All you want to do after a deadline is collapse, think about nothing, and catch up on some of the sleep you lost over the previous week, but before you check out completely there are a few things you should do.

1. Take a few moments to reflect on what went well and what didn’t go so well.  Is there anything you need to change for next time? Evaluate your own work and the overall process. Take notes so you can review your thoughts as you start the next project.  As tempting as it is to wait and do this another day, don’t.  You’ll forget some of the detail of what happened and you may end up repeating your mistakes.
2. Prepare a copy of the final document, as submitted, for your client or others in the organization. Someone is eager to see a copy of the final product.  It will be easier to pull it together and transmit it now than it will be later. Prepare both final PDF copies and hard copies.
3. Gather up your notes and research materials.  Ideally, you’ll organize and file them right away, but at least pull them all together in a pile that you can deal with later.  Otherwise, you may lose some of the things you really want to save as they get shuffled aside randomly when you start the next project.
4. Prepare your next To Do list.  Time is valuable.  If you don’t leave your desk or office until you have developed a list of what you’ll be doing next, it will be easier for you to hit the ground running when you come back refreshed.

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