As the clock ticks down to 5 p.m., you may survey with dismay the piles of paper on your desk and the influx of emails you didn’t have time to answer. It may be almost time to pick up the kids or figure out what to make for dinner so you don’t order pizza—again—but it can be hard to disengage from everything you didn’t get done and will have to cram into your work schedule tomorrow.

Productivity expert and author Charlie Gilkey has devised what he calls the “15-minute checkout,” consisting of three basic question that can help. As he explains in his blog at Pick the Brain, “you’ll take a brief pause at the end of each workday to evaluate the day you just had and also set yourself up to successfully start anew the next day. It’s a simple routine that, done consistently, will empower you to reject the everything-is-a-priority mindset so prevalent in today’s workplace.”

Before you leave, ask yourself these questions:

1. What did I accomplish?

Yes, your to-do list seems to only be growing, but you did get a lot done during the day. Take a look back to review the progress you made. “It shifts your focus away from what you didn’t get done—and toward your many wins,” he writes.

2. Is there anything I need to do right now to be able to disengage?

Are there a few things that you must get done before putting on your coat? Maybe it’s an email you forgot to write or a meeting you need to schedule. A lot of things can wait till tomorrow, but use the time to complete a small task or two that just can’t wait.

In addition, Gilkey recommends a way to make it easier to jump back into a project that you may be leaving unfinished. “Use the checkout to jot down a brief note about what needs to happen next,” Gilkey advises. “Such ‘breadcrumbs’ make it easier to get back into something later, and at the end of a long day, allow your mind to relax.”

3. When do I need to do the things I didn’t get done today?

Of course, everything on your to-do list doesn’t have to get accomplished tomorrow. So instead of compiling one unwieldy, ever-growing list, schedule the items in your Outlook calendar or other planner according to deadlines and priorities. “Having a concrete plan for open issues or loose ends helps ease your mind and gives you permission to let go,” he writes.