There are a dime a dozen ways to plan and manage your week. I’m curious to learn yours 👀
Here’s what I do:
- I use several Outlook calendars that overlay each other:
- At the start of the month, I set up my weekly template (image attached). I drop in non-negotiables first (school runs, workouts 💪) and then add blocks for deep work, admin, and free-choice work.
- Before each week begins, I replace template blocks with specific tasks. For example, a “Deep Work” block becomes “VJ project work.”
- My main calendar is the work one, so everything goes in there (including personal) to avoid double-booking.
- For in-person appointments, I add buffer time before and after (I call it b/out 🚗). I'll also add in prep time if needed for virtual appointments.
- The personal calendar is really just for my kids’ activities. If it only needs me to remind them, it stays on personal. If I have to pick them up, it also goes on my work calendar.
- Everything is color-coded (same colors and categories across all calendars) so I instantly know what type of appointment it is.
- I adjust daily as things change. So bascially, the flow looks like this:
- Monthly: plan the big picture
- Weekly: pre-plan details
- Daily: adjust as needed
And repeat...
Things I DON'T DO:
- Duplicate recurring commitments in both calendars (too cluttered).
- Beat myself up if it doesn’t go to plan. Life happens 🤷♀️
- Waste time making my calendars “pretty” or "perfect". These are tools that need to be functional, practical, and easy to maintain. Real-talk: if you need 'pretty', then have at it, but don't fool yourself thinking you're doing actual IPA (income producing activity).
Now that I’ve shown you mine 😉… your turn! What tool, routine, or proecess do you use to plan your week?