Ever since high school, I’ve been a fan of planning. I mean, who doesn’t love beautiful notebooks, colourful pens, and sticky notes, right? Planning was my way of ensuring I had enough time to finish my assignments ahead of the deadline (yep, I was one of those students ).
But here’s the thing: when I started my own business, I quickly realised that my trusty old to-do lists weren’t cutting it anymore if I wanted to be super productive. (I’m sharing more about why I stopped using to-do lists in this blog post!)
Things got even more challenging when I launched my travel blog. Suddenly, I had one less day to juggle everything for my business. I couldn’t afford to leave anything to chance if I wanted to get it all done.
That’s when I created a solid weekly routine to plan for the week ahead, and it has been a game-changer!
Here’s why it’s been so important for me:
- Reduce stress: First and foremost, it helps me reduce stress. Knowing exactly what tasks I need to tackle before Monday morning rolls around takes a huge weight off my shoulders. I start the week feeling calm and confident
- Better manage my time: Planning ahead also helps me manage my time. If I didn’t plan, I’d waste a precious hour on Monday just figuring out what I needed to do. Yikes! By mapping out my week, I can hit the ground running. Plus, it allows me to focus on the most important tasks right from the get-go.
- Increase my productivity: By planning my time in blocks and grouping similar tasks, I can get more done in less time. Plus, I make sure to tackle the most challenging tasks when I have the most energy, so I can focus on easier tasks in the afternoon.
- Improve my focus: When I have a clear plan for the week, I’m less likely to get distracted by other shiny tasks. I can stay on track and give my undivided attention to what truly matters, inching closer to my goal of building a sustainable business with each step.
- Achieve my goals: And speaking of goals, that’s precisely what planning is all about. It’s about setting yourself up for success by aligning your tasks with your aspirations. If I left things up to chance, I’d be busy all day without actually making progress. But as they say, you don’t get points for being busy!
If you haven’t already tried planning your weeks ahead of time, I wholeheartedly encourage you to give it a shot.
In this blog, we’re breaking the weekly planning routine up into 6 steps:
- Step 1: Reflecting on the previous week
- Step 2: Preparing for effective planning
- Step 3: Scheduling recurring tasks into my time blocks
- Step 4: Planning client work into my time blocks
- Step 5: Planning business tasks into my time blocks
- Step 6: Sticking to your plan
Step 1: Reflecting on the previous week
I used to skip this part and jump right into planning, but I was missing out on some powerful insights. So, learn from my mistake and make sure to include this crucial step in your routine.
Here’s why reflecting on the previous week can be a game-changer:
- It gives you a sense of accomplishment: We often get so caught up in what’s left to do that we forget to acknowledge how far we’ve come. Guilty as charged! So, take a moment to reflect on your accomplishments from the previous week. It’s not about being boastful; it’s about boosting your confidence and keeping that motivation going for the upcoming week.
- It’s a learning opportunity: But reflection isn’t just about celebration; it’s also a fantastic learning opportunity. By looking back on the previous week, you can identify what worked well and what didn’t. This allows you to make any necessary changes to your planning and my processes ensuring that you’re constantly improving and fine-tuning your approach.
- It allows you to prioritise: Take a moment to assess whether you completed all tasks from the previous week. If not, no need to beat yourself up! Just figure out why they didn’t get done. Did you need more time, or did procrastination get the better of you? By understanding the reasons behind any incomplete tasks, you can prioritise better in the upcoming week, making sure you’re taking consistent steps toward your goals.
I do something similar in my monthly review process and doing this step weekly, really helps with that.
Step 2: Preparing for effective planning
This is where you lay the groundwork for a productive week based on the time you have available. I know how frustrating it can be to constantly overcommit and feel like there’s never enough time to conquer that never-ending to-do list. I’ve been there.
That’s why I now put a lot of effort into prioritising tasks, managing my time effectively, and injecting a healthy dose of realism into my planning.
To start, I check my calendar for any non-negotiables.
These could be client meetings, personal appointments, or any other time-sensitive engagements. It’s essential to have a clear picture of these time blocks so that you can plan your tasks around them.
Tasks can easily fall through the cracks, even with a project management system.
I use ClickUp to manage my tasks and deadlines. As part of my weekly prep, I make sure to check for any tasks that are due in the coming week but aren’t assigned to me.
Additionally, I keep an eye out for tasks that don’t have a time estimate. By catching these things before the week starts, I can avoid any last-minute surprises and make sure nothing less falls through the cracks.
Then, I clean up my ideas parking lot.
Picture this: you’re in the middle of a task, and suddenly, a brilliant idea or a random thought pops into your head. In the past, I used to get completely derailed by these distractions.
But not anymore! Now, I have a dedicated space—in ClickUp but this could be a notebook—where I jot down these ideas or tasks that interrupt my flow. I
It’s like having a parking lot for my thoughts!
This allows me to acknowledge those ideas without letting them steal my focus. During my weekly routine, I make sure to empty the parking lot and move those tasks to the appropriate client or business project inside ClickUp. If there isn’t a specific project for them, I’ll transfer them to an ideas list for future exploration.
Step 3: Scheduling recurring tasks into my time blocks
We all know that running a business requires us to tackle a multitude of tasks regularly. From daily social media engagement to weekly content writing and quarterly content planning, it can feel like a never-ending whirlwind.
To keep on top of all these tasks, I’ve developed two processes that help me plan my routines effectively. Let me tell you more about them:
- Routine tasks + CEO Block: Instead of manually scheduling these tasks each time, I’ve created a dedicated routine task overview in ClickUp. Whenever a task is added to the recurring task list, I set a recurring due date based on how often it needs to be completed. Just like that, my daily routine time block or my Monday CEO time block is automatically populated with the tasks that need to be done.
