Make the end of the work day productive

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Some days are productive from start to finish. Then you have other days where your mornings are productive, but by mid to late afternoon you find yourself staring at the clock and struggling to get any real work done. As the final hour of the workday approaches, do you have trouble staying productive?

Your attention is wandering, you're physically or mentally spent, or you feel you don't have enough time to start something new. Whatever the cause, there are things you can do. When you find yourself struggling near the end of the day, here are some things to finish the day on a high note, instead of waiting out the clock.

Work towards a task

When there's only 30 minutes left in the work day, it may seem pointless to start something new. It's this thought that's stopping you from getting anything done. Starting something is often hardest part, because you don't know where to begin. Make some dot points, write an outline of what you have to do. Anything you do now means less work for you tomorrow and will make it easier as you now have some direction and aren't starting from scratch.

As the end of the work day approaches don't mentally check out. Make the most of the remaining time. Is there something you started earlier in the day that you never finished? Something you can start now and finish tomorrow morning? Or, just something small that you've been putting off. This is a good time to finish off those tasks that are low priority and don't require much effort.

Depending what your job is, email and voicemail can end up taking up your time. If you're someone who doesn't have time to be checking and replying to them during the day, then the end of the day is a good time to get on top of them. Answer anything urgent, make a note to follow up on things that aren't and clean up the ones that aren't needed anymore.

Reflect on the day & Plan for tomorrow

Take stock of the day. Out of the tasks you set out to do today, what did you complete or make progress towards, and what didn't you get around to doing? If you're working on something big it can seem like you're never making any progress. The overall scope of the job obscures all the little details. Taking stock of everything you did during the day is a way to help you recognise that you are actually being productive, even if it doesn't feel like it.

Once you've taken stock of what did and didn't get done, create a to do list. If you've ever gone home not knowing what you'll do the next day, making a short list will help you out. This doesn't have to be a detailed list, just a few simple points are all that's needed to give you some direction. Think about what tasks need to be completed and which of those should have priority. Not all of us have a job where there are activities that take you away from your desk, such as meetings or out of office activities. But if you do, factor those activities into your plans.

Organise your work area

During the course of your day, your work space may get a little messy and this can get out of control if you let it. As it becomes more and more unorganised it can become harder to move around, harder to find things on your desk, and make you less productive because of the additional time required to complete tasks. By spending a few minutes at the end of each day clearing any rubbish and making sure everything in the area is organised, you can prevent your work space from becoming unmanageable.

I don't get to these things every day, as some days I'm busy right up until it's time to leave. But if I'm having a slow afternoon or feeling unproductive, these tasks are helpful for organising myself and getting back on track. This way I don't come in the next day, sit down and think, what do I have to do today? If you're having trouble getting the most out of your day, try these tasks and see if things improve for you.

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