How to create an end of day routine to set up tomorrow for success

As a founder, your days are packed with decision-making, problem-solving, supporting your team and driving growth, it’s a lot. There’s a lot of talk, books even, about ideal morning routines. To maximise your productivity, boost your creativity or create the ultimate in wellbeing.  But how you end your day can be just as important as how you start it. A structured end-of-day routine can help you stay focused, reduce stress, and set yourself up for a more productive tomorrow. 

The most important thing when creating an end of day routine? That it works for you. As much as we all would love to live up to the standards of an ‘ideal’ or ‘perfect’ close to the working day, if it has a dozen steps, it probably won’t stick. Keep it simple, keep it tailored to you, and keep your team in the loop. If you want an hour to prepare for tomorrow without being disturbed, let them know. And if you’re a parent on school pick ups, and your day needs to end at 2.15pm, you are not alone!

Clear your desk

This could be literally giving your desk a quick tidy up, but it is also a time to reflect on the day and get clarity on tomorrow.

• Block out your calendar – 15 mins or an hour, make sure you have some undisturbed time to reflect on the day
• Write a quick recap – Key wins, challenges, and lessons learned. It will help you track progress and refine your strategies
• Brain dump – If something is still on your mind, jot it down. Leave it on the paper, and come back to it tomorrow. Don’t take it home with you

Set up for tomorrow

Prepare ahead so you can hit the ground running in the morning.

• Review your calendar – Check upcoming meetings and deadlines so nothing catches you off guard
• Prioritise – What tasks for tomorrow will have the most impact on your day? Make sure you’ve got the right task scheduled for the right time of day – not a morning person? Don’t schedule your deep focus work for first thing

Communicate

• Replies – What Slacks, emails, Whatsapps etc need replying to? Keeping your communications to certain times of day will stop you getting distracted throughout the day
• Share your priorities – Let your team know what your priorities are for the day and how they can support you
• Ask yourself what you can delegate – let your team and VA know what you need from them tomorrow

Disconnect

Running a business and managing a team can feel relentless, it’s important to take the space you need to switch off and reset

• Shut down work notifications – Resist the urge to check emails after hours; boundaries are key.
• Move your body – A short walk (to pick up the kids from school), stretch, or workout helps mark the end of the working day 
• Make time for joy – Read or listen to something inspiring to help spark fresh ideas without it feeling too much like work

How your Virtual Assistant can support your close of day routine

There’s always something demanding your attention as a founder, this is where your Virtual Assistant can be invaluable. They can:

• Protect your time managing your calendar
• Handle admin tasks so you can focus on high-impact work
• Manage your inbox to prevent distractions
• Create systems to create a smooth running processes to take friction out of your day

Creating routines that you can stick to, that set you up for success can support your business and your wellbeing.

And if you need help streamlining your workload, a Virtual Assistant could be the game-changer you’re looking for. Let’s chat about how Upsource can support you.