I believe that in order to perform at your best, it is necessary to have well established daily routines. The following is my ideal daily routine and something that I am always aiming for, although I do admit that committing to a routine requires hard work and discipline.
- Sleep has a huge impact on your brain function and if you want to remember as much as possible each day. Then it is invaluable to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.
- Make sure to start your day early, preferably around 04.30 - 05.00. Initially it might feel challening but will become more natural with time. The benefit however is that you can complete all of your critical tasks before lunchtime, where your energy levels usually drop.
- Prefer a cold bath/shower over your morning coffee. Combined with the right breathing technique you will become more alert, the immune system will be triggered and you will become stronger mentally and physically. Check out Wim Hof “The Iceman” for more inspiration.
- If it’s possible for you then stick to a whole food plant based diet. It’s the easiest way to keep your body healthy and at peak condition. If you want to optimize your diet further then nutritionfacts.org has lot’s of scientific unbiased information.
- Also make sure to give yourself time for at least 30 minutes of physical activity.
- When you need to think or be creative it is more efficient to do it while taking a walk, this activates you mind. If you are having a meeting it is also better to do this during a walk.
- At the end of the day you should reflect and analyse what you have learned during the day. It is good to write down notes to help your long term memory to remember what was important.
- Plan the following day and select two to six of your most valuable tasks that you should complete. Doing so will allow you to start the following day focused on what is important.
- Avoid spending your last waking hour in front of a screen, prioritize taking a walk or read a book instead.
So this is what I do my best to follow each day. As a side note if you have a strategy that you believe in and choose to compromise it because of how hard it is to follow in the beginning or because of other things that you think are more urgent. Then remember that you are hurting yourself in the long term by not investing in what will make you smarter and more efficient and open up more time for important tasks.