What do you do on the last few minutes of your working day? Looking at the clock as you count the seconds before you can get out of the office or just hold on to get your work done until the very last minute. If this is your daily routine, you might want to reassess how to end your workday properly in a good note. Here are the five best evening routines that you should follow before you leave work.

1. Evaluate your to-do list

Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work you’ve had to do every day? Having a list of tasks will make sure that all of your activities are listed so that you do not miss out on any work issues. Prioritize your tasks in the order you want them to do so that you can determine what needs your immediate attention and what you can postpone. Note down all the tasks you need to complete. If they are important tasks, plan the first level of action and write it down with a larger task. Execute these activities by assigning priorities from the most important to the least.

2. Review your work schedule for tomorrow

Scheduling is the art of arranging your schedule in such a way that you can accomplish tasks in the time you have available. This helps you understand what you can realistically achieve with your time when it’s done effectively. This means that you have enough time to perform important tasks while avoiding taking on more than you can. Most importantly, you can work steadily to achieve your career goals and maintain a good work-life balance. You can plan your schedule by choosing the time you want to make available for your work. First, you will need to lock in the steps you need to take to ensure that your work can be completed. Lastly, evaluate your activities whether all the tasks you have listed are necessary.

3. Check in with your boss and colleagues

You may consider reaching out to your boss and colleagues to discuss any pending projects that you are working on. This is also a good opportunity for you to double-check deadlines to ensure that everyone is on the same line. 

4. Tidy up your work desk

It’s hard to get any tasks completed when your workspace is a cluttered mess. Start by removing items from your desk, beginning with the largest items before moving on to the smaller ones. Place items into piles based by what they are or what function they serve. Look through items and discard anything that is no longer any use and be sure to double check before getting rid of it for good. Last but not least, use a damp cloth to wipe down the surface of the desk, removing dust and dirt.

5. Time to reflect back at what you do today

Reflection can be an empowering process in helping you to make sense of your decisions and your proceeding course of action. Allocate at least 10-15 minutes for reflection at the end of the work day. Ask yourself about what you have learnt, areas of improvement, and what opportunities you can branch out in the future. Writing things down can help support the process of reflection and allows you to refer back to when needed. Alternatively, conducting a reflection with your colleagues can be a great way to reflect on upcoming works, reviewing completed tasks and making important decisions.

How do you fully utilise your last hour at work? Leave us your thoughts on the comment sections below. Head over to Jobstore.com and unveil your next job opportunity.