How to set your week up for success

As 2020 comes to a (for many, welcome) close, there’s no better time to take stock on how the year went—reflecting on successes, failures, and what could be done differently next year.

Something that we’ve noticed here at Gill & Hooper this year, is the difference that a bit of preparation for the week ahead makes. You know the old adage that failing to prepare is preparing to fail? Well, we’ve heeded some lessons from that concept over the last 12 months and have come to realise that spending a bit of time on a Sunday and throughout the week can pay dividends. We mean maximising productivity, having a clear plan, and taking some of the mental effort out of the coming week, so that there’s more organisation and less floundering.

Here, we weigh in on how to set your week up for success.

MAKE A LIST

And check it twice! (Kidding, although if you haven’t yet started, consider this your friendly reminder to begin your Christmas shopping…)

We’re all about transferring things—whether that’s thoughts, goals, or things to do—from brain onto paper. Getting everything written down means less worrying that you might forget something, and gives you a really clear image of how the coming week might shape up.

SET PRIORITIES

Now that everything is out and into a list, you can start to pick through where your priorities might lie for the week ahead, and what you might have to sacrifice this time around.

We get it. We know that the juggle is real, and we know that so many professionals are wearing so many hats throughout the course of a week. We’re talking the business hat, the parent hat, the self hat, (yes, that old chestnut that so often gets neglected thanks to everything else!)

Ultimately, you can’t do it all—so we recommend prioritising, and work on doing a few things well, instead of many things badly.

MAKE A SCHEDULE

We know it’s a little bit cliche, but you really are so much more likely to stick to things if you’re made accountable (remember our post about goal setting? We dive deep into accountability there). Putting things like appointments and workouts in your calendar means you know exactly what’s coming up and you’re less likely to bail out in favour of getting a few more emails sent off. In this scenario, your calendar is your accountability partner—and a really good one at that!

REFLECT

It’s a great idea to take some time at the end of each day to reflect on how you feel after it. Did you prioritise work over a workout today, and are left feeling really sluggish and flat? This is a sure-fire indication that you should adjust your priorities for the next day and sacrifice half an hour of work to get some movement in.

Spending some time reflecting on the day will give you a much clearer picture of what future days or weeks might need in order to be set up for success.

PRIORITISE ROUTINE

It’s no secret that we’re huge proponents of a morning routine—you might even remember that (*mic drop*), Grace gets up at 4.30 am every day in order to take some time for herself first thing in the morning.

Prioritising routine means creating habits and rituals that make your life more fulfilling and enjoyable to you. Maybe it’s getting up earlier for a morning walk with a podcast or having screen-free evenings two nights a week where you spend time really reconnecting with your family. Whatever it is, your week will instantly feel much more successful with routines that truly serve you.

WHEREVER YOU ARE, BE PRESENT

To us, a successful week is about being present in whatever it is you’re doing at that moment. It means not worrying about your to-do lists when you’re meant to be working, or trying to remember what emails you need to send for work while you’re working out.

Ultimately, taking small pockets of time to map out your week, get clear on your goals and what it is you want to achieve from the week, is what enables you to be truly present in whatever you’re doing. It’s the knowledge that everything is accounted for; and while you might not get to everything right now, you’re organised enough to know that you will.  Hear hear!