How to Spend the Last Hour of your Weekday

Hello monkeys,

Often times, we wonder what we have to do in that last hour before we call it a day (unless you're an investment banker and you're constantly piled in tons of work!) Do something important? Maybe not, with just an hour remaining on the clock, but sitting and doing nothing is literally a waste of time.. About 5 hours a week.

How do you solve this problem? Here's your answer:

The answer is soft projects. They don’t demand much attention, investment, or effort, but they’ll still get you through that final hour of the workday—and help you make some progress on your to-do list. Bonus: They’ll also make you look busy (read: dedicated) to your boss.

Monday: Organize your emails!

Statistics show that the average person spends about three hours a day checking emails (I'm probably guilty of this as well, even in university.) So what do you do? You organize time and save time in the long run.

Some easy ways to get started:

• Unsubscribe from any newsletters you never read.
• Create folders (or labels) for different types of emails, such as ones from different departments, or based on who they’re from, or what projects they’re related to.
• Delete or archive old messages that are just cluttering your inbox at this point.
• Mark the emails you still need to take action on.

Tuesday: Think through your next big project

Sometimes people just don't do things after a certain time of the day, just because they know they won't be able to finish it. So what do they do? Often, they delay it for the next day (where the next big project comes again!)

This is what you do:

I suggest you start thinking about how you’ll go about it and getting organized. A short burst of proactive research could equip you with better information—and spare you that time when you’re more motivated and ready to work on the project itself.

Essentially, this leaves you the rest of the week to get this job done.

Wednesday: Work on your thought leadership

Work on becoming more of a thought leader in your industry by catching up on the latest content in your niche. Get up to speed on any new developments and engage with others by sharing articles on LinkedIn and starting discussions. It’s a great way to feel productive during your midweek slump.

Thursday: Declutter your desk

I am always guilty of this; my desk is always cluttered and I convince myself that this is how I study and work. The thing is, dust accumulates and you lose many things (Yes, possibly even the very, very important contract that you need to sign!). How to start? It's simple:

It’s as simple as discarding unnecessary papers, filing away anything urgent, washing out your coffee mug, and giving your desk and keyboard a thorough clean.

Friday: Make a schedule for next week

This is how you do it:

1. Make a task list for everything you’d like to accomplish next week. Include everything that’s currently on your radar—big or small. Break any larger projects into smaller, more manageable tasks.
2. Rank everything on your list and assign priorities.
3. Create a realistic timetable for getting everything done.

And by this, you're done with your week. Rinse and repeat.
Source: Exactly How To Spend The Last Hour Of Your Workday