Instead of fumbling around in the morning trying to put out fires and figure out what’s next, hit the ground running by making your task list at the end of your workday the day before.
Here are some benefits for planning the night before:
You have more clarity the night before
At the end of the day, you’re clear about what didn’t get done and where things stand. You’ll have some distance between you and tomorrow and you can strategically calculate how you want your day to go.
You’ll enjoy your personal time more
This is a great way to transition from work to personal time. It frees you up to leave the office behind because you know you’re on top of things.
You’ll sleep better
When everything is written down and there are no open loops in your head – you sleep better.
A strange, but the great side benefit is that your brain, overnight, will work on any problem you may have. Don’t ask me why this is the case, but from my experience, this seems to be true. If I have a challenge, I’ll often know the solution the next day when I wake up.
You’ll start your day with a purpose
You’ll know exactly what you need to do and there’s no thinking about what the next step is. You can just get going and be productive right from the start of your workday.
Eliminates the “Decision Dilemma”
As in …
What should I work on today?
or …
What should I work on next?
or worse …
What do I feel like working on today?
Set aside some time at the end of your workday, every day, so you can make a plan for the next day.
Plan tomorrow, today. Get more done.
