Important questions to ask when planning your week
If you struggle with what to put onto your schedule when planning your week. Or if you feel like no matter how much you try to plan, your to-do list and schedule always seem to get away from you. Then this post is for you. I’m covering important questions I consider when planning my week to help me be my most productive, nourished, joyful self!
If you want to be more productive, you need to start with what goes on your schedule before you even begin to check items off your to-do list! I’m sharing some of my favorite productivity tips and tricks to help you build out your schedule – whether you plan daily, weekly, or even monthly!
Here are a few things I take into consideration when planning my week:
- What do I want/need to accomplish this week?
- What’s the weather going to be like this week?
- Is everything on my list in alignment with my unique priorities and values?
- Is my to-do list for the week reasonable and realistic given my other commitments?
- Do I have sufficient self-care scheduled in each day?
- If something comes up last minute, do I have the flexibility to handle it with grace and ease?
But much more important than the questions themselves is the WHY behind those questions!
#1: What do I want/need to accomplish this week?
There are certain things I know I want to accomplish each week.
I usually have one or two major projects I work on each week along with several daily or weekly repetitive tasks I need to take care of. The major projects are pulled from the quarterly goals I set for my business.
Before setting your goals for the week, break down each project on your plate into bite sized pieces. When you focus on the steps instead of the big picture, it lets you add things to your to-do list that make sense and can be completed in a timely manner.
#2: What’s the weather going to be like this week?
I focus on the weather because I like to make sure I’m getting time outside whenever the weather is conducive. This might mean taking care of projects in the garden or going for a walk around the neighborhood.
Time in the fresh air helps me recharge, so I like to know when to expect rain or sun and when the temperature will be good for a lunchtime walk!
If you also find that time outside helps you refresh, reset, and recharge, check the forecast, and make sure you block out space in your schedule to get some fresh air!
#3: Is everything on my list in alignment with my unique priorities and values?
When I realize I’ve been pushing a task off week after week, it’s often because that task is out of alignment with my priorities. Or it could be that the task is outside my comfort zone, and I’m letting fear drive my schedule.
If the task is out of alignment, I find a way to remove it from my to-do list – either by delegating it, simply declaring it unnecessary, or reformatting and reframing it in a way that brings it into alignment.
If the task is outside my comfort zone, I focus on my why behind that task and make completing it a priority.
By removing items that aren’t in alignment with your priorities, your schedule first becomes more manageable, and second allows you to focus on what’s truly important to you. You can learn more about this by checking out my free Productivity Workshop here.
#4: Is my to-do list for the week reasonable and realistic given my other commitments?
Some weeks I look at my calendar and I start with a blank page. Some weeks there are already several meetings, conferences, calls, and other appointments on my schedule before I even begin to plan my week. The amount of work I can accomplish is going to be dramatically different between these two types of weeks.
So part of my process is making sure that I’ve taken into account the other items on my schedule when putting together my weekly plan.
As you plan out your week, make sure that you recognize how much time is already allocated and adjust your goals and to-do lists accordingly to account for how much (or little) time you have available that week.
#5: Do I have sufficient self-care scheduled in each day?
Self-care is a critical component to maintaining your mental, physical, and emotional energy levels.
When I don’t have enough self-care built into my schedule, I end up feeling run down and unproductive. Left too long and I get burnt out and struggle to do anything. So just as important as finishing my projects is making sure that I’m taking care of myself.
I either schedule in specific activities or leave a time block dedicated to self-care each and every day.
If self-care isn’t currently part of your daily routine, get my free Self-Care Toolkit and learn how to make self-care work for you and your life!
#6: If something comes up last minute, do I have the flexibility to handle it with grace and ease?
One thing I’ve learned is that no matter how well you plan, stuff will come up at the last minute. Maybe it’s a friend you haven’t seen in a while who’s in town and wants to grab coffee. Maybe it’s a last minute project you mistakenly thought someone else was taking care of. Stuff happens. That’s life.
The best way to deal with this is to leave yourself a little bit of a buffer. Consider blocking out a few hours every day for “surprises”. This might be one large block of time or several smaller chunks added as buffer zones around other tasks.
This gives you the flexibility to deal with surprises as they come up. I’ve found this helpful not just for unexpected projects, meetings, or social opportunities, but also for things that simply took longer than I thought it would.
When you include room for flexibility when planning your schedule, it gives you a chance to adjust and adapt with grace and ease instead of panic and overwhelm.
Ready to get started?
Check out the next step of creating and organizing your to-do list here. This post will guide you through several different ways to create your weekly to-do list and build out a schedule that works for you.
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