Planning
How to Plan Your Week in 30 Minutes
A timed Sunday (or Monday morning) ritual that closes last week, sets three priorities, and puts focus on the calendar — without a two-hour planning spiral.
6 min read
Set a timer — planning expands to fill the time you give it
If weekly planning regularly takes two hours, you are optimizing the plan instead of starting the week. Thirty minutes is enough when you follow a fixed sequence and stop when the timer ends. Imperfect clarity beats a perfect document you never open again.
Minutes 0–8: Review last week with evidence
Open your calendar, task list, and time logs (if you have them). Ask three questions only: What moved a real goal? What drained energy without payoff? What slipped that still matters? Write one sentence for each. Skip rewriting your entire life story — this is a checkpoint, not a memoir.
Minutes 8–14: Clear open loops
Scan inbox, sticky notes, and “waiting for” items. Capture anything still in your head into one trusted place. Finish, delegate, delete, or schedule — but do not start deep work yet. The point is a clean runway so priorities are not buried under half-promises.
Minutes 14–20: Choose three weekly outcomes
Name three results that would make this week a win — tied to longer goals when possible. Everything else is support work. If you cannot choose three, you do not need more time — you need harder cuts. Write them where you will see them daily.
Minutes 20–27: Put focus on the calendar first
Block 90–120 minute deep-work sessions for your top priorities before accepting more meetings. Batch email and admin into short windows. Add one margin buffer (commute, lunch, or a lighter afternoon). If it is not on the calendar, it is a wish.
Minutes 27–30: Define the first move for Monday
For each of the three priorities, write the very next physical action (open the doc, draft the outline, send the ask). When Monday starts, you should not waste the best hour deciding where to begin. Close the session when the timer ends — refine mid-week if reality changes.
