As summer turns to fall, the cooler temperatures and vibrant fall colors inspire us and bring with them the idea of a fresh start. It is a perfect time to reflect on what is working in our daily routines so that we can ensure we are making the most of each day by ridding ourselves of bad habits and replacing them with ones that will serve us better.
One of the most beneficial practices to consider freshening up is making the most of your morning. And while you likely don’t need a complete overhaul, a few tweaks might make all the difference.
A successful morning for me really begins the day before with a workday shutdown routine. It enables me to take back control of those first few hours the next morning. By simply taking 20 to 30 minutes at the end of the workday before leaving the office and devoting this time to ending the day well, you can enter your office the next morning with confidence and clear direction. You might even schedule this shutdown routine as an appointment in your calendar to help you solidify this habit.
The following are practices that I have adopted as part of my shutdown routine.
Calendar
Glance at your calendar for the following day. This will allow you to limit surprises, help you visualize your day and be prepared for it. Also consider adding some blocked time the next day to tackle larger projects or tasks before anyone else claims that time. Like many of you, what is on my calendar is what typically gets my attention, so be sure to schedule some time for yourself to keep you healthy and balanced. (We all can use a little break in between all those meetings!)
Task List
Review your task list recognizing what you’ll need to carry over to the following day. Even on our best days, it isn’t realistic to get everything done. Eliminate the early morning decision of where to start. Instead, select one or two tasks that fall into the important-but-not-urgent category. These are typically tasks that will move the needle, but aren’t yet on fire, so we often don’t get to them until they become urgent.
Also consider the tasks typically put off because they seem harder or require more concentration. These are all a great starting point for the next morning when you are often at your freshest. Once you knock these out early in the day, or at least make some good progress, you’ll feel like you can conquer anything, which is even better than an extra cup of coffee.
Spend a few minutes giving a final look at what you received during the day that you weren’t able to respond to, but needs attention the following day. And rid your inbox of as much as you can to create a cleaner slate for the next day.
With a workday shutdown routine, you’ll leave the office feeling so much more confident in how you’ll be able to handle everything that comes your way tomorrow and hopefully be able to be more present at home in the evenings.
I wish I could tell you that this shutdown routine happens at the end of every workday for me, but there are some days that it just doesn’t all fall into place. I have to resist the urge to knock out a few more tasks at the end of the day when it gets quiet rather than making sure I am prepared for what is to come.
I hope you’ll consider these ideas and customize them to make them work best for you. Being prepared really is a gift that you can give to yourself. And who doesn’t love a gift, especially one that comes around first thing in the morning?
If this topic is of interest to you, be on the lookout for future articles focused on what you can do to make the most of your mornings, as well as a workday startup routine when you hit the ground running back in the office.
Tammie Davis is a division president for Cadence Bank. She formerly served as a professional trainer in the financial services industry and has extensive nonprofit leadership experience through planning, fundraising and vision casting.
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