When does a new day begin?
Throughout my early life, I believed a new day began in the morning, except for midnight on New Year’s Eve, when I was reminded that a new day technically starts at midnight.
This is why I was surprised in my early 20s to learn that other cultures believe the day begins at sundown.
At first, I dismissed that as trivial, but as I age, I see the wisdom in that way of thinking.
Track with me.
What do most of us do in the evenings? We wrap up some things we were doing during the day. We relax. We spend time with family and friends. We engage in recreational activities.
Then, after evening activities, we go to sleep.
This is not rocket science, but it gives us some food for thought.
What if the FIRST activities of our day are enjoyable, relaxing, and replenishing?
That would be good for us all.
So, here’s what I want us to do in the coming weeks. Let’s flip a switch and live like other cultures. Let’s start living with the belief that our days begin the evening before.
What would that mean?
It would mean that we work out of rest and relaxation instead of thinking we are recovering from our work.
This may not seem like a big deal, but it is.
Years ago, Stephen Covey taught the concept of putting the big rocks (most important things) into your schedule first.
What if the first rocks in our daily routine were relationships, relaxation, and rest? How would our perspective change?
For me, it would be huge. And all it takes is a subtle mind shift.