I’m a recently converted fan of the ‘Focus on This’ podcast (and indeed the Full Focus system), and having been desperate to try out the Full Focus Planner, I’ve since come to the realisation that a mix of digital and paper-based tools just doesn’t work for me. If it’s not on my screen (where I’m looking allll the time) then I really just forget about it. 

However – I have managed to digitally recreate my favourite parts of the Full Focus system using digital tools, and one concept I’ve really got on board with and benefitted from are Workday Rituals. (Handily there’s a blog about workday rituals here: 3 Key Benefits of Daily Rituals | Full Focus)

What is a workday ritual?

A workday ritual is a list of things that you commit to doing every day to start and end your work. The idea is that completing these rituals regularly helps cue your brain to know that it’s time to focus on work, (or time to stop focussing on work!) helping you get ‘in the zone’ easier and quicker. 

The list of things may be as simple as: 

1. Make a tea (What?! I’m British…)
2. Turn mobile phone on do not disturb
3. Five minute scroll on LinkedIn 

My digital solution to a workday ritual 

I like to tick things off a list, so the problem with having a hand-written list for the rituals was obvious; I’d have to write it out again and again for every workday. 

Instead, using my work Microsoft 365 account, I’ve used the To-Do app to digitise my rituals. 

To-Do is essentially a to-do list app. I like it because it allows you to create multiple lists, so I’ve created 2 lists specifically for each ritual. 

Then, in each list, I created tasks that are set to repeat every workday, so I can tick them off to my heart’s content as I work through the ritual: 

What’s the benefit?

I’ve really benefited from having a workday closedown ritual especially. Previously I’d check the time, say “Gosh!” and shut my laptop in the middle of whatever I was doing. Now, I’m a lot more intentional about finishing tasks in time to start my ritual, which involves basic things like timesheet completion (so I’m not doing it in a rush on a Friday afternoon) and checking tomorrow’s schedule to make sure it aligns with my priorities. 

This makes me feel a lot less chaotic and more in control at the end of the day, and steps me slowly down from heightened work focus, into the transition back to home life. (And that’s especially important when I’m working from home and my only commute is down the stairs.) 

Maybe there are some tasks that you naturally do at the end of every day that you can easily turn into a workday closedown ritual? Why not give it a try and see if it makes you feel more on top of your game? By automating it with To-Do, all you need to do is check things off your list.