Making the Most Out Of Your Last 15 Minutes in the Day

For years I have seen the end of lab rush to squeeze out just one more chart, one more run of the experiment, or one last paragraph in the grant application.

What if I told you this is counter-intuitive?

When you rush out that last piece of the puzzle you have been working on all day, you rushed out the entire picture. It doesn't matter how careful you were, how accurate or precise your data is, or the magnitude of your findings if your impatience leads to a mistake.

The last 15 minutes should be a collection and reflection of the day's thoughts. Summarizing a list of everything rushing through your mind will allow you to seamlessly pick up the pace the next day, without setting you up for error. Your first 5 minutes of your end of day recap should be writing down the thoughts you have NOW. Next, summarize the other tasks you completed today. Even if it is an unsuccessful day by publication in Nature's standards, you likely achieved more than you realize. Finally, using your last five minutes before you leave to plan for the next day will allow your well-rested brain to pick up exactly where you left off without being stuck in that early morning decision-making limbo.

That last fifteen minutes may feel crucial to making a deadline and not, but if you are going to continue your work the next day, and the one after that, is is vitally important to take time to collect your thoughts. After all, if you collected all your data but lose sight of the parameters that quantify it - what good is collecting it at all?