The Most Crucial Part of Your Day

If you had to guess which chunk of your day was the most important, in which your productivity held the most weight, would you guess the morning?

Because until not very long ago, that would have been my answer. I tend to have more energy as the day begins. There is something invigorating about a fresh, new day- a blank slate, new opportunities, endless possibilities.

In actuality, the most critical part of your day is the very end of it. I'll tell you why.

What I do tonight has a direct impact on my tomorrow.

If I decide I don't feel like doing the dishes and tidying up, I will wake up to a messy house and feel defeated from the moment I get out of bed.

If I stay up way too late watching Netflix and surfing Pinterest, I will be groggy in the morning and probably fail to get up as early as I ought to. I will start the day running behind and feeling grumpy.

If I don't take the time to look at the calendar and sketch out my basic to dos, I might miss an appointment or amble along in the morning because I haven't determined the day's set priorities and schedule.

If the diaper bag isn't packed, breakfast is unplanned, and I haven't laid out clothes for myself and the kids, chances are we are going to be running late to that early doctor's appointment. And chances are I will feel stressed out, yell at my kids, and pull everyone down with me into a bad attitude spiral.

And so on.

But on the positive side of things...

If I push myself to just quickly clean the kitchen and pick up toys, tomorrow I will be encouraged and energized right from the get go. I won't have to spend the first hour or two playing catch up on yesterday's mess, so I can get busy with my to do list right away.

If I go to bed at a conscientious hour, I will get enough rest {provided the kids cooperate, ha ha} to get out of bed when my alarm goes off, giving me more time in my day, and allowing me to enjoy some peace and quiet before the rest of the house wakes.

If I have carefully planned my most important tasks and when I will do them, I can get right to work without thinking about it. This means I will waste less time and accomplish more.

If I have to pack the kids up first thing in the morning, but I've set everything out the night before, set my alarm, and planned exactly what we are eating and wearing, the morning might still feel rushed, but it will be less stressful and we should be on track to get out the door on time.

You see what I mean?

What makes it hard is that we are tired at the end of the day. Our natural inclination is to take the path of least resistance. Our will power reserves are all used up and t.v. and junk food sound more inviting than washing dishes and planning ahead.

But when I push myself to make just a little more effort, not only do I get these big difference makers done, I also usually have time for a bit of relaxation and fun. It is unspeakably worth it.

I didn't realize that my night was the most important part of my day until going through Crystal Paine's Makeover Your Mornings {catch the irony here?} course. Once I "made over" my nights, my mornings drastically improved.

If you are looking for help in managing your day-to-day and boosting productivity, I highly recommend Crystal's program. With 14 video clips and a corresponding workbook, Crystal walks you through how to make the most of your mornings, starting the night before.

While you might think the scope of the course is limited {what's the big deal with mornings?}, making over your mornings can have a life altering impact. You will be challenged to think through your priorities, to develop goals reflecting them, and to order your life in a way that enables you to accomplish said goals. It is powerful stuff folks.

I actually bought the course with my own money and went through it before deciding to become an affiliate. So FYI, the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning I do make a commission at no extra charge to you when you purchase through them. But you can know with confidence that I am recommending this as a product I've personally invested in and benefited from.

I went through the course in the third trimester of this last pregnancy, and now that we are trying to get back into the swing of things, adjusting to our new after-baby normal, I'm probably going to go through the videos and workbook again. Crystal is very inspiring to me, and I find courses and challenges to be very helpful in motivating me to get and stay on track.

Do you agree or disagree that evening is the most crucial time of your day? I'd love to hear your thoughts.