My goal with this document is to share the planning and organization principles I’ve learned and refined over the last 6 years. I hope you find something you can benefit from.
Six months ago, I’ve heard about no-meeting days. I wanted to implement it, leaving certain days only for deep work. But I had excuses such as “I cannot move the recurring meetings” and “What if someone needs me that day? Will I miss something?”
Still, I tested it, and — nothing happened. Now, I’m “blessed” with two days a week where I can focus on the big tasks. They put me in a flow state where I make the most impact and feel great.
So, what’s my point? If you see something that will improve your life, find a way to implement it. Don’t dismiss good advice because it’s coming from a person who’s work is different than yours. Or find excuses because it seems hard to implement.
Try different things. You can always go back to what you did before.
This is the question I ask myself. I learned that, if something is not clearly defined, it usually doesn’t happen. You fill out the time with other activities, which are usually not your priorities.
You could say your priority is singing. It gives you joy and fulfillment. But then, you are not clear about when, where, and for how long you will practice. It turns out that you spend 45 minutes every two weeks singing. But also 22 hours scrolling TikTok.
What’s your passion, then? What’s your priority? Singing or scrolling social media?
— Does how you spend your time reflect your priorities?
Until a couple of years ago, I didn’t plan my weeks, only the next day. I would put most of my tasks on my Monday’s to-do list and then just delay tasks to other days when I don’t finish them. And I never finished them, because my plan was unrealistic.
Then, I started planning my week in the following way. Write down all the big tasks I have for the week and allocate them to different days. This worked better, but I would still overschedule my days. I was not precise about how long different tasks take, or how many I can fit in a day.
All this created stress and anxiety, making me less productive at the same time. I would rush through tasks, and the quality of my work dropped.
Then I watched this 4 months ago, and it instantly clicked. A solution to my overscheduling habit (I recommend watching the full podcast). Turns us we are really bad at estimating how long tasks will take and how many we can finish in a day.
Now I’ll go into how I approach my weekly planning, which actually starts by taking a step back — reviewing the previous week.