Happy Monday, dear reader! August snuck up on me, so I am a little delayed in sharing my plans with you for this month. Better late than never!
As I have been achieving overall success with my personal challenges, I decided to challenge myself once again in August in an effort to cross off one of the aims on my 26 for 2026 List. Since November of last year, I have been struggling with getting up consistently in the morning which affects my overall daily routine. I am not maximizing my time effectively, and that needs to change now. The source of the stumbling block is me, dear reader. I admit that I do not have a good evening routine, and many a night I stay up too late. Then, the next morning, I have trouble getting up in a timely manner. During the last two weeks of July, I finally started addressing this issue and discovered that I am not winding down properly before bedtime. Therefore, I need to establish an evening routine with a manageable pre-sleep ritual that allows for some flexibility. This being the case, for the entire month of August, I will be adjusting my evening routine by implementing a pre-sleep ritual that I am hoping will positively impact my quality and quantity of sleep, create a habit of waking up consistently each morning, and improve my daily routine.
I got the idea for a Pre-Sleep Ritual from The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life. by Robin Sharma. In the book, Sharma outlines an evening routine that incorporates a pre-sleep ritual which I have included below.
Three hours before bedtime: meals should be eaten, devices should be turned off, and overstimulation should be avoided.
Two hours before bedtime: spend quality time with loved ones, meditate, read, listen to audiobooks or podcasts, work on hobbies, soak in the tub, or engage in some calming activity. [My two cents worth: For some of you (me included), watching television is a way to unwind. So, I do not see a problem with watching a little bit of television.]
Then, in that last hour before bedtime: organize for the next morning (set wake-up alarm, set out exercise gear, etc.), journal or pray as a nightly gratitude practice, and prep bedroom for sleep (dark, cool, technology-free). Basically, the key is to unplug and unwind before bedtime, go to bed in a comfortable setting, and go to sleep on time.
Goals for August
- By the end of August, as part of my evening routine, I want to have a flexible pre-sleep ritual in place.
- By the end of August, I want to be asleep by 10PM each evening.
- By the end of August, I want to be awake by 5AM each morning.
- Throughout August, I want to keep a record of my daily routine.
All four of these goals will require trial and error throughout the month. I already keep track of what time I go to sleep and when I wake up; however, I want to include additional information about the quality of my sleep, why I went to sleep late or had a hard time getting up in the morning, the activities that I am engaging in during my pre-sleep ritual, if I ate or drank anything other than water after 7PM, as well as if I took Magnesium Glycinate an hour before bedtime and if it seems to be helping with the quality of my sleep.
Action Steps
- I am currently waking up at 6AM. I will start waking up 10 minutes earlier every few days until I get to 5AM.
- Last week, I went to sleep between 9:55 PM and 10:56 PM, so I need to start going to sleep 10 minutes earlier every few nights until I get to 10PM.
- Take two capsules of Magnesium Glycinate at 9PM nightly.
- Set out clothes for morning workout.
- Create my pre-sleep ritual.
- Experiment with my daily routine to maximize productivity and enhance creativity.
This first week of the challenge, I will be experimenting with my pre-sleep ritual which will look different depending on the day. That is where flexibility is important. I have some activities in mind as well as how I want to structure my time from 7PM-9PM. This challenge will be difficult for me (mainly going to bed on time), but I am determined to give it my best shot because there is so much that I want to do with my time. I also like working out in the morning, so I need to be up early enough to take care of my dogs, exercise, and complete the rest of my morning routine before heading into my work day. Do you have a pre-sleep ritual as part of your evening routine, dear reader? If so, please share it with me in the comments below. I would love to know how you unwind before bed. Happiness!
“A champion doesn’t become a champion in the ring, he’s merely recognized in the ring. His “becoming” happens during his daily routine.” ~ Joe Louis
The Kat Files 