Starting and closing the day

A suggestion, not a rule.

☀️ Set up (start of day)

Morning set up and before deep work: know what is committed and what to do next.

• Check the calendar (meetings, standups, travel). Plan around those blocks.
• Check emails. Handle urgent and important. Rest is optional. (Repond within 1 business day.)
• Check your todo list. Start with the next concrete action from yesterday's tear-down.

🌇 Tear down (close of day)

Evening tear down: plan the following day(s) so you can disconnect.

• Check emails for urgent and important messages. Rest is optional.
• Check the next days in the calendar, not only tomorrow.
• Write the todo list for the following days as concrete next actions, on the days they belong. Even if you think you will remember.

Unfinished tasks occupy working memory more than finished ones (Zeigarnik effect). Useful during the day, costly after work.
Write the evening todo list to park those loops, then stop. Morning set-up reopens the list on purpose.