How to End Your Workday for a More Productive Day Tomorrow

I have a #realtalk question for you: How do you end your workday?

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?

You abruptly stop working because you looked up, saw the time, and can’t remember the last time you ate something that didn’t come out of a coffee mug.
You leave your desk looking like a tornado hit it and crawl into bed with a list of things you still have to do (or should have done) running through your head.
You sit on the couch after working all day and wonder what in the world you did all day because it feels like nothing got done and your to-do list is still full.

I’ve been there and done that, friends.

Then I realized that William Shakespeare (yep, that guy) was onto something when he said:

“All’s well that ends well.”

Because a productive day STARTS with the night before!!

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase using these links.)

10 WAYS TO END YOUR WORKDAY FOR A MORE PRODUCTIVE DAY TOMORROW

I’ve practiced an end-of-day routine for almost 6 years now and can honestly say it’s something I actively look forward to every. single. day.

Not because it signals the end of my workday, but because I know (without a shadow of a doubt) that it’s going to leave me feeling GREAT about the day I just completed and TOTALLY PREPARED for the day that is to come.

When done the right way, I believe an end-of-day routine can help you have an even more productive day tomorrow. That’s why I’m sharing the 10 things I believe every female entrepreneur should do to end her workday the productive way!!

Did I mention you can start doing these things today?! Because you can!! 💥

1 | SET OFFICE HOURS AND STICK TO THEM

The number one way to end your workday for a more productive day tomorrow is to set office hours. Figure out WHEN you want to ideally start and end your workday each day and then stick to those times like glue!!

Setting office hours will not only help others respect your working time, but it will also help you to respect your working time, too (i.e. you’ll be more inclined to make the best use of your working time when you know your cut off time is xx:xx).

Pro Tip: Set a reminder in the Reminders App on your phone or make “quitting time” a repeatable event on your digital calendar to help you make this habit stick. If you also use a paper planner as I do, you can write “quitting time” in there, too.

2 | NICELY WRAP UP WHATEVER YOU WERE WORKING ON

This is KEY to starting the next day off on the right foot. Because there is nothing worse than trying to pick up where you left off and not being able to remember what you were doing, where you were at, or where you were going with that thought, design, or process.

You will (honest to God) thank yourself in the morning if you take a few minutes at the end of each day to nicely wrap up your day and whatever you were working on.

3 | CLEAN UP YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE

Physical clutter is mental clutter. (#nobutreally) Your desk is not a dumping ground. It’s where all the hard work and magic of your business happens. So throw away the trash, put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and put away anything you pulled out.

Having a clean and organized workspace will make you a happier and more productive business owner, I promise!! 👍🏻

4 | CLEAN UP YOUR DIGITAL WORKSPACE

The same goes for your digital workspace. Close out of the dozen (or more 🤯) browser tabs you opened throughout the day (I know I’m not the only one, ok?!), shut down your email, clean up your desktop, empty the trash, and close out of all open applications. You might even want to consider shutting down your computer at the end of the day to give it a rest and make it harder for you to keep working.

Pro Tip: A messy desktop and full digital trashcan can actually slow your computer down. Make sure you clean up and empty these regularly to keep your machine running well!!

5 | REVIEW WHAT GOT DONE THAT DAY

Whether you use a digital calendar like iCal or Google Calendar, a paper planner like the Simplified Planner, or a project management app like Asana or Trello, take a few minutes to go through your to-dos for the day and review what got done.

Celebrate every single checkmark and don’t for a second feel bad about moving something that didn’t get done to the next day. This could be a sign that you tried to fit too many things into your day or a task simply took longer than you anticipated. It happens. You didn’t fail. You’ll do better tomorrow. It will all get done!!

Pro Tip: I write out my block schedule and list of to-dos in my Simplified Planner in black ink and then use hot pink pen to check off what I complete. It helps me easily see what’s been done and it looks like a celebration!! 🙌🏻 I also use the emoji checkmark (✔️) to check off completed tasks, projects, or events in iCal.

6 | BRAIN DUMP

Get all of that mental clutter out of your head!! Get out a notebook or pull up a Google Doc and write down everything taking up space in your brain. Going to bed with a clear head will not only help you fall asleep faster, but you’ll get a better (more restful) night’s sleep without that idea or to-do train chugging along and keeping you up for hours.

Pro Tip: I would still keep a notebook and pen by your bed for those spur-of-the-moment brainstorms that always seem to happen right before you fall asleep.

7 | WRITE OUT YOUR TO-DO LIST AND SCHEDULE FOR TOMORROW

This might be the most important part of ending your workday for a more productive day tomorrow… and it is THE ONE THING that I encourage you to do no matter what!!

Knowing exactly what’s on your schedule for the next day means you’ll be well aware of what’s coming up and also well-prepared. Writing out your to-do list the night before means you won’t waste any productive time in the morning wondering what you should work on first. You’ll be able to hit the ground running before your coffee even finishes brewing!!

8 | PREPARE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

The more you can prepare for the next day, the smoother your morning (and the rest of your day) will be.

Prep your breakfast and lunch, pick your workout clothes and outfit for the day, make sure you have everything you need for the gym/errands/meetings, and anything else you can think of to prepare for the next day. You could even pull together the things you need for the projects or tasks you plan to work on.

9 | QUICK LIVING SPACE PICK-UP-TIDY-UP

This step might seem overly fussy to some, but I believe taking care of both your workspace and your living space is ESSENTIAL when you work from home.

Even though they often overlap, I encourage you to keep your workspace and living space as separate as possible. Your workspace should inspire you to DO WORK, while your living space should inspire you TO REST. You can’t do either very well if your space is a mess.

Pro Tip: Spending as little as 5 or as many as 20 minutes picking up/tidying up your living space will make a big impact on your overall productivity (especially if you’re like me and can’t work when you can see that the room around you or next to you is messy). Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, fold blankets, fluff pillows, pick things up off the floor, and put things back where they belong.

10 | SHUT DOWN AND DISCONNECT BEFORE YOU GET INTO BED

The final step to ending your workday for a more productive day tomorrow is stepping away from technology and getting some much-needed and well-deserved rest.

The hours you spend resting are just as important (if not more important) than the hours you spend working. So give yourself some much-needed and well-deserved rest. Shoot for getting as many hours of sleep each night as you possibly can. And don’t forget to put the technology away LONG BEFORE you even get into bed!!

I have another #realtalk question for you: How will you end your workday now that you’ve read my tips?

I truly hope I’ve inspired you to make some changes!! 😘

Remember: How you end your workday is just as important as how you start it. End it the right way and see what a difference it makes in your life and business!!

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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I only share about the products and services I personally use and love most and think you will, too!!

The Productivity Zone

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