Cocktails and Cleanup!
Years ago, when working at Collective Health, we had a company-wide calendar invite at 4 o'clock on Friday that reminded us to clean out our desktops and restart our computers. When the pandemic started, many of us noticed that work and life began to blend together, which is when I decided to be retro and have a little cocktail at the end of each workday.
Turned out, a daily cocktail was not very sustainable for my health and so for the past few years, I've combined these two rituals into an end-of-week session I call "Cocktails and Cleanup."
Why bother?
The point of this ritual is to give yourself an opportunity to close out your week, assess your progress, and set yourself up for success in the upcoming week. Personally, I've found that going through this exercise helps me disconnect better. As a bonus, if I set up my Mondays with the top three things I need to accomplish, the Sunday Scaries can be kept at bay too.
Here's the quick formula:
Make yourself an indulgent beverage (it doesn't have to be too fancy, but it does have to be intentional – a cocktail, some sparkling water with fun garnishes, a decaf latte, or some fancy tea).
Put on some background music (Spotify).
Clean up from the week
But what are we cleaning up?
Go through your email, archive messages, figure out what needs your attention first thing Monday and move things to the correct folders and archive messages, move things to folders.
✅ Your To-Do List
Update your task tracker, if you’re like me your tasks might be lingering on some post-its, a note on your phone, your notebook, and some digital tool!
Mark off all the tasks you've completed and move any unfinished tasks to the next week.
📓 Notebooks/Primary Documents
Transfer any notes from your notebook to their final destination. My final destinations end up being places like project plans, 1X1 docs with my manager,
💻 Desktop
Remove all the random downloads, screenshots, etc., that have found their way to your desktop. It's time to clear them out.
🥤Lastly, don't forget about your actual desk!
Get rid of the four cups that have made themselves a permanent home on your desk.
Give it a good dusting, wipe down, put all your stuff away, and get ready for the weekend! ✨
Do you have any end of week rituals that help you wrap up your week? I’d love to hear if you do, or are considering giving cocktails and clean up a go!
