For Productivity
- Reflecting On The Day
- Planning For A Productive Tomorrow
- No Screens & Reading
- Getting Enough Sleep
Are you a morning person and use that time to support your priorities?
Are there any productivity strategies you use to better set yourself up for success?
Let me know in the comments below.
Here are some other posts to help you take control of your money and life:
- The Personal Finance Resources And Content That Saved My Life
- 15 Smart Money Moves You Can (Easily) Make This Month
- Best Personal Finance Podcasts – 30+ Money, Investing And Side Hustle Shows
- Building Good Money Habits – Make Your Own Money Momentum
- 35+ Rewarding Side Hustles Anyone Can Do To Earn More Money
- 25 Books On Personal And Professional Development
A ton of good stuff in this post! Brilliant!!!
I tell you something, I’ve had 4.30am starts since I was at University. For this one reason alone, I totally aced uni and seen huge upsides in side hustles and the like over the years.
There is something super refreshing and intentional about waking up early. And as you make clear, winning tomorrow really starts today.
I also do journaling and find prayer extremely useful for all aspects of my personal life. I build all this into my morning routine too.
This approach is especially helpful at this stage of my life as a family man with 2 boys under 5. And ofcourse throw in running my site among other things. It’s easy for a day to pass by if not careful. So mornings are a huge asset!
Thanks Ken! Appreciate you stopping by and sharing your own routine and system. So awesome to hear you’re mastering your mornings too.
You hit the nail on the head with “it’s easy for a day to pass by if not careful”. That used to happen so often before I switched everything. I’d get home from work and next I know it’d be 10PM and I’d done nothing else but my 9-5 routine.
I love the feeling when I’m out for a run in the morning or looking out the window of my place and it’s still dark, the suns barely rising and almost no lights are on in the buildings around me.
Win the morning, win the day!
Cheers,
Scott
Great article, 5am is also my target wake up time but I’m nowhere near your 97% success rate. I usually start off good Monday-Tuesday but kind of lag as the week goes on. Thanks for night routine I’ll have to give some of those tips a try.
I agree with a lot of this.
– Dishes are always washed after every meal. (Even though we have a dishwashing machine, we never used it. The last time I used it was when we moved in to the house and the home inspector turned it on to see if it worked.) I was everything by hand.
– I cook breakfast the nigher before. Always. My favorite: oatmeal with things added (dried fruit and or nuts etc.(. Then I heat it up in the morning. This saves a ton of morning time. Time in the morning was always in short supply when I was working so it helped me get me out of the house to work. I continue this tradition now that I retired.
– If I need to get out the house early, I set out my clothes the night before. Eliminates the need to think and hunt in the morning. Since I am now retired, I dont need to do this often but it helps when there is an early start.
– 6 am is m y getting out of bed time. It was the time I was up for work. Now that I am finished with work I continue to get up early because there is so much more life to live. Exercise, yoga, breakfast, practice music, blogging, garden, other tasks and goals.
Yum!
Thanks for checking out the post!
It’s always awesome to hear other people’s systems and routines that are helping them take advantage of the time and opportunities they have.
Even in retirement you’re still maximizing your productivity, inspiring for me to keep up my own routine!
Agreed on the oatmeal front, such a great canvas to boost with a variety of flavours and toppings.
All the best! And thanks again. Keeping me motivated 🙂
Scott
Thanks much for this article. I always love to read how others start early so that it inspires me. I am a long way off from 5 AM mornings, but those few days when I do make it, I totally love it. Your line “I love the feeling when I’m out for a run in the morning or looking out the window of my place and it’s still dark, the suns barely rising and almost no lights are on in the buildings around me.” totally resonates with me. It’s great to know that you are already up and alert while the rest of the world is sleeping.
Since I am from India, keeping breakfast ready the previous night might be a challenge. Our food habits are different, it’s all prepared every morning. So I’ve got to figure out how I can plan my routine without rushing through things.
My Guru once mentioned that to develop any habit, it takes just 41 days. That’s definitely worth a try! In case you are interested you can listen more here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-Mla7dYOvA)
Thanks again. I am inspired 🙂
Great post. I’ve been waking up at 5:00 AM for almost 6 months and it has been life changing. I started waking up that early mainly because I read “The Morning Miracle”. I’m certain you’ve read it before. If not… I highly recommend it.
I haven’t put much thought in preparation for the next day at night (other than thinking I will wake up early and it will be a great morning/day). But I think I’ll attempt some of these suggestions and see how it works out. (I imagine they will work).
Those points you made that “seem” to help you sleep. Just two of the points I know there is scientific literature that states they do improve sleep.
Anyways I won’t dive deep into it. Great post!
-FSD
Thanks for checking out the post and nice words!
Congrats to you on crushing your own morning routine. What are you looking to achieve in those morning hours?
Adding in the night before prep really helped me clear the deck for whatever it was I wanted to accomplish after waking up.
I did read morning miracle and took from that some great motivation and ideas to fit my own life.
And thank you, good to know science supports some of those points. I’d seen them in books and blogs as suggested tactics but never dug deeper enough to fracking down proven theory from science.
Scott
Great post! I have endeavored to wake up at 5 am for a while. In the past I never quite committed to an evening routine that would really help me get into a rhythm waking up that early. Now, with a newborn in the picture it’s tougher to sleep on any type of schedule but waking up early before he gets going will make it easier for me to focus on my blogging. Which has become difficult to do in the evenings after work. I am definitely going to implement some things from your routine.
I can only imagine the layer of difficulty a newborn adds to any routine! Congrats to you on the new addition to the family.
Setting myself up by completing those tasks the night before was a big win to my traditional morning routine.
Let me know if you try it out and how it works! Always love hearing what’s working for others or new ideas they have.
Scott
Hi Ken,
This was very informative! Thank you for sharing. To answer your question I am not a morning person. I’m more of a night owl. However, I do know that in order to maximize my day I must start it out much earlier than I normally do. My Grandma always say the early bird catches the most/ best worms. Another nugget she shares is there are more dogs than bones in other words you have to get up earlier to get your bone. So I’m still working towards achieving this goal of waking up earlier. I’d also like to incorporate fitness to my morning routine. I have however made small improvements by packing my lunch the night before and choosing what I’ll wear for the next day. I’ve been journaling for years and I enjoy reading books as well. What I’d like to eliminate altogether is social media. I spend a lot of non productive time on it. Not that reading this blog was lol?