Originally posted 2/17/23

If you are anything like me, I only want to walk away from my desk and be with my family when work is done. Really? Collapse on the sofa. However, to ensure my work day tomorrow is as productive as possible, the steps I take at the end of my work day are as important, if not more important, than my start-up routine. This is part two of the Work Routines Series. Last week we talked about how to set up your ideal Start-of-Work routine. If you didn’t catch that, you could read that here. Today I want to encourage you to develop a few simple steps for your End-of-Work routine. Simplicity in this process will make tomorrow so much easier. So, let's build an End-of-Work routine together.

Much like the start-of-work routine, the end-of-work routine doesn’t need to be complicated or full of extra to-do’s to check off your list. What you do to close your workday will be original to your job or business. Today's examples will be ‘notary focused’ as that is my business.

Prep for tomorrow:

So to build this routine, we first need to look at what will need to be done first thing the next day. For example, I may have appointments on my schedule for the next day. A step I can take is to pre-print documents if I have them. If that is not already done, I can put the appointments in my Google calendar. And if not too time-consuming, create an invoice for that appointment. If you have meetings or appointments the next day, spending just a few minutes to prep the night before will make your morning a little less chaotic.

Another prep activity you can do is to update your task list. As you have gone through your work day, you most likely have created future tasks or have migrated tasks from one day to the next. It's a good time to pull all those tasks together on tomorrow's calendar or task list.

Put email to bed:

I mentioned in my last post that I have been working very hard to get my email into a routine where I am often at email=0 most of the time. Even if you can’t get to email=0, you should take a few minutes to clean up your inbox. Move emails to your digital task list for actionable items, or send information to your calendar for emails that require scheduling. Unsubscribe from a handful of newsletter emails that don’t benefit you. Taking just 3-5 minutes at the end of your day to do this will make that email demand a bit less overwhelming at the start of the day tomorrow.

Clean your space:

It can be weeks before I look up from my job to see the layer of dust all over my desk. We run and run, and cleaning our space can fall way back on the to-do list. Taking 30 seconds to a minute to put things away, tidy up the clutter and perhaps dust your desk and computer will allow you to start your next day in a primed and prepped space to encourage creativity and productivity. So, tuck away all the chords, put books or notepads on the shelf or in a drawer, and run a dust rag or a disinfectant wipe over your desk surface. Take some time to clean your computer screen and keyboard. Take cups and plates with you. You don’t need a lesson on cleaning your space, but I suggest doing some housekeeping before you clock out.

That's it. These are simple steps to end your work day to prepare for tomorrow. Your end-of-work routine shouldn’t take more than 3-10 minutes. Writing invoices for me is the only step that can take a little longer, but even with that, I am not there for an hour to get everything done and ready for tomorrow.

Simple routines to your workday have the power to transform your productivity and your mental health completely. Running a business or even being an employee is no easy task; anything you can do to protect your time is worth the effort.

I hope you found this blog post series helpful. I hope that you will start to put some of these ideas into practice, and I hope you will see big changes in your daily work life. Of course, I would love to hear from you, any other ideas you have, or if you have any questions about these routines or anything else. I am available across many social media platforms, or you can email me here.

Until next time- Take Care

Jennifer Cooper- JKC Mobile Notary