When it comes to creating a fulfilling life, achieving goals, and living each day with gratitude, routine is not your enemy. Having a few set tasks to do every day—tasks that you enjoy and ones which are personally meaningful in some way—teaches you discipline and helps you develop the pattern of healthy habits.
Take it from these famous folks: we’re sharing the blueprints of their perfect evening.
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The Nighttime Routines of 3 Famous (and Successful) Figures
1) Tim Ferriss: Author & Entrepreneur
Tim starts his evening routine about 60 minutes before his head hits the pillow. First, he makes decaffeinated tea and adds about 1 tablespoon each of apple cider vinegar and raw unfiltered honey, a combo he says which helps him fall asleep quickly (this coming from a self-proclaimed “lifelong insomniac”). Tim then reads for a while—but he’s careful to point out he reads fiction, not educational non-fiction which would otherwise keep his “problem-solving apparatus” (aka his brain) “in sixth gear.”
Next up, borrowing from the Japanese tradition, Tim sits in a soaking tub (a hot bath will do for those of us without our own home spa) while listening to an audio book and drinking 40 ounces of ice cold water to help regulate his body temperature. He mixes in oils and Epsom salts to his bath (the heat plus the magnesium helps relax him and promotes better sleep), and follows up his soak with a dry sauna and rinse-off shower. Then it’s off to bed and “out like a light.”
2) Bill Gates: Businessman & Philanthropist
You may not expect such a humble routine from such a mega-start of the business and tech world—although Bill certainly comes off as humble, doesn’t he? To wind down for the evening, Bill reportedly washes the dishes (a repetitive chore which many people find relaxing and flow-inducing) and then reads for an hour.
3) Oprah Winfrey: Producer, Philanthropist & Actress
Oprah starts her evening by cooking and eating dinner around 6:30 p.m (she typically has “protein, two vegetables, and a carb”). Her after dinner routine is reading by the fireplace, which she says is lit every night in her home. By the time she heads to bed around 10:00 p.m. (she wakes up without an alarm around 6:00 a.m.), she meditates and then writes five things she’s grateful for in one of the many gratitude journals stacked next to her bed.
You may notice these routines share similar concepts—namely, conscious reflections of gratitude as well as relaxing activities (and the avoidance of stimulating activities such as watching television). Aside from the healthy habit of discipline, these routines also tend to promote a good night’s sleep…which we can all agree is essential for health and well-being.
See any nighttime actions that you can start implementing this evening? Give it a shot and be sure to let us know how it goes by sharing your experience in the comments below.
