How Do You Manage the End of Your Day?

{3:00 minutes to read] In a recent Inc.com article, entitled “Use the 10-3-2-1-0 formula to get more done”, an interesting concept is discussed: How you start your day depends on how you finish the day before. Often, our productivity is dependent upon what time we get up and the routines we follow to get our day rolling. In order to focus on managing your life to reach your day’s goals and to be more effective and efficient, this article suggests using the 10-3-2-1-0 formula within a specific time frame before retiring for the night:

10 hours before, stop having caffeine
3 hours before, stop eating
2 hours before, stop working
1 hour before, unplug from all devices
When the alarm rings, get up right away — 0 snooze buttons pushed

In our busy lives, we often don’t sit down to dinner until 8 o’clock. The thought of trying to go to bed at 10 o’clock means you’re not even within that 3-hour window, so a change in the process may be in order. Perhaps there’s a way to get home earlier, or maybe you eat a smaller meal on your commute home.

If you ease out of your day by giving your brain and soul some breathing room, you’re not left lying in bed, contemplating the myriad different possibilities and options to solve the problems you faced during the day. I find that waiting for the morning to send off an email, rather than dashing it off in the middle of the night, allows me to give a more thoughtful opinion on whatever the issue was.

I also find that watching the news at night does not give me restful sleep. When I do, I find myself lying in bed, thinking about the world’s issues. If I do a crossword puzzle or read a book, it lets me ease into sleep. In the morning, I choose to wake early, which gives me time to do my morning meditation and to think about what my goals are for the day. I also choose not to listen to the morning news, which keeps me in a more positive frame of mind for the day.

Do you follow a similar evening and morning routine? We would love to hear from you! Contact me today at ccbattles@newcanaanadvisors.com!

Curtis C. Battles