The 9 pm Routine

For most of my life, I’ve considered myself a night owl.  These days, I’m more of a reformed night owl.

When I was little, I would get annoyed when my mother told me I needed my rest.  She was right, I’m sure, but I didn’t want to hear it.  I was always the kid reading under the covers with a flashlight.  

I love the quiet of the night, the relaxed atmosphere, the noises of crickets and owls, or especially rain, outside my window.

Nighttime is not only an opportunity to relax and read, but it can be a good creative time, as well.

However.

The realities and needs of my daily life do not work well with the schedule of a night owl.  If I stay up, then I’m exhausted the next day, no matter how much sleep I end up getting.  Plus, I get a headache from that nonsense.

I fully admit that when I had little kids, I would stay up long after they were asleep, because that’s the only quiet time I could find.  That choice seemed great, until one of them inevitably woke up during the night, and then I was off-schedule the whole next day.  

Over time, I’ve realized that sleep is not optional, and the timing of sleep will affect its quality.  I’ll have to answer to myself if I don’t rest well.  I’ve come to accept the truth.  I can’t be a dedicated night owl and be my best.

So I’ve developed a 9 pm routine.  Hear me out.  I don’t often go to sleep at 9 pm.  I aim to get ready for bed at 9 pm; those are two entirely different things.

As much as people talk about their productive morning routines, I am now much more focused on my evening routine.  This routine is what allows me to feel rested, focused, and creative the next day. 

I feel less stressed, because I’m not rushed in the evening, and I already have a plan for the next morning.

The plan involves a few simple steps:

• Set an alarm on my phone for 9 pm.  

• Get ready for bed at (or before) 9 (tooth-brushing, contact lenses, pajamas, etc.)

• Pick out clothes for tomorrow (a trick I learned from my husband, who usually leaves for work at 5-something).

• Make a very basic to-do list of tomorrow’s priorities, no more than six!  I do this on a sticky note, and I’ll explain a little more in the podcast episode that accompanies this blog post.  (This is known as the Ivy Lee productivity technique.)

Now, I have the freedom to stay up later if I want to.  This is often my reading time.  But the beauty of my system is that I have the basics covered, and whenever I want to go to bed, there is nothing else that I have to remember or accomplish.  

I actually used to procrastinate about going to bed, because I was too tired to actually get ready for bed.  I don’t do that when I stick to my routine.

I know it sounds simple, and it is.  But this 9 pm routine has been a huge help to my life.  I feel more in-control of my time and my rest, and I truly believe it sets me up for a better day tomorrow.  Try it and see if it helps your creative, real-world life.

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Resources mentioned in this post and/or the accompanying Podcast Episode (The Inner Creative - Episode 5). (Non-affiliate links.):

- Ivy Lee (article) https://www.businessinsider.com/ivy-lee-method-productivity-2018-9

- Rita Davenport http://ritadavenport.com/products/

- The PomodoroTechnique https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique

- Focus at Will https://www.focusatwill.com