How to Develop Your Ideal Week

My schedule used to look so much different. I would start my day early (sometimes 5 or 6 a.m.) just to get some work done before a 9:00 meeting. I’d have another meeting at 11:00, try to fit a sales call in between, then a lunch meeting at noon, fit in some work on a proposal before a team meeting in the afternoon, get 30 minutes to work on a project, then attend a networking event to close out the day. I would end my day exhausted – yet feel like I got nothing accomplished.

I love people. I love consulting. I love socializing. But I would feel drained by trying to fit work in between meetings all day long. I didn’t ever have a solid block of time to feel like I could get the “real” work done. I’d have to work early in the morning or late at night to have enough of a block of time to really focus. I was exhausted. Every day. My calendar was controlling my life, and not in a good way.

Then, a few years ago, I decided to start managing my calendar differently. I shifted my schedule so that I batched my work. I only scheduled meetings on certain days of the week. I blocked 4-hour windows to perform strategic work. I planned team meetings and management activities for the same day. I created my ideal week and started scheduling around it.

And while it didn’t work perfectly every time – an emergency team issue would pop up on a day dedicated to deep work, or an urgent client meeting would be necessary on a non-meeting day – my ideal week changed my life. I felt energized after a day full of meetings, because I wasn’t trying to fit “work” into the small windows of time between. I was able to find flow on my strategic days, because I wasn’t distracted by calls and meetings. I was getting more done, yet working less, and feeling great.

Ever since, I’ve continued to manage my days using an ideal week. My ideal week has morphed over time, it sometimes changes with the seasons, and doesn’t always work perfectly, but it’s been a gamechanger. Not only has my productivity increased, but my overall energy is just better.  

How to create your Ideal Week:

1. Look back at your calendar for the last month. Review your to do list, your typical weekly tasks, and your overall “day in the life”. Make a list of all the “things”.
2. Take your list and group similar tasks together. Think about efficiency, but also think about energy, when you work best, and where you need space. I even like to think about whether I want to “get ready” on certain days.
3. Use the Ideal Week Template and block your time. Take the items you’ve grouped together and schedule them in the AM or PM blocks of time.
4. Once you’ve created your ideal week, schedule your work, meetings, and appointments around this schedule. Update your scheduling tool to block out your “no meeting” days or times. Schedule time on your calendar for strategic or deep work blocks. Look for alternatives before making exceptions.
5. Revisit your ideal week monthly and make sure it’s working. Do you need to adjust? Maybe it’s a temporary adjustment for a particular season in your work or season of life. Maybe you’ve found what works best for you and you need to make a permanent shift. Your ideal week should adjust and adapt as needed so that it works for you.

An ideal week may just be what you need to feel more organized and energized, while getting more done at the same time!