Minimum effort, maximum impact: if you plan your next work day in advance, you’ll be better prepared. These five rituals can help you – and they’re quick and easy.
Your preparations the day before determine how your working day starts. Good organisation is half the battle. And that’s doubly true when it comes to collaboration within a team. The marketing blog Hubspot has compiled five tips on how best to prepare for your next day at work. Ideally, your preparations should be a daily ritual. A chronological overview.
1. Hold regular stand-up meetings
A stand-up meeting is a short meeting of around 15 minutes that helps coordinate team tasks. You can briefly plan upcoming tasks by holding such a meeting at 2 or 3 p.m. Ask the following questions at the meeting:
- What do we need to do today?
- What can be postponed until tomorrow?
- What can be brought forward to today?
Especially at the moment, when everyone is working from home, a brief exchange like this can improve collaboration within the team.
2. Revise your to-do list
Now revise your to-do list based on the results of the stand-up meeting. Do this immediately after the meeting.
3. Check the schedule for tomorrow
About two hours before you clock out, take a look at tomorrow’s schedule. Check whether you have any important appointments to prepare for. If you have time, you can do this before leaving for the evening. Otherwise, you can schedule some time to prepare tomorrow morning.
4. Send any unfinished emails
Shortly before leaving, take another look at your email program. Finish and send any emails you’ve drafted over the course of the day. You’ll save yourself the trouble of having to complete these short tasks tomorrow.
5. Update your to-do list
As the last task of the day, check your to-do list once again. Check off the completed tasks and ask yourself the following questions about the remaining tasks:
- Are there tasks that need to be performed in a particular order?
- What do you absolutely have to do tomorrow? Give these tasks top priority.
- What can you postpone to another day? Give these tasks a lower priority.
- Are there any tasks that need to be completed at a specific time of day, such as preparing for a meeting? Schedule some time in your calendar to give yourself some breathing space.
Extra tip: Plan the week on Monday morning
Take half an hour on Monday morning to make a rough plan for the week. Schedule tasks in such a way that you can complete them in good time. And block out time for important tasks. This will give you a quick overview of what you have to do this week.
If you prepare like this, you can get off to a good start the next day. You’ll know what you can expect and what lies ahead. This will help you to work efficiently and fully relax in the evenings.
Updated article from February 2018.
