It’s 4:35 pm. You’re exhausted. More like it is: Drained.
It’s been a day filled with distractions, racing to meetings and staying awake to get things done. Now you are packing your laptop to go home for work. Tomorrow, you’ll get up and rinse again.
But what if there were another way?
I will show you how to maximize the end of your workday and bring extraordinary productivity to your entire work life.
This should be done at least half an hour before you wrap up your day. This runway time will allow for you to launch with a big creative and productive burst on the next day.
Step 1: Respond as many emails as possible
I believe in chunking, which is the practice of performing similar tasks at once. Email is one.
The sad truth is that American office workers spend 2.6 hours per working day reading and responding emails.
This is made worse by the distraction caused by email. Many people allow email to invade every part of their day. You get an email notification and your mind quickly wanders away from the task at hand to check out the new email. It takes us 25 minutes to recover after a distraction. This means that we are constantly distracted by email.
This is a complete waste of time.
One of the best ways to improve your productivity is to eliminate email creep. This is why you should respond to as many emails in 30 minutes or less as possible.
During workday hours, the vast majority of important emails reach your inbox. You will have received the majority of important messages by the end of your workday. If you can answer at least 80% of these, you can reduce your workload tomorrow and be a lot more productive when you start your day.
Step 2: Turn off your computer and mobile device.
This is a very important topic that deserves its own point.
You’re blocking notifications from getting in on your device by turning it off. You’ll still want to use your device or computer for scheduling your day, or taking notes. Be sure to close any programs that might interrupt your end of the day productivity prep. Keep your project management software open to ensure you stay organized in the next few steps.
Turning off your computer has another benefit. It closes all open programs and browser tabs when you turn off your computer. You should delete all this information and unfinished activities before the next day begins.
Why? Because every day is a new start. Not a rehashing of the past. If you have any issues that you need to address, you can do a brain dump. (More on that in step 3.
Step 3: Perform a brain dump.
Write down everything you have in your head that you need to do. This could include everything, from family and personal tasks to work tasks. It can be as random or as planned. I record my brain dump on my computer.
The brain dump aims to reduce mental clutter. Productivity is more about mental control and not the techniques that get stuff done.
Preparing for the next day’s fight is a crucial part of preparation. It helps to write down what you need to do. Your mind is clear and all distractions have been removed. It’s time to go.
Step 4: Plan for the next day.
It is important to plan your day before it begins. Without a plan, a day can start like an engine that needs to warm before it can be safely driven. According to one productivity expert, it is possible that you spend more time reorganizing your to-do lists than actually doing things.
Planning is a waste of time. Plan the day before to ensure you are fully prepared for your day.
