Are You Ready for the Week?

A Weekly Blueprint

Picture this: It’s Sunday afternoon, you’re enjoying a little rest from a busy week, mindlessly reading an article scrolling through your phone when it hits you – there are still 20 unsigned notes you need to complete by tomorrow! Your mind immediately begins racing through the list of tasks, projects, and events for the coming week. You are already behind from the previous week and now your thoughts are consumed with the work ahead and the dread of inevitable late nights and rushing around to treat patients, call offices, meet with colleagues, train your student, and somehow find time for yourself to rest, recover, and begin again.

Sound all too familiar? Well, you’re not the only one. The “Sunday Scaries” can be a routine occurrence that leaves you anxious, uncertain, and frustrated each week. So how can you overcome this phenomenon, consistently gain confidence going into your week, and have the satisfaction of knowing you finished your week strong?

A Weekly Blueprint!

The secret of a weekly blueprint is in the process of REFLECTION and PLANNING. Every week is a little different with it’s own surprises and unforeseen changes but it’s also true that each week has a lot of similarities. We all have weekly rhythms in our schedules that provide structure and stability with enough room for the flexibility to adapt throughout the week.

So how do you take advantage of mapping out your week? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Reflect on your previous week – Take time to write out your big wins, how far you got with your primary intentions, what worked, what didn’t, and what changes you’re going to make or keep. This will give you the space to process the previous week and reframe it so you can make adjustments for the week ahead.

Step 2: Plan your next week – Review your annual goals, update your task manager, check your calendar for upcoming commitments, and write your 3 most important tasks or projects for the coming week. This will give you the clarity you need to execute on what’s really important and help protect you from distractions and seemingly urgent demands for your time.

Step 3: Schedule it! – Find a good place on your calendar that you can spend 30-40 minutes of undistracted time EACH WEEK working through your weekly blueprint. If you don’t schedule it, you won’t do it. I find my best time to be Saturday morning but many find it helpful to complete their weekly blueprint on Friday evening or Sunday night. It doesn’t matter when you do it, but that you consistently do it!

This process has personally changed the way I live and is my favorite way to remain grounded and confident each week. It will also often help me improve my gratitude toward a week that may have felt horrible but in reality had many wins that I can be thankful for. I refuse to skip my weekly blueprint because of the clarity and assurance I gain from reflecting on the past and preparing for the future. And I hope you will too!