I was sitting at my desk the other day looking at the ridiculous number of tabs I had open, files sitting in downloads, and emails I had flagged to follow up later.
And I realised, this is exactly how admin overwhelm starts, and not what we encourage our clients to do.
It doesn't usually come from one huge thing.
Just lots of little unfinished things sitting everywhere.
Honestly, there’s also something so satisfying about finally clicking the X on a browser full of 27 tabs you were “definitely coming back to” and starting fresh again the next day.
It’s something we see all the time with clients too. People are busy, juggling multiple roles, moving quickly, and trying to keep everything in their heads while also running a business.
And, sometimes the smallest habits make the biggest difference.
One of the simplest admin habits we recommend to clients is this:
The 10-Minute Reset
At the end of each workday, spend 10 minutes resetting your workspace for tomorrow.
Not cleaning your desk.
Not clearing your entire inbox.
Just resetting the important things.
Here’s what that can look like:
Rename and file loose documents properly
Move downloads out of your Downloads folder
Flag emails that actually need action
Close tabs you no longer need
Add quick notes to unfinished tasks
Save passwords or links in the correct place
Update your task list before logging off
The biggest benefit?
Your brain stops carrying unfinished admin overnight.
Good admin isn’t about perfection.
It’s about creating systems that create a smooth start to tomorrow.
