There is a lot of talk lately about the benefits of adding a routine to your day. Mike and I have been covering this off-and-on throughout the year on the Focused podcast. Marina Koren, from The Atlantic, isn’t sold, but adding some routine has made a difference in my focus and general happiness. For me, however, the real pay-off isn’t the morning routine but instead the afternoon one. Building time in my schedule at the end of the day to do an email and task audit, and set up and plan the next day always pays dividends. I don’t always do it, and every time I skip over the afternoon shut down (like today as I’m about to go see a space movie), I pay the price the next day.