The Most Productive 15 Minutes of Your Work Day

For those of you who work a typical 9 to 5 job, looking at the clock and seeing it’s 4:45pm can be quite a relief. Only a quarter of an hour and you’re out of there!  Yay!

For others it can be quite stressful – only 15 minutes to get everything done!

But would you believe the way you spend those final 15 minutes could completely change what happens the next day?

Every day, when I’m nearly finished with work I create a “roadmap” for the following day.  I’ve stolen the idea from my time as a live news producer.  We always have a rundown to keep us on track during a live show.  Your work day should run the same way.

Having this roadmap means I can hit the ground running and everything goes so much smoother when I get in the following morning.

Follow this checklist today and you’ll be thanking yourself tomorrow:

1. Write down everything – Make a list of everything you need to do the follow day, any meetings you might have etc. Just get it all down.  You can even start this process earlier in the day as you start thinking of things you need to do tomorrow.

2. Prioritize – It’s pretty obvious that an important report takes precedence over replenishing your stationery supplies, but take some time to think about each task. Sometimes you forget about a small thing, which can have a much bigger effect on everything else.

3. Break it up – Got some mammoth task you’re really not looking forward to? Split it into smaller chunks and distribute it throughout the day. Giving yourself a chance to look at emails, etc in between will help to ease your frustration.  Breaks are our friends.

4. Make time for lunch – When we’re rushing around trying to get everything done, eating can be the last thing on our minds. But if you don’t eat, or you just grab something small it can have a negative impact on your afternoon. By making time for a good meal you can kick start your afternoon feeling refreshed. Sometimes treating yourself right will make all the difference.  A little self care goes a long way!

Once you’ve got your roadmap sorted out, leave it out on your desk ready for the next day. Make sure to leave a little space for anything that might pop up overnight.

How do you plan for your day?