Seven things you should do before leaving each day
Some of us just can’t flee the office fast enough at the close of the workday. But in that mad dash you might be leaving behind a jumbled, disorganized mess that puts you behind before you even get started the next day. If you want to make a fast break at the starting gate tomorrow, invest 15 – 20 minutes today preparing your space and organizing your work. That way you can focus on the tasks at hand right away in the morning instead of wasting an hour getting into the daily groove.

• Clear the decks – Start by clearing the desk of papers, files and supplies. Jot down notes of your last thoughts or actions on projects, so you can pick up easily where you left off. File project and action folders that may have piled up during the day. Put away supplies, tools and reference materials you’ve taken out. Getting them back in place now will save time the next time they are needed.

• Contain new material – Make up new file folders for incoming projects, new resources, client and vendor information and such.

• Back-up your work – While system crashes are usually infrequent, that’s little consolation if it happens to you. Take preventative action each day by backing up your work either on an external hard drive, an internet storage site or on a CD/Diskette .

• Write a To Do list – If you want to start the next day with a plan, then get the plan written now, while unfinished tasks, new priorities and lingering details are still fresh in your mind. Review your calendar for meetings and appointments that may require prep time. Noting your To-Do’s on either paper or in an electronic format will keep them handy and easy to find for review and updates the next day.

• Confirm appointments – Avoid any possible miscommunications by confirming the next day’s appointments by email, voicemail or both as necessary. That way you can head off any problems before wasting time in cross-town traffic.

• Final email and voicemail check – Take a last scan for new email and voicemail messages that could impact the next day’s plan. Add any urgent tasks that arise from the messages to your To-Do list.

• Update voicemail greeting – Change the outgoing message on your voicemail to reflect the date and your availability based on your plan. Callers will appreciate knowing when they will next be able to reach you or when to expect a call back.

Using this closing routine checklist each day will help you stay organized and keep you focused on daily priorities. And just think how much less stressful your evenings and weekends at home will be when know you have everything back at work is under control.
by Louise Kurzeka
Everything's Together®
Organizing Expert