I have a nightly routine that helps me get through the week and stay focused. It begins with reading a book, primarily an autobiography or case study of some success or epic failure. I find this stimulates my brain and somehow the chapters fit neatly with the problems I am facing at the time.

I’m not a big believer in fate, but I tend to find that when you’re looking for an answer to a problem the universe tends to throw you a bone and reading helps me solve a lot of the problems I haven’t tackled before.

Once the reading is finished and by finished I mean I’m not absorbing any more, I move on to trying to get to sleep.

I used to have a huge problem with sleeping at night, I went a few years with mild insomnia where I couldn’t get to sleep simply because I couldn’t turn off (tiring my brain out with reading has helped massively with that) but following the birth of my daughter that magically disappeared.

I say magic, you could also call it permanent tiredness.

Anyhow before I crash I put 5 minutes to one side to go through my nightly routine that sets me up to be focused the next day.

I’ve spoken before about the importance of visualising your goals but here’s how I actually do it.

I start by thinking of my long term goal, for me this has become very specific, it’s a point in time when I can work from anywhere in the world. Where I’ve resigned myself to being the chairman of a group that doesn’t need me day to day.

I think of what our head office will look like and the types of businesses we will have. I’m not specific in terms of the work we do, but I am specific in terms of the how as a group we add value to any of the businesses we own.

From there I move on to the medium term goals I have that will contribute to that end vision. I think of the management consultancy I’ll need (because to me having capital isn’t enough, you need to target the investments where they add real value) and the culture of that business. I envisage in colour exactly what our offices will look like down to the flooring and how we’ll generate business.

Finally I’ll move on to the short term goals, both in the next few months but ultimately that I need to do tomorrow in order to reach my medium term ones.

While my long and medium term goals don’t really change, the short term ones are very reactive to the situations and opportunities I find myself facing.

This means that while the immediate route to achieve my goals can and will change the end destination never does.

Before I go to sleep I mentally create a check list of the things that I need to do the next day in order to achieve my short term goals, and when I wake up it’s the first thing I think of.
Provided I fulfill the tasks I set for myself then I know I am on the right track, if I don’t I end up feeling like my day has been wasted. I don’t create too many task, just 2 or 3, but those goals all contribute to the end vision, like steps on a ladder.

It a simple routine, but one I find highly effective when keeping me on track for where I’m heading. It keeps me looking for opportunities linked to my goals every day and stops me getting off track.

If I get distracted one day I’ll hit the rest button the next, but most importantly it reminds me of why I get up every day and write this blog.

Read our next blog post “Don’t be afraid to admit failure“.