10:30 pm. I’m wide awake. Maybe that’s normal for you, but I’m an early-to-bed/early-to-rise sort of person. I should be descending deeper into slumber. But my brain is running through all the things I need to get done. The things I need to remember to add to my list tomorrow. The frustrations over things that have not gone perfectly, some beyond my control. It’s feeling like a long week. And it’s only Monday.

Eventually, I give in. My mind is not is a space for rest. I get out of bed, creep quietly upstairs. Find pen and paper. Start writing. List all those tasks I need to do or follow, which I’m not sure are on my list. Writing why I feel like I’ve failed, or at least not performed to the level I expected. I at least refrain from opening my computer, diving into some work. I would just be losing more sleep to soothe my anxiety, only to be less alert and engaged tomorrow. A vicious cycle, and this one already feels vicious enough.

Gradually, the racing thoughts slow down. I feel my body calming, my eyelids growing heavy. Time to try for sleep again.

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That sleepless night was the final nudge I needed to add a daily ritual that I had been thinking about for weeks but yet hadn’t committed to: a shutdown routine.

Two months later, I truly feel like it has improved my life—even if I’m still struggling with its foundational purpose.

I heard Cal Newport talk about shutdown routines on his Deep Questions podcast several times. It seemed pretty simple. At the end of each day, check your inbox and attend to any urgent issues. If there are any new tasks arising from emails or notes, add them to your task lists. Scan your lists and calendar to look for upcoming deadlines or appointments. Create a rough plan for the next day. Once those steps are done, say a phrase (or do a small action) that affirms the routine’s completion and ends your work for the day. As I understand it, the goal is let professional concerns go for the day. If something comes up, you note that you’ve addressed it and let it go.

Of course, this ritual must build on some preexisting practices. Fortunately, my theme for 2024 is systems. I’ve been playing throughout the year with approaches to help me manage my tasks, time, and energy.

My Bricks

I am a tactile creature. I prefer to take notes by hand. I had been keeping a task list in my ‘everything’ notebook (inspired by Raul Pacheco-Vega, though mine is not quite as structured). But late last year, I started feeling defeated as some tasks were constantly being carried for, week to week. I also found I was struggling to keep track of work on hold, waiting for others’ feedback or contributions. Through some trial and error, I’ve developed a system that’s working for me.

Digital task boards form the foundation. I am using Smartsheet, because we already use it in my workplace. Plus it has nice features for task tracking, such as file attachments, comments, and an Outlook add-on that can appends email messages to a row. I default to card view, in which top level tasks are shown as cards organized into lanes based on status.

Newport advocates for one board per role. Depending on how you slice it, I had a single role or many that are difficult to separate. I started with a single comprehensive list of my own work. I am adjusting the system as I realize a need or take on a new role. For now, I have 3 boards:

1. Operations management role: I recently took on new responsibilities for our institute’s operations and administration. This work is clearly distinguishable from my other tasks. It is focused on processes and protocols, and I aim to keep it contained in specific time blocks. Creating a separate board for this was a no-brainer. It reduces the distraction when I’m doing this work and when I’m focused on other roles.
2. My other work: This was the original comprehensive list. It captures all work I’m responsible for outside my operations role. This includes my primary role in research development, strategic and tactical planning for our upcoming major grants, reports, people management, presentations, support tasks for other teams… As I write this post, I am beginning to see how I might split this board up.^a
3. Research development team status: Different brains work different ways.^b I don’t want to force others to adopt my precise way of working—especially when I’m still figuring it out myself. But I have two direct reports with projects and activities for which I am accountable but not responsible.^c This board is less granular than those above offers work visibility across my team, so we can see where we have capacity or might be approaching overload.

I’ve outsourced memory to these lists, so I worry less about forgetting things.

Handwritten lists shape my day. At the start of the year, I found an elegant physical to-do list tool called Analog. The premise is simple: Use one Today card to capture your meetings and to-dos for the day. But it offers only 10 lines, which forces a cap on the number of activities you try to take on. Depending on the size of the task, I often find 10 is even too many. Analog also includes Next cards to capture important tasks to do later and Someday cards for goals and aspirations for the future (I’m still figuring out how to use these most effectively).

