Startups and Shutdowns

It’s no secret I’m a fanboy and user of the Full Focus Planner from Michael Hyatt. As my other nerdy friends say, “It has given me the language to the OCD tendencies I’ve always had.” My brain works in detail, working backward, creating a plan, and working the plan.

So it’s no wonder that one of my favorite aspects of the FFP is the Workday Startup and Shutdowns.

These are daily rhythms, or rituals, that consistently bring you in and out of “work mode.” Now that I work out of a home office most days, these rhythms look a lot different than when I had to commute to an office space.

For commuting, my workday startup consisted of listening to a podcast centered around my work for the day. If I had people work to do that day, I listened to Simon Sineck or Craig Groeschel teach me how to be a better leader. If I was in admin mode, I listened to music playlists that inspired productivity. If I had a creative agenda that day, I would listen to podcasts from Todd Henry or Song Exploder to get inspired. All of these put me in the right headspace for the type of work I was ramping up into that day.

Commuting home was my time for workday shutdown, this is the transition to switch my mind from Professional Me to Family Me. When you do work you love, it’s hard to disconnect and turn it off. So my rides home were centered around allowing me to put a bow on my business day and then start thinking about anything else but work. I would roll the windows down, blast a feel-good playlist, and maybe return a few calls that I need to make to tie up any business from the day. By the time I got home, I was mentally ready to be present with my family and not still thinking (too much) about work.

Now that I work in a home office most days, my workday startup consists of a bit more practical items like checking/responding to emails, checking Slack, or any other communication channels with clients to see if any messages came in after hours I needed to respond to. Then I check my calendar to prep my brain for the meetings I have that day, and lastly, I read The Pourover to catch myself up quickly on any world news I should be aware of.

My workday shutdown is a bit different than it used to be since my commute consists of going upstairs. I check email and Slack one last time, followed by checking my calendar to confirm events or meetings for the next day. Any tasks that didn’t get done during the day get reassessed and either procrastinated, delegated, or eliminated. Lastly, I try to reflect on or write down one major win from the day. This leaves me with a feeling of success, rather than entering into family time already defeated.

Having a solid workday startup and shutdown rhythm will set you up for the most productive days you’ve ever experienced.