No matter what your day has consisted of, the evening is your one chance to finish strong. Evenings are a time for you to wind down and separate from what has passed. As a busy entrepreneur, your life is most likely hectic, at least from time to time. If you’re looking for a way to improve your productivity, you may want to take a look at how you’re spending your time each evening. What types of things are you doing with this time? Are you tempted to check your work emails after hours? Are you running around the house completing chores while trying to make up for lost time? Both of these options might be necessary sometimes, but you shouldn’t make a habit out of spreading yourself so thin in the evenings.
You might think it’s unreasonable to assume that you have time to rest, refuel, and reconnect with yourself each and every day. You might not see how you could possibly have time to get all of your to-do’s done and still have time left over for yourself. If you’re the type of person who wants to keep going to get ahead for the next day, you may want to rethink that! As many successful entrepreneurs have proven, having an evening routine centered around the “deeper” self-connection is extremely beneficial in helping you reach your goals. Let’s take a look at some simple things you can do each night to make your life happier and more successful.
Rest/Refuel
Whether you work from home and disconnect from your responsibilities at the end of your workday, or commute from your job, that feeling of relief after a long day of work is like no other. As you close the page on your workday I move into the rest of your evening activities, take a moment to decide what it is that you want to get out of tonight. On your list should be a healthy and hearty meal, followed by time to rest and unwind from your day. Choose an activity like a hobby that you can look forward to in the evenings to help you relax. Make sure you nourish your body with food and water to refuel after a long day. Sometimes cooking a meal after work seems like the last thing you want to do, but think of how rewarding it will be to have a full belly after feeling accomplished at your job. If you're looking for a quicker way to have a home-cooked meal, try using meal prep strategies so you have less work to do in the evenings. Get your partner or kids involved, too!
Connection
Something to look forward to at the end of every day is connecting with the people who mean the most to you. After you have all completed your daily tasks and come back to your home base, take some time to check in with each other. Disconnect from your social media and really connect with the people around you. Talk about your schedules and your day at work if you want, or unwind and have a laugh, instead! You'll see how much your life improves once you have consistent genuine connections with the people you love. The best part is, these people love you back! Connection is one of the easiest ways to ground yourself and bring yourself back to the reality of your life. We often get caught up in how serious our work seems to be, and while it is amazing to dedicate your life to your work, your family and friends matter too.
Gratitude
Once you’ve taken the time to refuel yourself and connect with those you love, it is time to connect with yourself. Practicing gratitude at the end of the day is just as beneficial as practicing it in the beginning. Checking in with yourself and realizing what you have accomplished and acquired is a necessary part of your day so that you don't lose sight of what's really going on. It is so easy to get caught up in your mind and think that everything is negative. It's simple to think that everything is going wrong. It's easier to think in a pessimistic mindset rather than thinking of what is going right. But what do we really get out of that?
The truth is, once you start to put the work into practicing gratitude, it becomes second nature. Your mind will be trained to naturally see the positive in every situation. You don't need to think of every single positive moment throughout your day, but by taking just a moment before you go to sleep to think about a few things that went well today, you can train your mind into a state of positivity. That's not to say that you will never feel sad or discouraged again, but recognizing your strengths and accomplishments as a successful entrepreneur will make you see that there is more good than bad in your life.
Sleep
The last and most important piece of your evening routine should be sleep! Everyone always talks about how important it is to get enough sleep, but are we all really getting enough sleep? if you are not getting a full 8 hours, adjust your sleep schedule and see how dramatic the difference really is. It seems impossible sometimes, especially as a parent and entrepreneur, but no matter what your life entails, sleep should be a priority. Don't let your daily responsibilities become an excuse not to sleep. You will never be successful to your fullest potential if you aren't well-rested.
Becoming a successful person in any way directly comes from what you put into your life. The amount of effort you put into creating an evening routine affects the outcome and benefits you will experience. Your evening routine is just as important as your morning routine, which we’ve outlined for you in our blog post “The Morning Routine of Successful Entrepreneurs”.
At She Reigns Creative, we work to give you the quickest tips for the highest success rate. We know from personal experience that these elements are essential in creating an evening routine that can lead you to a successful life as an entrepreneur. We want to help you learn more strategies to grow your business. Sign up for a FREE consultation!