Yes, I could use a notepad or a digital tool, but I prefer the physical weight of the cards. It almost serves as an anchor that helps prevent me from straying too far from the tasks at hand.

I like the back of the cards, which has a simple dotted grid for the user’s choice of purpose. I tried practicing daily reflections before, but it never stuck. With the Today cards, I began writing down my thoughts and experiences each day. I’ve kept at it for months now and find it very useful for seeing patterns and gaining insights. (More on this another day…)

I would write my reflections and prepare my Today card, either at the end of the day or at the beginning of the next one. But I hadn’t established a formal end-of-day ritual yet.

The Mortar to Bind the Bricks

I didn’t have a habit of clearing my inboxes—digital and cognitive—each day. Waking in the night to the hum of racing thoughts was… well, a wake-up call.

Since I had the core pieces, creating a shutdown ritual was pretty simple.

I set aside 15 to 20 minutes at the end of my workday. I added a reminder to my calendar and included ‘Shutdown routine’ as the last item on my daily card.

During this time, I mostly follow Newport’s model. I now clear my primary email inbox empty at the end of each day. If I can resolve with a quick response, I reply. If a message requires action, I create or update a card in the appropriate list, then move the message to a ‘Work queue’ folder. I file informational/update messages in relevant folders. If something piques my interest but isn’t time sensitive, it goes into a folder for review later. Other messages are simply deleted. I use Outlook’s Other Inbox and rules to keep my primary inbox sparse (e.g., listserv messages automatically go to a specified folder for bulk review). Plus I manage my email a few times per day. The end-of-day clearing usually takes just a few minutes, unless there’s an urgent fire to deal with.

Then, I go to my digital boards. I update card statuses and add comments to keep track of developments. I add cards or sub-tasks I made throughout the day. Now I know my task lists are up-to-date.

Next, I move to my daily reflection. I’ve finished my tasks, but I haven’t planned for tomorrow. So I can focus on my experience and understanding of what happened or what I learned today.

Finally, I set up my Today card for the next workday. I open my calendar to review my schedule, checking for any early or late meetings that require adjustments to my routine. Sometimes I decide to drop a meeting or webinar to make space for more focused work. I select a few priorities from my boards as tasks for the day. Then I put the card where I will see it when I arrive at my desk the next morning.

Results—and Room for Improvements

I revealed the conclusion at the start. The shutdown routine helps me have fewer work-related thoughts during my personal time.

Where I often fail, though, is letting work thoughts pass by when they do arise. I worry less about forgetting tasks since I’ve recorded them, and they’re just waiting for their moment. But I am realizing that I often carry some of the emotional response and cognitive processing with me. If there’s a knotty problem, my brain has trouble setting it aside.

I haven’t consistently used a clear cue to acknowledge the end of my ritual. After finishing his routine, Newport says aloud, “Shutdown complete.” Could something so small shift my lingering attention on work? Perhaps. But I think it’s will likely require more psychological/mindfulness training for me.

Even so, this simple method to clear my mind and get ready for tomorrow has significantly improved my work and life in just two short months. I’m eager to see how this practice continues to evolve.

Footnotes

^a Another personal reminder of the value of spending time on writing, even if it’s seen by few, and why I often take longer than planned: Writing is thinking.

Of course, I also put more time into writing ‘simple’ posts than expected because of asides such as in these footnotes 😅

^b A great example: Cal Newport and Oliver Burkeman, two thoughtful voices in the productivity space, talk about shared philosophies and tactical disagreements.

^c In professional project management, we distinguish accountability from responsibility. The accountable individual is the person who “owns” the work. They need to make sure the work gets done and meets specifications, even if they’re not doing it themselves. There should only be one accountable party. The responsible individuals (one or more) do the work to yield the deliverable. You can be both accountable and responsible, but as you move into management, you’re often delegating responsibility while retaining accountability. Responsibility and accountability are half of the RACI chart roles.