For most of us, our day begins when we wake up. According to our clocks and calendars, however, a new day begins at midnight. But when God created the world, He had something else in mind.
God actually created the new day to begin at evening—not at morning. Remember?
And there was evening and there was morning, one day. —Genesis 1:5
Odd, isn’t it, to begin the “day” with evening activities like family time, dinner, and—of all things—sleep? This mindset feels totally foreign to westerners, but many Jews still abide by it today.
Honestly, I have no idea why God did this. But I have discovered beginning the day in the evening has its productivity benefits.
From a practical perspective, I have found the most productive mornings and the best days begin the night before. In other words, prepare for tomorrow tonight.
Here are a few tips worth trying:
1. Go to bed on time. Turns out, your mother was right. Having a set bedtime and sticking with it goes a long way in solving the problem of getting up on time. Just like when you travel and you force your body to learn a new time zone, you can do the same in your own home.
2. Make the tough decisions ahead of time. Let’s be honest. We’d like to think (and say) we do our morning routines because we have discipline and we see the benefits outweighing the detriments of sloth. (But then the morning comes.) Don’t give yourself the angst of making the decision the next morning. Plan roadblocks to any impulse to exit your plan.
3. Give yourself an incentive or reward to prime the pump. For me, it looks like this:
Even with all these plans and incentives in place for your best days, you will still have to protect your morning routine. Have you noticed how your “creativity” piques just about the time you begin to read your Bible? You think of something you can do “really quick”—and then you’ll sit to read and pray. When that urge hits, remember:
The solution? Keep a “distraction list” handy so you can jot down your creative diversions—then forget them—and stay focused on the main thing.
Your most productive mornings begin the night before—with planning. Wayne Stiles
I like thinking of the day beginning as the sun goes down. When the morning comes, you will find yourself more apt to follow through with a plan if you have one.
The best days begin the night before.
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Tell me what you think: Do you prepare for the day the night before? To leave a comment, just click here.