It’s easy to click over to Facebook and waste the last half hour of your day.
Funny memes. Cute cat pictures. Spicy status updates. They almost beg you to get lost in them.
But, later you always feel regretful. Like when you eat a whole pizza.
So, why not start using the last 30 minutes of your work day to increase productivity and get a jump start on tomorrow? Or, wait for it — Monday. I know. Crazy, right?
But, if you’re like me, sitting down to a blank screen makes me feel uninspired. Tackling a giant inbox of emails is daunting. And, not having a clue what absolutely needs to get done is simply a recipe for stress.
So, stop doing that.
4 Ways to Make Tomorrow’s Work Easier
1. Do 10 minutes of free writing. In high school I had a teacher who would make us spill our brains into a notebook. She timed us. For a full minute — or maybe it was five — we had to write non-stop. If our hands paused for more than a few seconds, we got the dreaded evil eye. Boy my fingers hurt after those free writing sessions, but I also brainstormed some interesting ideas that worked as jumping off points for my assignments. Why not try free writing for generating blog post topics, ideas for a presentation or even for creating topics for an editorial calendar?
2. Clean out your email. Delete the random advertisements and junk email. Reply to the easy emails that take less than a minute of brainpower to answer. Leave only the detailed, time consuming emails in your inbox to tackle first thing in the morning. Since you’ll see fewer emails waiting in the morning, it’s not nearly as much of a chore.
3. Tidy your desk. Pick up the loose pens. Clear away the food wrappers and empty coffee cups. Actually file that random pile of paperwork. Your desk doesn’t have to look magazine-cover worthy, but starting your day in a presentable workspace will make you feel less disorganized and ready to tackle the day.
4. Make a list. Think of the most important things you have to get done tomorrow. Do you need to return an important call? Is a big project due? Do you have an afternoon meeting to prepare for? Jot these down on a sticky note and put it on the computer screen so you see it first thing in the morning. This will help you dive right into your tasks, rather than wander the Internet while you try to get into the work groove.
So, what do you do at the end of your day to make tomorrow easier and more productive? I love learning new workflow tips. Let’s chat in the comments below about how to increase productivity at work.
