6 Evening Habits of Highly Successful People
#6 They unplug
Several times, we have been told that the early bird catches the worm. There is so much talk about developing morning habits and showing up early if you want to be successful.
So much focus is placed on morning routines because most people believe that the beginning of a new day is where the best form of productivity lies.
This is not far from the truth.
However, just as starting your day right is important, finishing it right also matters.
Successful people usually have certain habits which contribute greatly to their success. For a lot of them, having an evening routine is equally as important as having a morning routine, especially if they seek to get the best out of each day.
“How we spend our evenings gets a lot less attention, but it’s just as important–the time that bridges one day into the next.” — Lolly Daskal
Here are some evening habits of highly successful people:
1. They read
Reading is part of personal growth.
The more you read, the better you become.
Most people are so busy during the daytime with hectic demands of work that they hardly have time to do personal reading.
However, setting time aside to read in the evenings is a sure way to relax while expanding your knowledge and horizons.
Truly, reading stimulates the mind.
To this extent, research from the University of Sussex shows that six minutes of reading every day is enough to reduce stress by 68 percent.
Renowned novelist and author of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austin, spends her evenings reading aloud to friends and family, not minding her busy schedule. Bill Gates also revealed in an interview with the Seattle Times that he reads almost every night, no matter what time he gets home.
Self-made millionaire, Steve Siebold once interviewed 1,200 of the world’s wealthiest people to find out their commonly shared traits. There was one trait which nearly all of them had in common: They read everything from self-improvement books to autobiographies!
Reading always provides an opportunity to learn new things and develop great ideas.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. — Aristotle
2. They reflect
As humans, we should never underestimate the power of positive introspection.
At the end of each day, it helps to do a little reflection by mentally going through all that has happened.
You can start by asking yourself what you did or didn’t do well and how you can improve.
The evening is the perfect time to take stock of the latest events. You could call it a mental walk-through.
In his moments of reflection, Benjamin Franklin usually asked himself this self-improvement question:
“What good have I done today?”
Steve Jobs also always quizzed his daily existence by asking himself one fundamental question every day:
“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? If the answer is no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
Indeed, reflection leads to self- awareness. What better time can one reflect than in the evenings after a fulfilling day?
As Sam Thomas Davids notes on the Fast Company website, “a morning routine is only half of a productive day; the other is the evening routine that precedes it.”
Reflection also comes with various benefits; for example, paying attention to your evening routine motivates you to wake up the next morning, feeling refreshed and restored so you can achieve more success.
3. They make plans for the next day
Successful people usually don’t sit around waiting till morning before they prepare for a successful day. They plan ahead.
The secret to their success mostly lies in their ability to think strategically and plan thoroughly while smashing their short and long- term goals.
The truth is, the evening time leaves you inspired for the next day after giving you a road map and an action plan to navigate upcoming tasks.
Former CEO of American Express, Kenneth Chenault, explained that he usually writes the top three things he wants to accomplish the next day. According to him, doing this helps him prioritize what he wants to do when he wakes up in the morning.
From having a to-do list to taking notes on unfinished tasks, there is so much that can be done in the evening.
4. They don’t forget about self-care
Maintaining a healthy evening regimen is a good recipe for enhanced productivity. Basic routines such as flossing, washing your face and hands, brushing and cleaning up are important for self-care.
Stephen King once admitted to washing his hands and turning his pillows in a certain way before sleeping.
If you take care of yourself well enough every day, you will live a healthy life. This is because proper nutrition, quality sleep and exercising contribute greatly towards healthy living.
Whether it’s journaling or having “me-time", successful people know that rejuvenation is important for maintaining their performance and overall well-being.
“Make sure you earmark a couple of hours every evening to take care of your body and your mind, so you can be alert and ready to kick butt the next day.” — Marlene Komar
5. They unplug
Sometimes, it’s necessary to break loose from the connection with the outside world.
More people are gradually appreciating the need to unplug by putting off their wifi, closing emails, avoiding social media and switching off devices as helpful measures to keep away from distraction. For successful people, doing so allows them time to renew their minds, body and soul.
A good example of someone who does this is Oprah Winfrey who says that she uses sundays as tech-free days and for relaxation during which she does absolutely nothing.
The lesson here is this: make time to do nothing.
We spend our days being so busy that we hardly have time to relish in the beauty of quietness. With calmness comes an opportunity to meditate, pray or relax your mind.
To show how important it is to unplug, there is even a national holiday devoted to unplugging.
6. They invest in themselves
At the end of each day, successful people still devote time towards improving themselves.
They understand the importance of self-growth. They cherish the concept of putting their time, money and energy into things that yield positive results.
It is for this reason and more that they explore options of taking after-work certification courses, schooling, life coaching, as long as it contributes to their professional upliftment,
"All the top achievers I know are life-long learners. Looking for new skills, insights and ideas. If they are not learning, they are not growing and not moving towards excellence." - Denis Waitley
Final Thoughts
Our habits contribute greatly towards the formation of our entire lives.
Successful people are who they are because of their daily habits.
Whether you feel more productive after rolling from your bed or when you are up at midnight or after office hours, what matters is that you do the best you can with whatever time you’ve got.