15 Things to Do After 7pm That Will Make You 1% Better

What does it mean to be 1% better? Exponential growth, compounding appreciation in your personal development, because every 1% builds on the previous one.

And here's what you need to keep in mind to achieve that: your day begins again at 7 p.m. We don't want to hear about this hit the couch for 4 hours behavior. Okay, not here in the Alux community, not when we're building an empire together. By 7:00 p.m., your work responsibilities should be done. If you've got a family, that's when your time with them will start. If you don't, then this is your time with yourself. It's a whole new phase of your day, and you should be treating it that way. Don't rot away on the couch for those 4 hours and then wonder why you aren't any closer to your goals today than you were last year.

Before we dig into this one, we want to let you know that this is the kind of stuff we talk about on the Alux app: often insightful and actionable advice and guidance designed to get you to your goals. Stick around until the end for a special gift from us to you—a gift that might just change the way you live your life if you put it to good use.

Next week, we're going to talk about how you can win the morning, so make sure you're back for that. Today, though, it's 7:00 p.m., and you've got four more hours to win the day. You can pack a lot into that time, so let's do it. Here are 15 things to do after 7 p.m. that will make you 1% better.

Number one: stay away from comfort and relaxation. You think you want to relax, but you don't. Your mind and body don't want to completely shut off yet. You're still riding on the adrenaline of your day, and hitting the couch isn't going to get rid of that. The tiredness you're feeling is from moving too fast, being overstimulated by traffic, lots of people, lots of noise—the busyness of your day. What your mind and body actually want is just to slow down.

You should be doing something slow, productive, and easily achievable, like making dinner. Don't even change out of your work clothes yet. I know, I know, you're going to be shaking your fist at us for this one, but trust us, okay? Unless they're filthy, leave them on for now. The moment you change out of your work clothes, any hope of being productive for the next few hours kind of floats away, doesn't it? So hit the kitchen, put your apron on, and cook yourself some dinner tonight.

Prep your breakfast and lunch for the next day while listening to a podcast or a book. Slow down, but do something where you can still see some results. And while you're at it...

Number two: make eating dinner an event, not a mindless activity. You've got two choices here, and we're going to give you the very different results of both of them. The most common, when we see people do, is they eat their dinner on the couch in front of the TV. Here are the results of that: you're more likely to pick up weight because you're distracted and eating mindlessly, so you're not paying attention to when your body gives you a full signal.

At the same time, you don't get as much enjoyment and satisfaction because you're focused on something else, and you weaken your family and social connections because you take away an opportunity for great conversations about your day. To contrast, here are the results of eating at the dinner table: you're more mindful of your eating, so you're able to enjoy it more, control your portions, and digest and process it better.

You create a sense of routine and well-being too. Even if you're eating alone, the structure gives you a sense of calm and focus and reduces that overstimulation that can make you feel so exhausted. If you've got a partner or family, this is a great time to strengthen your relationship with fun, meaningful conversations. For as long as humans have been alive, mealtimes were times of conversation and connection. Let's not lose that completely.

Okay, make an effort to sit down properly for a meal together. If you do live alone and you feel like you need some company during this time, try calling your friends or family or listening to a podcast. It's still entertaining but doesn't take a lot of focus for you.

Number three: mix low-impact movement with some easy learning. You know that common 3:00 slump you hit during the afternoon? Well, this is usually when the slump will hit in the evening. If you don't do something to get out and move your body by 7 p.m., you're going to risk falling into it. So, go for a walk, do some stretches, or hop on that exercise bike that's gathering dust.

It doesn't have to be anything long or strenuous. Science says your tougher workouts should be saved for earlier mornings, so this one should be more of a physical wind-down to clear your mind and let go of that last bit of stress or tension from the day. This is a great time to listen to an inspiring and informative audiobook or to us, the Alux lady, on YouTube or on the app. It's like a good friend in your ear right there on that walk or cycle with you.

Number four: get your creative juices flowing. Alright, now it's time for you to do something creative. Do something that's a challenge but still allows you to see the results quickly. It's like a low-impact workout for your mind. Put on some music and, I don't know, take out a painting kit or something. You don't have to be good at it or anything; just do something to bring out your inner child. Draw, paint, write, or play an instrument. Even if you do it badly and your neighbors make some wisecracks, take on a DIY project at home.

