# End-of-Day Shutdown Ritual — Checklist Template

> Run this at the hard stop, every working day. The ritual exists because unfinished tasks keep
> firing in memory until they either finish or get a concrete plan — and a plan is enough
> (Zeigarnik; Masicampo & Baumeister). Ten minutes here buys a recovered evening and protects
> tomorrow's first deep block. Copy this file into your notes system, or fill it in place.

**Date:** ____________  **Hard stop:** ____________

## 1. Capture every open loop

Sweep every place a commitment can hide. Nothing stays only in your head.

- [ ] Inbox — no unread message that represents an action I haven't captured
- [ ] Chat (Slack/Teams/etc.) — same standard as email
- [ ] Notes and scratch files from today — actions extracted
- [ ] The day's time-block plan — every unfinished block accounted for

Open loops captured (task + where it now lives):

| Open loop | Captured to (tomorrow's list / calendar / project plan) |
|---|---|
|  |  |
|  |  |
|  |  |

## 2. Give every incomplete a plan

For each item above: either it has a **time block tomorrow**, a **calendar date**, or an explicit
**deferred / dropped** decision. "I'll get to it" is not a plan — a plan names when.

- [ ] Every incomplete has a when, or a conscious "not doing this"

## 3. Glance at tomorrow

- [ ] Calendar checked — no surprise that should reshape tomorrow's blocks
- [ ] Tomorrow's **first deep block** is chosen and written down:

  **Tomorrow, first block:** ____________________________________________

## 4. Bank today's evidence

- [ ] Focus sessions logged (`focus_session_logger.py log ...`)
- [ ] Weekly status glanced at (`focus_session_logger.py status`) — hours vs target, streak intact

## 5. Close

- [ ] Say the closing phrase, out loud or written: **"Shutdown complete."**

After the phrase: no email, no chat, no "quick checks." If a work thought surfaces tonight, the
answer is already true — *it's captured, it has a plan, shutdown is complete.*
