Tips on Designing a NIghttime Routine That Springboards You Into Tommorrow

A nighttime routine anchors you, fuels you, renews you and acts as a springboard for a successful and fulfilling tomorrow.

As I focus on my night time routine I am noticing several components that are present on a regular basis:

1. Transitioning from work to personal time (5:30 - 6PM)
2. Quality time with Sofie
3. Dinner time
4. Meditation time 7:30 PM - 8 PM
5. Support and work on 100 day challenge 8 PM - 8: 30 PM
6. Indulgence time
7. Unwinding time before bed, usually with Kirk

Some components are anchored at a set time, others float. On different evenings some each component may take up a different amount to time but it all fits into the time frame between 5:30 - 10:30 PM, a five hour period.

Establishing a night time routine:

• Review and become aware of your current routine and habits
• Set boundaries around the time frame that the routine is contained
• List the key components that are in your routine now
• Take a clean sheet of paper and without restricting yourself by money or circumstances list the elements that would be essential in your IDEAL night time routine
• List things that renew you
• List things that you want to do to prepare for a successful tomorrow
• List things that relax you
• Journal about the words anchor, renew and relax. Define them for yourself forgetting the dictionary definition
• How can you bridge that gap between you current routine and your ideal routine?
• Make a list of 3 things to eliminate, 3 things to add and 3 things to enhance that are connected with your night time routine
• Put together a simple 5 - 7 step nighttime routine - be specific and realistic about what you want to and can achieve in the time frame
• Type up your routine and experiment with it over the next 7 - 10 days
• Create a chart and give yourself a check mark or a star for each item you do, each day
• Come up with a reward for getting the max number of points in your nighttime routine game, have fun with it
• Design the rules. For example for the first 7 days try to do the whole routine ONE time. Once you have achieved that for the next 30 days try to do the whole routine for 7 consecutive days. Then go for 30 consecutive days.

Be kind to yourself. This is an experiment not a black and white (success or failure). Use this as a wonderful opportunity to figure out what makes you tick and to learn more about your core values, intentions, straights and challenges.