It takes only 15 minutes to leverage an entire working day. Block off 15 minutes on your calendar every day. Guard it with your life. No activity on your list requires more protection than this one. Use it, along with other Planning tools you have, to make each day one of purpose, meaning, direction, and accomplishment.

Although many people choose the first 15 minutes of the day for this daily planning period, we recommend putting it at the end of the previous day instead. Planning at the end of the day has three major advantages:

1. You make your momentum work for you, rather than suffering the effects of inertia. The ideas will be fresher, because you have been at work all day and are well aware of what you have and have not already Accomplished.

2. Doing this at the end of the day will give you a sense of closure on the day. When you’ve finished you 15-minute planning session, you will be able to leave work with a true sense of completion, having accomplished the last item on your list. Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy your free time and sleep well without worrying about things you need to remember to do at work the next day.

3. Planning at the end of the day will enable you not only to identify the most important task of the upcoming day, but will allow you to jump in right away the next morning and take on that task immediately. While others are still trying to find the tops of their desks or drawing that first cup of coffee in the lounge, you can already be on your way to a productive day.

Even if additional items come up overnight, you will spend less time inputting the newly acquired information the next day by not having to start at ground zero.

Dramatic productivity improvements will come from these 15 minutes a day. Use them wisely every day.