For 15 days, we're exploring the topic of making our health and well-being a priority as part of the 15 Days to a Healthier You series. You can read Day 1 here, Day 2 here, Day 3 here, Day 4 here, Day 5 here, Day 6 here, Day 7 here, and Day 8 here.
Do you struggle to get up and going every morning? Does your day start with you feeling overwhelmed by everything you have to do, need to do, and feel you should do?
I truly believe that a successful day begins the night before. Setting yourself up for success before bed is an amazing way to not only have more peace in your day, but it’s a way to feel calmer and happier — and to have time for those things that matter most to you.
If you want to make the most of your days, you can't just expect to jump out of bed without a plan and somehow have all of the pieces fall into place for a very productive day. No, a productive morning is usually the fruit of planning and preparation. And it begins the night before.
To change your morning, you need to first change your evening.
If you go to bed late and the house is a mess, the dishes are piled in the sink, you're way behind on laundry, you don't have food for breakfast or lunches the next day, and you don't even know what appointments or events are scheduled for the next day, no wonder you wake up feeling frazzled, stressed, and behind!
If, on the other hand, you go to bed at a decent hour, your house is picked up, you have clothes laid out to wear, breakfast is in the crockpot, lunches are made, and backpacks and your purse and keys are by the door, you've given yourself a huge head start on a successful morning.
Instead of trying to get up at some too-early hour and cram in a crazy amount of things in the morning, focus on changing your before-bed routine first. You might find that this is the thing that transforms your morning much more than getting up early does.
In fact, if you prep well ahead of time in the evening, you just might be able to sleep in a little bit more in the mornings. (I bet all of you non-morning people just let out a collective shout of "Hallelujah!")
How to Set Up a Successful Evening Routine
1. Determine Your Bedtime
What time do you need to get up in the morning by in order to be out the door in time or start your day off on the right foot? Write that time down and then count backward by 8-9 hours. Whatever time you land on is your new bedtime.
This is the time that you must be in your PJs, have everything finished for the night, and be in bed. No ifs, ands, or buts. I'm your new drill sergeant and you must do what I say, okay? 
Sticking with a consistent bedtime just might be your number one key to morning success. When you're well rested, you have more energy, more clarity, and more productivity. Not to mention that you usually are less stressed, less irritable, and life just looks a lot rosier when your sleep tank is full.
2. Pick Your Top 5 Evening Must-Do's
Once you have your bedtime determined, then it's time to determine the five things that you are committing to do every evening before bed. I know you might want to come up with a list of 25 things that seem like they'd really be good to do, but let's keep it simple and just pick the top five must-do's.
To figure these out, start by listing off everything that comes to mind. Then, go through the list and star the most important priorities that will make a huge impact on your life.
Keep in mind that you can't realistically do everything. {I know, I know, I wish I was superwoman! Sadly, she doesn’t exist!}
As you’re analyzing your list, look for what Charles Duhigg calls "keystone habits". These are habits have a positive trickle down effect on all other areas. This could be something like going to bed earlier, or exercising before bed, or taking vitamins that give you more energy, or spending time with your husband.
Possible Evening Must-Do's
- Clothes Laid Out for the Morning
- Kitchen Cleaned Up
- Lunches Made For the Next Day
- Breakfast in the Crockpot (Or cereal out and cereal bowls and spoons set out on the table.)
- To-Do List Made for the Next Day
- Quick 15-Minute House Clean-Up
- Everything Together and Set By the Door That You Need For Tomorrow
Once you have figured out your Top 5 Must-Do's, write them down on a piece of paper and put them in a conspicuous place. You could even print them off in a cute font, laminate or stick them in a page protector, put this on your fridge, and then use a dry erase marker to mark each item off as you accomplish it each evening.
3. Create Your Realistic Evening Routine
Think realistically how long it's going to take for you to accomplish your Top 5 Must-Do's and then work backward from your bedtime to figure out your Evening Routine start time. In most cases, your start time is going to be at least an hour before your bedtime. I'd add in some extra time, just to be on a safe side and to give yourself a cushion in case something comes up.
Write this start time down on your Evening Routine, set a timer or an alarm to go off to remind you when you're supposed to start, and just do it. You can stick with just 5 simple things, or you can flesh your routine out a little more — like mine below.
My Current Evening Routine
- 6:30 p.m. — Clean up the kitchen, plan tomorrow’s list, refill water bottles
- 7:30 p.m. — Snuggle, talk, and hang out with kids
- 8:00 p.m. — Kids in bed, make tea
- 8:10 p.m. — Drink tea & plan my FB Live and Periscope shows for the morning
- 8:30 p.m. — Take my vitamins, wash my face, lay out my clothes for the morning
- 8:45 p.m. — Bath & read or time with Jesse (some nights he wants to stay up and work on a project or read, some nights we hang out together and talk or watch something)
- 9:15 p.m. — Lights out
4. Commit to stick with it for 21 days.
When you stick with something for three weeks, it's much more likely that it will become habit. It becomes a part of your life and something you don't even have to think about!
At the end of three weeks, you can tweak your evening routine and even add a few more things, if you're sure you're up to it. If you miss a few days or have a few hiccups along the way, don't be discouraged, just pick back up where you left off the next day.
If you need some ideas of ways to set up your evenings for success, here are three practical ideas that have made such a big difference in my own life. These are not hard or difficult or time-consuming, but by doing these three things almost every single night before bed, I set myself up for success every morning when I get up.
1. Clean Up the Kitchen
Waking up to a clean kitchen does wonders for my spirit. I don’t know what it is, but when my kitchen is clean, it feels like my whole house is clean!
Jesse and I usually work together to clean up the kitchen at night before we head to bed. Not only does this mean that we don’t wake up to dishes with food crusted on them that then we have to try scrape off, but it also makes me feel like I have a fresh head start on the day.
A few tips: I’ve found that if I make sure the kitchen is completely clean after breakfast and after dinner (here’s our simple system for keeping the kitchen clean), it makes it so much easier to stay on top of the kitchen. It seems like letting it go for more than two meals makes for an almost insurmountable job!
Also, if you have a dishwasher, use it. And if you don’t, maybe consider simple meals and paper plates as often as possible?
2. Pick Out Tomorrow’s Outfit
When I dress in an outfit that makes me feel great, I tend to feel happier, more energetic, and more productive. Taking a few minutes each night to pick out an outfit — down to shoes and jewelry — not only saves me time in the morning, but it makes it so much easier to actually get dressed in something I love.
A few tips: I found that keeping my closet simplified (here’s my system for keeping my closet pared down) and only owning what I love, makes it much easier to put together outfits that I feel and look great in.
I also have found it so valuable to wear things that are my type and style (here’s the course that changed my approach to how I dress).
3. Plan a Time-Blocked To Do List
Every night before bed, I write out a prioritized to-do list. It's simple and it only takes a few minutes, but it has revolutionized my productivity, helps me sleep better, and allows me to go to bed feeling peaceful and calm.
I check my Google calendar to see what projects and activities are already planned for the next day and then I write down a to do list with time blocks for each item on the list. (See my system for creating this to do list here.)
I aim to focus on getting the hardest tasks done first because I’ve found that when I “eat my frogs" early in the day, I have a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment to carry with me the rest of the day.
Day 9 Project
1. Determine a bedtime. Follow the steps above to figure out what a good bedtime is for you and commit to go to bed at that time every single evening for the next three weeks.
2. In addition, pick your top 5 Evening Must Do's, write them down, and commit to following them for the next three weeks.
3. Leave a comment telling us what bedtime you're committing to stick with and what your you determined were your Top 5 Evening Must Do's.
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