They seem like small insignificant things, but Alux, your mind loves these things. You release stress, improve your problem-solving skills, your mood, and your self-expression.

Number five: research and work on your personal projects. If you spend just 15 minutes of your evening working on your personal projects, you would be 12% closer to finishing a big personal project like writing a book, developing a website, or learning a completely new skill. You'd be 62% closer to learning basic photography, editing, graphic design, or conversational skills in a new language. Just 15 minutes, Aluxir—that's it.

Number six: finish up small admin tasks. As your night winds down, you should be closing up the gaps in any menial tasks of your day. So respond to those quick emails, file paperwork, and tie up whatever small loose ends you have left so that you can wrap up your admin. But make sure that each wrap-up takes less than 5 minutes. If it's more than that, put it on the schedule for tomorrow.

This isn't the time to go down any rabbit holes because, with that, you risk not resurfacing until like 1:00 a.m., and you've messed up your entire sleep routine. So clear the clutter from your mind tonight so that tomorrow can be more focused and productive.

On a similar note...

Number seven: make tomorrow's mundane decisions tonight. Small decisions in the morning, like what you should wear, pack for lunch, and even what to pack in your work bag, take up a huge chunk of your decision-making energy in the morning. They're small, meaningful decisions, so they really shouldn't drain all of your resources like that.

You're in a more relaxed state in the evening, so your brain can handle these decisions a lot better. You're not under any time constraints, so you don't have the pressure and stress of that urgency in the morning routine. By this time, you've experienced the flow of the entire day, and your mind has already processed what you have to do. That context and foresight make it a lot easier for you to prepare for tomorrow tonight.

Number eight: your morning is like a play, so design it well. Actors rehearse their lines and actions from plays so often that eventually they don't even have to think about what they're doing anymore. It just becomes a part of their muscle memory. That deeper part of your brain is a lot more reliable on following through on things than you are. So you need to set the stage for your brain to act out your morning play, and that happens before bed.

Everything has to have a logical flow for you to move through that play without even thinking. Your gym clothes need to be next to your bed so that when you wake up, the first thing you do is put on your gym kit. Your water bottle should also be right there, so you're ready to chug and wake yourself up the moment your alarm goes off. Your gym bag and shoes should be by the front door. Your breakfast should be ready to grab and go. Map out your morning in five steps tonight so that when you get up tomorrow, you're up and at 'em without any fuss or stress.

Number nine: shake off the day. Listen, friends, there are some worrying stories from celebrities talking about their hygiene habits, and we're just not here for that. Okay, hygiene is not one of those modern world comforts that we need to abandon to get more in touch with our natural animal state. You need to be cleaning yourself at night.

You've had a long day collecting sweat, dirt, allergens, pollutants in your skin and hair. Now, why would you want to get into a bed for the next 8 hours and roll around in all of that? Please, okay? Take a shower. Better yet, take a bath. You can put on your favorite show or audiobook and have a listen while you're in there. It relaxes your muscles, lowers your stress level, and signals to your body that it's time to wind down. This does wonders for your sleep hygiene.

Number ten: time your entertainment with an activity. Now, of course, you do deserve some entertainment for the evening. Looking forward to watching your favorite show when you get home is one of those simple things that can get you excited about your day.

Look, okay, I know it's tempting to spend the rest of your night on the couch in front of the TV and drag yourself to bed after falling asleep. So this step is going to be the toughest one, but it's your day. You deserve some fun and entertainment too, but it doesn't have to be a mind-numbing hole that sucks you in. So you need a way to enjoy it while holding on to some sort of control, and you can do this by doing a chore or activity while you're watching your show.

Nobody likes folding laundry, right? So fold your laundry while watching your favorite series. Maybe you need to organize items while you can do that on the couch. Try to pair up an activity with your entertainment so you get more value out of your time.

Number eleven: check your bank account and diarize your transactions. So for this phase of your evening, you're going to need a notebook—just something easy and low pressure for you to plan and write in every evening. You need to check your bank account balance and write down your transactions.

