Shut-down Complete Ritual

One of the most important things I learned from Optimize is having a proper shut-down complete ritual.

This means that, at the end of my working day, I run through a checklist which includes clearing my inbox, noting tasks that need to be finished, checking my calendar for the next day, etc. By doing this it means I can forget about work and enjoy my home time without guilt or worry. This allows me to recharge for the next day and provides me with a clear starting point when I start work again in the morning. [I actually have a repeating work shut-down appointment in my calendar as a reminder to myself and also anyone checking my calendar can see both my start work routine appointment and my close down appointment].

Brian picked up the idea from Cal Newport’s brilliant book, Deep Work.

To find out more log into your FREE Optimize Premium account and search +1s for:

• #239 ("Shut-Down Complete!" Your New End-of-the-Day Ritual) – this includes a worksheet that you can use to describe your shut down complete process.

• #1171 (“Shut-Down COMPLETE!” Not “Shut-Down ALMOST Complete!”)

• #1172 (Roman Masterpiece Days - AMs and PMs Featuring 45- to 75-min Hours) 

Where Brian notes that 'Seneca tells us, the Roman Senate had their own “Shut-Down Complete!” ritual'.

• #240 (Our Minds Must Relax Seneca on How to Avoid Mental Dullness and Lethargy) 

  Brian says,

  'The ancient Roman senate didn’t allow anything new to be introduced that would tax their brains after 4pm.

If that policy was good enough for the Roman senate, I say it’s good enough for our lives! (Hah.)

 Again, we’ve gotta give our minds time to rest.

End your days at a reasonable time.

Turn your brain off.

Restore your power.

Rise better and keener after a solid rest!'

 

And search for Deep Work for more on the Big Ideas that Brian talks about in his #PhilosophersNote:

• Deep Work vs. Shallow work.

• A Workout For your neurons.

• Attention Residue - Time to clean it up!

• The Four Rules - To get your deep work on.

• Routines - What’s your approach?

• The #1 Discipline - What’s wildly important to you?

• “Shut-Down Complete!” - Work hard. Rest hard.

• The Deep Life - Let’s make the dive!

Connect to Cal Newport: calnewport.com