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"Don't let yesterday take up too much of today."
Often, we are so consumed by the tasks of the day that we forget to relax; yet a good night's sleep and a leisurely day can help us turn an average day into an exceptional one.
This blog post is about how easy it is to re-create an extraordinary evening for yourself - one where you'll find yourself more relaxed and focused than ever before. It covers how to get a good night's sleep so you're ready for whatever tomorrow morning may bring and what other things you can do to ensure that your evening ends up being just as impressive. Let's start with a bit of background.
So You've Got Fatigue.
Ever since the dawn of time, humans have been struggling to understand what causes fatigue and how they could alleviate it. It is because as time goes by, we observe different levels of fatigue in different people following the same activities or events - some tend to become more tired while others feel less so; some are under more pressure throughout their day and have a more challenging time focusing while others feel like they can power through much of their work; and so on. And yet, in the end, all that matters is that we perform our tasks well and get better results than those around us.
It would make sense to conclude that there is no rhyme or reason to how or why we become fatigued, but all that matters is that as long as we can do our work well, we can sleep soundly at night – and vice versa. So we should treat fatigue like a natural phenomenon.
For years, I've found it helpful to keep a small notebook where I write down the tasks I need to complete to be ready for the night ahead. I use Trello (which is excellent; if you haven't tried it yet, definitely check it out).
This list usually consists of tasks such as "clean the bedroom" and "unsubscribe from those sites that take too much time." These are often followed by details about how I have spent my day so far, which reminds me that I need to make sure I complete each task.
The key is to not simply write down without thinking about it – you'll end up with a cluttered list of "have to do's" that are hard to prioritize. Instead, start by imagining the evening at hand; think about how you want it to go - what you want to accomplish, what you need to get done, and why you're doing it in the first place.
For example, on a recent Friday, I wrote that I needed to: "Clean the bedroom, clean the bathroom and paint the kitchen." It would have been easier to list all those things I had to do without thinking about it; however, it would have been far less effective. I reflected on and wrote down exactly what I wanted to accomplish for this evening and why my list was a lot more powerful.
Doing this type of exercise is beneficial for facilitating your productivity - and it's also great for your present mindset and future perspective. You will find that you're more focused during the day when you're focused on what you want rather than what has to be done.
Make sure you take breaks to stretch your muscles and get some fresh air throughout the day - this will help you maintain good energy levels and make you feel better about yourself, significantly enhancing your efficiency.
When it's time to get ready for the evening ahead, schedule a time when you can lie down and relax. Remember that if you're too busy to take proper care of yourself each day, you won't be able to handle the load that comes your way at the end of each day.
Even though you might get up from the desk and run out of coffee, if you don't eat enough throughout the day to refuel correctly, you won't be able to handle the workload. In other words, ensure that when you're done with your work, you can relax rather than work more.
It's also essential to set aside some time for yourself to reflect upon your activities of the day - especially work-related ones. We spend so much time thinking about what we've been doing that we should spend more time reflecting on why we do things in the first place.
It can be achieved by taking the time to plan ahead and by reflecting upon your current tasks - sometimes, you may be missing out on something important from your list. In other words, make sure you spend as much time preparing for the evening as you spend in your evening.
You know it's time to relax when you no longer need to think about what's next – when all that matters is that you're ready for tomorrow morning. Then again, I'd like to take a moment and reflect on how lovely evenings can be.
You see, my evenings tend to follow similar patterns, but I rarely stop to reflect on what I've accomplished over the day and where I am today compared with yesterday. In other words, I usually spend most of my time thinking about what has to be done tomorrow and how I can prepare for it - which is why I will never seem to have enough time.
When we can take the time to relax and reflect upon our activities, we can more easily appreciate how far we've come. It is especially true when you train your brain to shift its focus from the task-oriented tasks you need to complete to prepare for tomorrow morning to the more abstract - yet powerful - job of simply reflecting upon yourself.
The key here is not to spend too much time relaxing; ensure you're relaxed enough to be ready for bedtime.
We can't help but become more productive when we are relaxed and can focus our attention on the tasks ahead of us.
Conclusion: Get more from the day by giving yourself time to relax, reflect upon your approach and keep yourself in check. Put these tips into action, and you'll soon enjoy more productive evenings powered by a greater sense of purpose.
Putting the above tips into action and implementing them can help you get more out of your workday - and you can do this very effectively by following these concise daily routines.
So, let's say you've put in a solid day's work at your job - perhaps today was your best day at work.