Here is another short excerpt from ONO. Learn to make peace with your failures and accomplishments and use your last moments of every day to prepare yourself for the first moments of the next.

I love evenings. My business day is done. The kids are in bed. It is quiet and peaceful. My wife, Sue, is following her nighttime routine and taking some time for herself.

I have an evening routine as well. I watch about an hour of one of my favorite TV programs; I record them beforehand so I can go down to the basement and watch one a night. It’s the way I unwind. Then I go upstairs. As I walk by Jaken’s room, I ask myself, “Have I done everything I could to be there for my little man today?” I reflect on my answer, review my shortcomings as well as my successes, whisper, “I love you, Jaken,” and move on down the hall to the master bedroom.

I bend over Tucker’s crib, brush his soft cheek with my fingertips and marvel at how peaceful I feel when I’m watching my baby sleep. Then, as I’m doing the mindless tasks of tooth-brushing and clothes changing, I think about my day with Sue, and I ask myself whether I’ve done everything I could to be there for her. I reflect on my answer, find Sue, and talk with her. I am deeply committed to my marriage and this time with Sue is precious to me. I use it to make amends if I need to, to tell her how much I appreciate her and to let her know how much I love her.

Then I lie down, and, before I grab whatever book I’m currently reading, I think about my business day. As I’ve done with Jaken and Sue, I review the done, not-done, could-have-done-differently, and need-to-do-tomorrow aspects of my business activities. I do this checkup as quickly as I do the personal ones. I just touch base, and I do it in an easy-on-myself manner.

If I find mistakes, I don’t beat myself up about them. I make peace with the rough spots in my business day, and I move on. Shame and regret are best used to move you to action, not to fester or keep you stuck. These evening reflections and the sleep time that follows them help me stay in a place of serenity.

Why do I reflect on the important aspects of my day? Because that’s what successful people, do. Whether they have one or several plans in motion, they frequently check in with themselves to see how things are going. Successful parents and spouses do it, and so do successful entrepreneurs. These goal-oriented, result-focused men and women use the last waking minutes of their day to get ready for the first waking minutes of their next day.