Do you know what successful people have in common?

They ALL wake up between 4AM and 5AM.

When their alarm goes off, they dive headfirst into the ice bath set up directly next to their bed.

Once they're submerged in ice, they write in their gratitude journal.

Then they do a two hour HIIT workout, and meditate during rest periods.

Finally, they work on their seven figure side hustle... all before the sun comes up.

#Success #Grind #Motivation

This is what social media tells us, anyway.

But social media isn't the real world, and 99% of the people I work with don't have the luxury of complex, 14-step morning routines. They have families, careers, and obligations weighing on them the second they wake up.

Which is one of many reasons people need to focus more on evening routines.

In fact, I would argue a solid evening routine is more effective for producing success for 90+% of people. It allows us to wake up refreshed, minimize decision fatigue, and hit the ground running every morning.

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An effective evening routine revolves around:

1. Simplicity. Most people make every on-paper plan too damn complex, and they can't stick to them when they're busy, stressed, or short on time (i.e. the average week)
2. Minimizing or eliminating friction between you and good choices the next day (the name of the game when it comes to consistency)

My own routine checks these boxes:

First, I make a protein shake and hard boiled eggs (~12 minutes). This gets me 60+ grams of protein with ZERO effort in the morning.

Next, I put a water bottle, supplements, and the next day's outfit on my desk (~1 minute). That way, two healthy habits are staring me in the face when I wake up, and I have one fewer decision to make.

Finally, I do a written brain dump and read (~10 minutes). The former is HUGELY underrated. I have an old, beat up notebook where I write down work stressors, content ideas, and anything else on my mind. This helps me breathe, unwind, and sleep better.

If I get home late, reading for even five minutes is a win, and trumps scrolling my phone. If I wrap up my day sooner, I can get lost in a book for as long as I want.

See how simple this can be?

In as few as 22 minutes, I can:

• Prepare a nutritious, filling meal
• Start my day with two healthy habits
• Wake up with one fewer decision to make
• Feel less stressed and anxious
• Sleep dramatically better

The best part is, everybody has 22 minutes to spare.

If you disagree, kindly check your Netflix history and iPhone screen time and place your foot directly into your mouth.

None of this is to say morning routines aren't valuable at all... but the magic happens the night before.

Even if a celebrity influencer with millions of dollars and complete control of their day tells you otherwise.

Pew pew!

Sam