5 Ways You Can Prepare Tonight for a Productive Tomorrow
5 Ways You Can Prepare Tonight for a Productive Tomorrow
We have all at some point in our lives thought to ourselves, “I am going to wake up early tomorrow to work out!”
Then tomorrow comes. Your alarm clock goes off at 4:30 AM. Then 4:35. Then 4:40. This snooze action happens all the way until 5 AM comes. At this point, time is beginning to slip away quicker and quicker where you are losing the time to workout. You might as well just go back to sleep for 30 minutes before starting to get ready for work.
Your mind is racing, fighting between what you need to do, work out, and what you want to do, sleep. Eventually, you make the decision just to sleep more because you fought with yourself until it was too late to workout.
It feels so good to roll back over into bed to grab a few more minutes of rest but later regret sinks in. As you hop into the shower, you start getting angry with yourself. You yell at yourself throughout the morning finally coming to the conclusion that you will try again tomorrow.
Then tomorrow comes only as a repeat. It is like you are stuck in the movie Groundhogs Day and Bill Murray is not there to lend a shoulder to cry on. What a nightmare!
Well do not worry, you are not alone! We all go through this struggle. And let’s face it, it really is a struggle to get that motivation to get out of bed at 5 AM!
Luckily, I have actually figured out a way to get over this mountain. The secret is all in the preparation you do tonight that will help you be more productive tomorrow whether it is working out, finishing a big project, or just wanting to get more tasks checked off the to-do list.
1. Prepare Breakfast, Lunch, and your Outfit for Tomorrow
To start your tomorrow off right, you need to get some physical items checked off first.
I always think about what am I going to eat for breakfast. If it needs some preparation I get that done tonight so I can just pop it in the microwave and go. This does not take that long. The breakfast prep usually only takes about 15min out of my evening.
My wife and I always make enough food for dinner to take leftovers for lunch the next day. This really makes our lunch prep super easy. As I am plating our dinner I also throw some of it in some tupperware. Within a couple minutes, I can throw some yogurt, fruit, veggies, along with the leftovers into my lunch bag.
Boom! In 20 minutes or less, I have all of my food ready for tomorrow!
Now it’s time to spend another 2 minutes pulling out what I will wear tomorrow. For me, this does not take that long as I am not the most stylish person, unlike Andrew. You can see the difference on our About Page.
There are other things you can get ready as well. I like to line up my workout clothes and shoes in the morning along with any supplements. Other people might consider getting the coffee maker or their work bag ready.
2. Look at What You Did Today
It is always good to look at the past to see how you did. Answer the following questions…
What did I get done today? Is there anything I did not get done? What can I learn from today to make tomorrow better?
These questions should help you learn from your mistakes as well as help motivate you for tomorrow.
The key here is, to be honest with yourself. Do not just quickly answer each one of these questions, actually look at your day and your performance. If you take a deeper look at what you actually did, you have a higher chance of finding ways to improve yourself for tomorrow.
3. Map Out What You Need to do Tomorrow
After looking into the past, it is time to see what you have ahead of you. What do you need to accomplish tomorrow?
Mapping out your day is extremely beneficial because it creates a solid plan as to what you need to do and when you are going to do it.
I tend to lose productivity in my day because I do not know what to tackle first. This creates a scattered brain moment for me, paralyzing all of my production until I can lay out what needs to be done.
I like to use the Tick Tick application to help map out my day. Using the calendar mode allows me to see what my day will be and easily adjust to unforeseen speed bumps that will happen.
Overall, I find that mapping out my day allows me to stay more focused on the tasks that need to get done for the day. Staying more focused throughout the day allows me to check off so many more to-dos on my list.
4. Get a Good Night of Rest
Sleep tonight is key for a productive day tomorrow. There is so much you can do to help you sleep better at night
Work out: Working out helps wake you up for when you want to be awake but it also tires you out for a good night of sleep. Try to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
I spend 30 minutes before going to work on the stationary bike. Over my lunch break, I go for a 30-minute walk. Then finally I try to do 30 minutes of yoga after work.
Turn off the phone: Looking at a screen an hour before going to sleep can stimulate your brain again. Obviously, you do not want to do this right before going to sleep.
Instead of reading on your phone try to read a book or pick up an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. This will help your mind calm down for a good night of rest.
Eat and drink right: Avoid eating or drinking any sugary drinks close to bedtime. Also, avoid caffeine or alcohol within four or five hours of going to bed.
When you wake up, drink a glass of water. This will get you rehydrated from the night and get your body going the right way.
5. Do Everything Within 5 Seconds
Watch this speech from Mel Robbins below until about the 16:00 mark. Go ahead. I will wait for you.
This will be the best 6 minutes you spend watching any video today. Maybe even the week. For me, it was the entire year.
If you are going to take anything from today’s post, it should be this advice, DO NOT HESITATE!
When you are laying in bed, trying to talk yourself out of getting out of bed, start counting down from five. Make it a goal to get out before you reach zero. If you cannot, it is less and less unlikely you will actually pursue your goal.
These moments happens ALL day long. There are times throughout the day when you know what needs to be done but you hesitate. If you do not move into action within five seconds your brain starts to talk you out of what you need to do.
Do not let this happen. Do not let your dreams stay in your head.
If you would like to learn more, Mel wrote a book about her Five Second Rule. I recommend you check it out!
Now Go Seize the Day!
Now it is your turn! What are your goals? Let’s go tackle them!
Do. Not. Hesitate.
Wallet –
Preparing tonight for tomorrow is key, helps you sleep and helps your focus for that “tomorrow” when it comes. Loving it!!
-Lanny
These are all great principles to live by. One additional thing I have found effective is to start the days to do list with something I can accomplish before moving on to tougher more ambiguous tasks. It gets me feeling productive and on a roll for the day. Tom
I love these tips! Ever since I was in middle school, I’d lay out my clothes for the next day. Once I started working out, I’d also get my workout gear ready so I’d always be prepared for a workout.
Thanks Lanny!
– Adam
Thanks Tom! I agree with you, checking off one or two smaller tasks really helps get the ball rolling. Great addition!
– Adam
Thanks Alexis! Even though it seems small, it really helps a lot to lay out your clothes to help you wake up for a workout in the morning. I was amazed myself at how much it helped me.
– Adam
I just took my vitamins on an empty stomach now and about to hit the gym and do abs with no food in my gut. I discovered that exercising or doing morning fasted cardio before starting the day increases memory retention, improves weight loss potential, and possibly burns fat up to 6 hours a day. It also helps anyone be productive. This is a new health pattern I’m striving for excellence to get used to so i can get organized and stay organized.