They’ll run out the door the second they’re done with their work. “Anything you can do to have a head start in the morning will help you achieve more productive days and a more productive career.” “Based on the day's events and input, reflect those changes on your master to-do list so that when you start your day, you're that much further ahead of the game,” Taylor says.
You’ll probably update or expand your to-do list the following morning, but it doesn’t hurt to compile a preliminary list the night before. Determine what you must accomplish the next day and have a plan of how you will use your time to manage your priorities, Attridge says. She suggests you take a few minutes to send that e-mail you’ve been meaning to send, respond to that request that you can quickly answer, or touch base with a colleague you been meaning to see. “There is nothing worse than having that feeling of something hanging over your head,” he says. Be sure not to leave anything hanging that can quickly be taken care of. Be sure to tie up any loose ends so that you can truly disconnect when you walk out the door, Woodward says. The end of the day is the time to determine who you need to reach first thing in the morning. Hopefully, you've maximized the peak hours to contact the people you need so that you can complete the administrative side of your job armed with their input. “E-mails, reports, status memos and thinking projects are best handled when phone calls, texts and other distractions have subsided,” Taylor says. The end of the day is the best time to handle paperwork and tasks that don't require phone contact. "E-mails can stack-up fast and it’s easy to miss those critical ones when your in-box gets too backed-up.”Ĭomplete non-peak hour work. “Block off at least 15 minutes at the end of your day to sort through those unnecessary CCs, happy hour invitations, and random solicitations,” he says. This will give that feeling of a fresh start when you arrive the next morning. Before walking out the door take a few minutes to toss any trash, organize your paperwork and straighten up your desk. Nobody likes the feeling of walking into a mess, especially when you are under the gun, Woodward says. This is also a great opportunity to double-check deadlines and confirm that everyone is on the same page. You’ll also want to get end-of-day updates from co-workers.
It will help you leave behind what’s happened today, enrich your current mood and help to put a full stop to your working day.”ĭepending on how hands-on your boss is, you may want to visit with him or her to discuss the status of any projects you’re working on, Taylor suggests. “Think about one thing you are most looking forward to tomorrow. “Some people like to visualize, make a mental or physical note of what is on their schedule first thing the next day,” says David Shindler, an employability specialist and author of Learning to Leap. You can also use this opportunity to schedule time on your calendar to accomplish any remaining items from today’s to-do list. Make sure you’re aware of any meetings or calls for the following day. This will save you time the next morning. “If you aren’t satisfied with where you are, plan what you need to do and when you will do it so you don’t get further behind.” If you could quickly get something done before you leave, do it. Make sure you are where you need to be on these activities and that you’ve accomplished as much as you could, says Anita Attridge, a career and executive coach with the Five O’Clock Club, a career coaching organization. Nobody likes that feeling of unfinished business hanging over their head while playing with the kids or dining with the family, so it’s important that you do what you can to make as clean a break as possible when walking out the office door."Įvaluate your to-do list. “Closing out your day in an orderly and positive way is critical to making that clean psychological transition into the personal side of life. Woody” Woodward, PhD, organizational psychologist and author of The YOU Plan. “Just as it’s never a good idea to hard crash your computer, you shouldn’t hard crash your day,” advises Michael “Dr.