Not one individual just wakes up in the morning and exudes excellence and success. Both of these factors must be worked at from the start of the day to the end of the day. In fact, in order to achieve success, you have to be willing to put in the effort right up to the very end of the day. So, what do successful and productive people at the end of each day?
Clean Up Your Workspace
This may sound boring, but organization is the key to productivity and success. Whether you work in a garage for a living or you have a desk job in an office, it’s important to clean up your physical and/or digital workspace at the end of each day. Why does it matter? A study conducted by scientists at the University of Princeton found that clutter negatively impacts your ability to focus. So if you want to be productive, finish your day with a little organization.
Review the Day, Prepare for Tomorrow
Piggy-backing off that last point, if you want to continue your productivity from today into tomorrow, it doesn’t hurt to do a little mental house cleaning also. Take a moment to sit down and review the tasks you achieved today. While these may seem miniscule and lacking in importance, it is a good way to maintain your motivation and focus. Since major milestones and accomplishments are rare in terms of frequency, it can be hard to remain focused on achieving those tasks without little positive bumps in emotion along the way.
Also, looking forward to the next work today allows you to chart the path forward. When you spend a few minutes planning for tomorrow at the end of today, you can hit the ground running the morning with greater efficiency and enjoy a productive start to the new day.
Take Time to Wind Down
Productivity and efficiency aren’t achieved by always being on the clock and thinking about work. This type of approach will wear you down and create brain drain. If you really want to be productive, dedicate time at the end of your day to wind down. Unplug from your technology. Enjoy a quiet dinner at the table with your family. Whatever brings you peace, pursue it with fervor to help you wind down.
Establish a Bed Time!
Again, there’s not as much to be gained from an always-on approach as you think. Keeping an erratic sleep schedule only serves to derail your productivity for the next day before you even arrive at the office or leave the house. A good night’s rest not only refreshes you physically and mentally, but it allows you the regularity to know when you’ll be most productive the next day, when you can start projects, and how well you’ll be able to finish them.
