I’ve gotten into a good routine over the past several years: I do three things before I leave the office for home. What are these magical tips? Whatever you want them to be.

There’s no magic here, just some end-of-the-day maintenance. You don’t have to accomplish anything difficult or elaborate. The things that I usually focus on are simple tasks that take little time, and don’t keep me from getting out the door:

• filing away a small pile of papers
• scanning a report so that I DON’T have to file it
• picking an item from my to-do list and gathering what I need to work on it
• checking tomorrow’s calendar for meetings
• dumping my recyclable paper can
• cleaning my desk with Windex
• dusting off my keyboard
• listening to any remaining voicemail

The key is to leave a little time at the end of the day. I know this isn’t always possible, but try your best to stick to it. It’s a nice way to finish the day on a high note.

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