Today’s episode is all about how to start your workweek off right. I get a lot of questions about how to set up a schedule, so listen in this week & next week for what my schedule looks like. I think having a good foundation on Mondays is the best way to start your workweek off right. So listen in on how to do that!
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Download the Full Transcript of this episode HERE
Staying Productive
I talk a lot about productivity in my content. I have a mini course on how to crush your goals consistently and a membership all about goal setting, productivity, and accountability. It’s kind of my thing. But I am not speaking as someone who has attained perfection. Staying motivated and productive is a constant battle for me. This is why my resources are always harping on the community piece. Productivity is not a one-and-done thing. You won’t find the secret to productivity and then you’re changed forever. Jackie Bebenroth talked about this recently on the podcast episode about Change Communication. Change is cyclical, not linear. So I have a lot of cyclical systems in my week. And it all starts on Mondays.
Setting the Tone of Your Week From the Beginning
Mondays for me are full of goal setting and easing into the workweek. I don’t plan a lot of big, heavy tasks for Mondays. It’s a time to set my goals and plan the tone of the week. I do a lot of smaller tasks on Mondays and save the big projects for Tuesdays & Thursdays. So usually I get to work around 9am and dive right into emails. I like to respond to any clients that contacted me over the weekend. And then I have a cutoff time at 10am because I have a group call I attend. Having a deadline keeps me from spending to much time in my inbox.
Monday Mindset Calls
I start my workweek off with a Monday mindset group call at 10am on Mondays. Me and a group of other women in business talk about negative thoughts and feelings to let go of. We reframe those negatives into positives. Then we set goals together and prioritize what we will accomplish that week. Community is HUGE in business. And guess what? These calls are free and open to any women in business that want to join! You can sign up for them HERE.
Have Fun
After the mindset call, I actually try to spend time in my pool if it’s summertime. That’s just one of the things that I prioritize in the summer. Usually, I will listen to a podcast or get into Instagram DMs during this time. But it’s a way for me to have FUN and enjoy my day. It’s something I get to do since I own my own business.
Business Tasks
Next, I have a 1-hour Pinterest meeting from 1-2 pm. After that, I have a 3-hour time block for business tasks. The first week of the month I work on my “CEO tasks.” These are things like admin work, auditing my systems, keeping the books, or things I need to tend to as the CEO of my company. The second week of the month I am planning for the podcast. In week 3 I have another CEO day, and in week 4 I’m planning how to incorporate new services in my business or ways that I can scale/make more money. Then, I wrap up with one more check of my email inbox. I like to check once in the morning and once in the evening so I’m not in my inbox all day long.
The Rest of the Week
I don’t actually get the work done on Monday afternoons. I’m planning things and brainstorming. I get the work done in my Tuesday and Thursday morning deep work sessions. These are 2-hour time blocks where I focus on tasks that will move my business forward. I put them at the beginning of the day before I do anything else. It’s a standing meeting with myself I try not to break.
Tuesdays & Thursday afternoons are when I work on work for my editing clients, and Wednesdays are meeting days. I have networking meetings in the morning and then I meet with my business partner, Stephanie, to do our photography tasks on Wednesday afternoons. I try to take Fridays totally off. It doesn’t happen as often as I’d like it to, but when it does, it’s glorious. If I don’t take the day off, you’ll find me finishing up tasks for my editing clients or photography clients. It’s like a leftover day.
That’s it! Tune in next week when I’ll talk to you about how I end my workweek!