An investor and CEO of contrarian thinking, a wealth education company, recently told a story about her mentor, David Osborne. David is an investor and an author, and he told her, "Money is a cruel mistress. If you don't pay attention to her, she'll leave you for someone else. Follow, look at her, pay attention, and she'll grow." So all this to say, you can't ignore your bank account. Look at it every single day—your spendings and your savings—and think about growing both. One year from now, you will be richer, but use this time to give her some attention.

Number twelve: reflect on the day. Because you're already in reflection mode, this is the time to reflect on your day as a whole. It doesn't have to be an essay or anything. You can make bullet-point notes about what went well, what you enjoyed, and what didn't go well.

You can keep this small journal on your nightstand and do a little brain dump before laying down each night. Chances are your mind will be less restless, and you might even find yourself drifting off to sleep faster as a result.

While you're at it...

Number thirteen: write down your goals for tomorrow in the same book. You can write down some of your goals for tomorrow—the small admin tasks, like the cleaning you want to get done, or the work you want to wrap up. If the future task will take more than 30 minutes, write it down. Prioritize the things that are most important to you, and if you've got the time and energy, write down why.

Writing that down gives you more motivation to do the harder or more time-consuming things. Without the "why," you make it easier to push that task aside when you have to do it the next day because it's too time-consuming. You have to remind yourself why it's important. Through that, you'll also see the things that aren't that important, and you can move around your priority list to match. This is also a good time to plan and save the podcasts, audiobooks, and playlists you want to listen to in the next day. Again, this small action will save you an abundance of time and energy tomorrow. You don't have to spend time picking and choosing; it's all laid out for you already.

Number fourteen: put the damn phone away now. Now that all of your tasks and chores are done and you've moved through your routine, it's time to put your phone away. Okay? Don't bring that to bed with you. You know you're just going to end up scrolling far longer than you plan to, and that blue light is terrible for your sleep. No matter how many hours you get, you'll notice an immediate difference when you put your phone away at least half an hour before bedtime.

And number fifteen: do a closing shift. If you've ever worked retail, then you'll recognize the concept of a closing shift. This is the shift that puts everything back to where it belongs, straightens up the shelves, and closes the place down for the night. So do that with your place, too. A closing shift wraps up your day and gets it ready for the you that's going to be doing the opening shift in the morning. Always do future you a favor when you can.

Since you stuck with us until the very end, you're getting a bonus. And today's bonus, number sixteen, is visualize tomorrow's success. Visualization is incredibly powerful, Aluxir, so visualize the things you need to do tomorrow and imagine yourself doing them successfully. No matter how big or small it is, if it pops into your mind, imagine yourself getting it done.

This visualization will boost your motivation, give you a sense of direction and focus, and mentally prepare you for what it needs to do. It also ends your day on a light, positive note. Sometimes, in this day and age, boy, do we really need that, right?

1% better leads to exponential growth. It's a compounding effect because every 1% builds on the last one. Eventually, it leads to mastery of skills, knowledge, and performance, and these 15—now 16—things will help you get there. But we have one more thing that will help you get there.

We told you that if you stuck around until the very end, there would be a special gift, and we're going to make good on that promise. Don't you worry; if you download the Alux app and scan the QR code on screen, you'll get free access to our collection of lessons called "21 Small Habits for a Large Life."

Many people never level up in life because they get overwhelmed with all the things they believe they need to change in order to reach their goals. They quit before they even start, but that's because they're mistaken about what's required and how simple it can actually be.

So this 21-day pack highlights how very small habitual changes will compound over time to create an incredibly happy, fulfilling, and purposeful life. Each session is centered around a specific realistic goal, and through the use of psychology and neuroscience, we break down how each of these 21 small habits will help you to make these goals a reality and expand on your life satisfaction.

If you haven't already, give it a try by going to alux.com/slapp. And if you know you want in and feel like skipping that free trial, scan this QR code instead. It'll get you 25% off your yearly subscription, which includes not just this curated collection but all of them—even the industry expert collections. That's it from us today, Aluxir. We hope you enjoyed this one. We'll see you back here next time. Until then, take care. [Music]