- Content Planning: We all know that creating content is a multi-step process that requires some serious dedication. So, I’ve carved out specific time blocks in my schedule just for this purpose. These blocks cover publishing this week’s blog, preparing for the newsletter I’ll be writing the next day, writing the newsletter and scheduling it and creating the corresponding blog posts, medium articles and social media posts to promote the content.
Now, here’s a little confession from me: when it comes to planning and over-committing, content is my Achilles’ heel. Yep, despite all the content I’m churning out, writing itself is a challenge for me.
It takes up a lot of time and drains my energy. So, if I’m moving tasks around because I couldn’t complete them, chances are they were content-related. But hey, it’s okay! Progress is progress, no matter how small.
As long as I’m moving forward and building a consistent content routine, I’m a happy camper.
But I also need to keep reminding myself not to over-commit.
So, during your weekly planning routine, it’s your mission is to make sure you haven’t piled on too many tasks within time blocks.
Step 4: Planning client work into my time blocks
It’s important to set boundaries, use your energy wisely and create a schedule that works for you.
When I was still designing, the energy required for the creative process meant that I had to do actual design work in the morning. In the afternoon, I would focus on client communication, scheduling meetings, picking fonts or finalising design choices.
Now that my focus is on mentoring clients I have 3 time blocks to manage client work:
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Mentor Sessions: To ensure a healthy work-life balance and honour my introverted nature, I only schedule mentor sessions for 2 to 3 days a week. This way, I also have days without calls, allowing me to recharge and have focused time for other tasks.
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Client Support: I offer my clients email support in between their sessions. This means that I’ve carved out a daily time block specifically for responding to their emails and addressing any questions or concerns they may have. And if I don’t have any client emails to respond to that day, I use that block as an overflow block. It’s like a safety net that allows me to catch up on any unfinished tasks.
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Mentor Session Prep: When it comes to preparing for client sessions, I have dedicated time blocks set aside just for that. During these blocks, I review any materials or documents they’ve sent me that I haven’t had a chance to look at yet. I take the time to read through their session prep forms, where they can share what they’ve been working on, their struggles, and any lingering questions from our previous sessions. Based on this information, I can then prepare for the session.
By planning your client work into dedicated time blocks, you can provide exceptional service while still taking care of yourself.
Step 5: Planning business tasks into my time blocks
I’ve got several dedicated time blocks each week in the morning that are all about working towards achieving my business goals. The key is to tackle these tasks early in the day when our minds are fresh and ready for strategic work.
It’s important to remember that you don’t just work on your business when there’s leftover time; it’s about carving out specific blocks to prioritise your business growth. By setting boundaries and having dedicated time, you can ensure that your business gets the attention it deserves.
Now, to make the most of these blocks, I find it crucial to have a structured approach. It’s not just about working through a never-ending to-do list; it’s about focusing on the tasks that truly move the needle.
And that’s where my business plan comes into play. At the beginning of each year, I set financial goals and determine the top three or four actions that will help me reach that goal. I carefully prioritise these actions based on the order in which they need to happen.
Then it’s all about breaking down those goals into smaller, achievable milestones along the way. This laser-focused approach allows you to narrow your focus and make tangible progress.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities, you’ll know exactly what you need to tackle first.
Business Focus Time Blocks
I won’t go into detail here on how I set this up in ClickUp, but the principle behind is that I plan in six-week increments. Having this level of visibility is incredibly helpful because it allows me to plan according to my capacity and see what’s coming. No more overthinking or constantly wondering what’s next!
These 6 weeks are split into 3x two-week plans and during my weekly planning session, I take a look at my current two-week plan and assess if it’s still achievable given the time I have in the upcoming week.
Now, here’s an important tip: I do look ahead to weeks 3 to 6 to make sure I’m still happy with the tasks allocated there. However, I don’t add specific due dates just yet.
Why?
Because I believe that planning too far in advance with these tasks often leads to constantly changing due dates. It’s not helpful for our sense of accomplishment or progress. So, in my planning session, I focus on the current two-week plan and leave room for flexibility in the future.
Flexibility is key here. While I structure my week with time blocks, it doesn’t mean that every week looks the same. Each week is adjusted according to my needs and priorities.
By planning your business tasks with intention and clarity, you set yourself up for success.
When you prioritise what matters most, align your actions with your goals, and create a roadmap to guide you you’re making progress with each business focus time block.
For more on structuring your week with time blocks, you can read this article.
Step 6: Sticking to your plan
You’ve done the hard work of planning your time blocks, aligning your tasks with your goals, and setting yourself up for success. Now, it’s time to face the realities of the business world with resilience and adaptability.
At the end of each day, I take a moment to review the plan for the next day. It’s a chance to assess if any adjustments are needed to my time blocks.
My approach to adjustments is all about finding alternatives, not deleting blocks entirely. You want to keep that structure intact as much as possible.
So, how do you handle adjustments? You can move a block or task to a different time within the same day, or at least within the same week. You can also consider reducing the time allocated for a block or task if necessary. This way you might not finish all that was planned, but you made a start instead of skipping the task.
Now, let me be clear. You need to strive to stick to your plan as much as possible. That’s where the power of time blocking truly shines.
But we must also remember that life and business rarely follow a perfect script.
There will always be unforeseen challenges, unexpected tasks that demand attention, or moments when our personal lives take priority over our business commitments. That’s the reality we face.
So, as you navigate the path of time blocking (if you’re still hesitant, read this article), embrace the structure, but also embrace the fluidity. Allow for flexibility and adaptability in your journey. Celebrate the victories when you stick to your plan, but also embrace the detours and adjustments along the way.
