If we accept that planning our day is a good idea, when is the best time to do this? There is a good argument for planning our day at the start of the day. To organise what will be done and when it will be done at the start of the day ensures things are not forgotten. But there are other arguments to plan at the end of the day.
At the end of the day we know what is left to do for the following day or days. If we plan these at the end of the day it means we can leave work feeling the day is finished and the next day organised.
It may be that other items of work will appear on our desk in the morning, especially with international businesses. If you’re in Europe work can arrive from the Far East, and if you’re in USA work can arrive from Europe. But the sense of feeling organised at the end of the day can have other benefits on top of organisational efficiency.
By writing down what we are going to do, it can have an impact on our ability to switch off from work and forget about it until the next day. That way we have more chance of starting work refreshed, even if we know other stuff will arrive in the morning.
The best solution is probably to plan before we finish work and then to check that plan when we arrive.
When is the best time to plan your day?