ready time

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πŸ•”

It's 7 PM. You were supposed to stop at 5.

"Just one more thing" keeps the day going. You finally hit your groove at 4:30, and stopping feels hard. Or you're scrolling Slack because you can't tell what "done" looks like. A shutdown routine gives "done" a clear definition and a time.

Why you can't just stop

If you finally found focus at 4 PM, your brain doesn't want to let go. If you never found focus, you feel guilty stopping. Either way, "just close your laptop" leaves too much open. You need a sequence that wraps things up so your brain can agree the day is finished.

The plan in Ready Time

  1. Set the deadline. That's the time you need to be ready.
  2. Add your steps and how long each one really takes.
  3. Ready Time works backward and gives every step a start time.
Workday Shutdown
5 min Save work & push changes 5:00 PM
5 min Update task list 5:05 PM
5 min Write tomorrow's top 3 5:10 PM
5 min Reply to urgent messages 5:15 PM
5 min Close apps & tidy desk 5:20 PM
5 min Log off & walk away 5:25 PM
Workday Shutdown 5:30 PM

A checklist that means "finished"

Ready Time builds a shutdown sequence: save your work, update your task list, write tomorrow's top 3 priorities, close apps, log off. Each step gets a notification. When the last one fires, you're done for the day. You followed a sequence that means finished, even if it still feels early.

How to end your work day?

"Just close the laptop" rarely works if you found focus late or feel guilty stopping. Use a short shutdown: save and push, update the task list, write tomorrow's top three, reply only to what can't wait, close apps, walk away. Twenty to thirty minutes is enough for most desks.

What is a workday shutdown routine?

It's a fixed end-of-day sequence that tells your brain the day is closed. Same steps, same order, ending at a real stop time. When the last step is done, you're off. Waiting until the work finally feels finished can mean you never stop.

Ready Time 5:00 PM
Save work & push changes. Workday Shutdown in 30m
Ready Time 5:10 PM
Write tomorrow's top 3. Workday Shutdown in 20m
Ready Time 5:25 PM
Log off & walk away. Workday Shutdown in 5m

Alerts when it's time to start

Get a nudge at the right moment, while there's still time to act.

Each step gets its own alert, so you know what's next and how long you have.

β€œIt has helped me tremendously to manage my timeblindness, and I tell people about it all the time.”
Ready Time user, 2021
Ready Time app icon

Ready Time

You know what you need to do. Ready Time helps you know when to start.

Keep planning

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