How to end your work day on time

Ending work on time (and I mean both physically working AND thinking about work) will have you enjoying your downtime AND feeling refreshed and ready to head back into work on Monday.

The three biggest reasons for NOT ending your work day (or work week) on time are:

1. Doubting that you've done enough so you keep doing more and more and more - way beyond what you've planned to do for the day.
This stems from a lack of self-trust. You don't trust that your decisions are the right one so you overcompensate by overworking.

2. Over-promising your time.
This stems from people-pleasing AND not knowing how to plan well. You want people to think highly of you so you throw out the deadline you think they want to hear (without consulting your schedule and prior commitments first). Which has you taking on way too much for the time period you gave yourself, which will either have you physically overworking OR that work will hang over your head, which leaves you feeling preoccupied, guilty and worried about what other people are thinking about you).

Knowing how to end your work day is a matter of doing four things:

1. Managing your mind (so circumstances like deadlines, emails, and other people's expectations no longer dictate how you feel)

2. Planning well (so you know that when you say you'll do something, you can trust that you'll actually do it)

3. Allowing the urge to people-please (without actually people-pleasing because you've decided to let other people be in charge of their own emotions)

4. Noticing when doubt creeps in and honoring your decisions (so you can build deeper levels of self-trust while enjoying your downtime)

Have a great weekend!