The Power of Prepping the Night Before: Setting Yourself Up for Success

As business owners and leaders, our days are often packed with decisions, meetings, and unexpected challenges. By the end of the day, your energy is spent, and it's easy to overlook the importance of preparing for tomorrow. However, ending your day by planning for the next is one of the most powerful habits you can develop. It not only clears your mind but also gives you a sense of control and focus when you start fresh in the morning.

Using tools like the Daily Default—Eat That Frog framework, which helps structure your day, can make all the difference. Let’s explore why prepping the night before is a game-changer and how practices like writing down your IVVMs (Ideal, Visualize, Verbalize, and Materialize) can lead to significant growth both personally and professionally.

1. Clear Your Head for Better Focus

At the end of the day, it’s common to have a mental checklist of things you need to handle tomorrow. By taking time to write down these tasks before you leave the office, you free your mind from the clutter. You no longer have to worry about forgetting something important because it’s already noted and ready to go.

This habit reduces stress and allows you to start the next day with a clear sense of what needs to be done, instead of scrambling to remember everything in the morning. By the time you wake up, your mind is ready to focus on the tasks that matter.

Example: You might jot down your top three tasks for the next day, saving you from wasting energy deciding where to begin.

2. Manifest Success with IVVM’s: Ideal, Visualize, Verbalize, Materialize

A powerful part of the Daily Default framework is writing down your IVVM’s—affirmations that guide your day toward success. IVVM stands for Ideal, Visualize, Verbalize, and Materialize. Essentially, you’re manifesting what you want to achieve by writing it in the present tense.

Writing down these statements helps set the intention for the day ahead, clarifying your goals and reinforcing a positive mindset. When you articulate what you want to see happen and believe it’s already happening, you shift your focus toward actions that bring your goals to life.

Example: “I am a confident and effective leader,” or “I am bringing in three new clients this week.” These statements prime your mind for success and direct your energy toward achieving them.

3. Express Gratitude and Acknowledge Challenges

Ending your day with gratitude is a practice that builds resilience. Taking time to reflect on what went well, and being thankful for it, is a positive way to close out the day. It also helps shift your mindset to focus on wins rather than challenges, which can often dominate your thoughts at the end of a busy day.

Additionally, acknowledging what may have been difficult or frustrating is cathartic. Writing down these challenges helps release their hold over you and allows you to approach them with a fresh perspective the next day.

Example: “I am grateful for the progress my team made today,” or “Today was tough, but I handled the unexpected challenges with grace.”

4. Set Yourself Up for Productivity

The Daily Default template also includes space for you to outline your “frog” for the day—the most critical task that needs to be tackled first thing in the morning. By identifying this task the night before, you give yourself a clear objective to focus on the next day, helping you prioritize what matters most.

This approach ensures that you’re not just busy, but productive. When you know your top priorities ahead of time, you’re more likely to dive into meaningful work, rather than getting caught up in distractions.

Example: “The frog I have to eat tomorrow is following up with three potential clients,” ensures you start the day by addressing your most important task.

The Benefits of Prepping the Night Before

By implementing these practices, you can:

• Reduce stress by getting things out of your head and onto paper.

• Increase focus by starting each day with clear priorities.

• Manifest success by writing and reviewing your IVVM’s daily.

• Boost productivity by identifying your top tasks in advance.

• End each day with gratitude, helping you stay grounded and positive.

Taking just 10-15 minutes at the end of your workday to prepare for tomorrow will help you feel more in control and allow you to hit the ground running in the morning. You’ll go to bed with a clearer mind and wake up ready to take action.

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