Ever have one of those days where you hit snooze one too many times, can’t find anything to wear, realize you need gas in the car and spill your coffee on the way out? And that’s all before you get to the office.
And then there are those other mornings, (that may feel few and far between), when you wake up refreshed, dressing is a snap and you even have a few extra minutes for that second cup of Joe.
What’s the difference? Planning.
I tell my clients all the time that your most successful day – starts the night before.
Here are three simple steps to ending your day that make your next day the best that it can be.
1. Review
2. Reflect
3. Revamp
REVIEW: I always like to start my review time by focusing on the positive. We spend too much of our time and energy dwelling on what we didn’t accomplish. Instead, spend one minute thinking about what you did get done.
Look back at your day’s to-do list and give yourself a virtual pat on the back. (Yes, even if you only have two tasks crossed off).
Also, think about the tasks that are not on your list, but you managed well anyway.
- Did your kids make it to school on time?
- Did you contribute in the morning meeting?
- Did you uplift a friend with your text or message?
Ok, so now that you’ve started on a positive note, review the tasks that didn’t go as well as you hoped.
- Did you forego the gym this morning?
- Were you distracted on your call?
- Did you choose the donut over the banana?
This isn’t a time to beat yourself up, but to accept your choices and move on to step #2, REFLECT.
Reflection is simply a time to ask yourself: Where can I make improvements tomorrow?
- Perhaps you need to set your alarm 30 minutes earlier, (and place it across the room so you can’t snooze it).
- Suppose you review your materials in advance of tomorrow’s meeting, so you can add more value to the conversation.
- Maybe you need to grab healthy snacks from home in the morning, so you’re armed with them at work.
When you’ve identified where you can make improvements, you’re successfully set for step #3, the mack daddy of setting up an awesome next day, REVAMP.
That’s simply a fancy of way of saying “better planning.”
Looking at the areas you’ve identified for improvement and put the measures in place to better plan for tomorrow.
Plan Your Personal Space
Whether you want to hit the gym in the morning or have 10 minutes to catch up on the news, plan out what you can do the night before to make it a reality.
- Lay out your workout and/or work clothes
- Set up your coffee pot
- Make lunch
- Print out directions for your morning meeting
Get Your Workspace Ready
A well-organized space provides a feeling of control and competence, which leads to higher levels of productivity. It also defends against distractions, which positions you for success in absorbing and delivering high quality work.
- Prepare your work for tomorrow so you have what you need in front of you in the morning
- Close all your computer tabs so you’re not distracted as you start your day
Plan Your Schedule For Tomorrow
Aligning your goals to your schedule is critical to staying on track, minimizing distractions and feeling accomplished. The few minutes you invest in this daily will pay itself ten-fold in your results and success.
- Review your goals for tomorrow. What are the top 3-5 tasks that MUST get done?
- Look at your calendar and map out your day. Include work out time, dress time, drive time, specific project time, email time etc.
Timing
The good news is that all of this should take no more than 30 minutes, and when you start nailing it as a daily practice, you’ll be done in under 15 minutes.
If 15 minutes could save you hours of agony, beating yourself up, drowning in overwhelm, and feeling like a failure, would you do it? Of course you would! So, give it a try TODAY.
Lastly, the key to making this happen is to schedule a recurring meeting with yourself everyday. If your day typically ends at 5pm, schedule this time at 4:30pm.
Name your meeting: “Review, Reflect and Revamp.”
In the description of your meeting list out the tasks you typically need to take care of, so you don’t waste time and energy on figuring out next steps during this time. This might include:
- Clear desk
- Close tabs
- List tomorrow’s top 5 goals
- Map out tomorrow’s schedule
- Make a list of personal tasks to take care of tonight to make tomorrow morning successful
This strategy has worked wonders for me and dozens of my clients, because:
Planning truly is the key to your success.
What plans do you intend to make?
Here’s to getting more of the right things done!
Xo,
Mridu
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