4:59pm
5:00pm
And the race is on!
Before I head out on a full body sprint to my ride home from the office there are a few things I always do each day at work . As much as I want to get home to my puppers I make myself take a beat and prep to make my morning easier because it’s so much easier to finish a task now than at 8am when my brain doesn’t function properly and all I want to do is scroll through Levo , Skimm, etc
I always make my to-do list for the next day so I know exactly what I need to get done and so I make sure I don’t miss anything. Plus my physical list makes me smile. How many times have you walked out knowing you need to finish something in the morning but you don’t remember until the next afternoon?
Whatever work I can finish quick I do. If it takes less than five minutes I do it before I leave. Drop off a file at my legal assistant’s desk – done. Put an email in a file in the file room – done. Check the calendar for the next day – done. Listen to a voicemail and write it down to return the next day – done. If you can finish these quick tasks each day at work your ‘tomorrow’ will be easier.
Before I grab my bag each day I tidy my desk. Grab my water tumbler, put my coffee cup in the sink, stack my files, etc. If I walk in and my desk looks like a disaster it makes me anxious plus it’s a hold over from an office where a disaster of an office got you in trouble.
Finally, when I grab my bag and leave, I actually leave. Don’t check your emails, don’t check your voicemails, don’t take home files. Look I know there will always be times you have to do those things but that should be the exception rather than the rule. Your brain will never get a chance to rest if you don’t leave your work at the office. Each day at work leave work at work.
Try these things this week and see how your work life balance goes!
