My Week-End Book-End Process
Fri-nally! It's the weekend!
It was one heck of a week and now all you need is a break. You spun several pieces of fine china in the air to orchestrate all the to-dos and deliverables every day. You've earned some downtime!
But, it's Saturday evening, you're not relaxed. You keep thinking about the business, customers, and next week. Plus, you have a nagging thought following you around. It says, "you're forgetting something." This takes you right out of the moment.
Every weekend it's the same story. You worked hard but you don't feel comfortable relaxing. You’ve got to find a way to calm this nagging thought.
I admit I used to never feel “off the clock.” I thought that was part of running a young business. But, a few years in, I realized that it didn't have to be that way. I felt wiped out from stressing and ignoring other parts of my life. I needed to be more than a biz owner.
So I developed a process to wrap up my work week and enjoy the weekend. I call it my Week-End Book-End Process. It’s a simple 3-step ritual that allows me to stay on track and come back to my work on Mondays with renewed energy.
Good processes create calm. To create more calm, pencil in 30 minutes every Friday afternoon to work through the next three steps.
1. Reflect and Prioritize
The first step is to download all your thoughts on paper. A sure way to miss an important to-do is to try to remember it all.
My advice: Don’t write it all down on one sheet of paper in what I call Reflect & Prioritize (R&P).
By unloading the current week, you create space in your head. Tease the thoughts out of your brain and write them down. Don’t try to remember everything.
Here is the template I use every week, but you can also use any blank page in a notebook or scrap piece of paper. It's important to do this analog, i.e. on paper. Studies show that writing by hand creates many cognitive benefits. It helps with memory, processing, and creativity.
The top section is for the week you're wrapping up. Jot down any accomplishments, unexpected events, ideas, or client feedback. I like to organize these as bullets. Each bullet fits on one line. This way your thoughts are concise and you can jot down several.
After reflecting on the week, you’ll move on to the next section: Prioritize. Here you’ll list your top priorities for next week. If you have unfinished business, be sure to jot it down. You may also need to reference your calendar or project management app. You can list big or small to-dos, as long as you plan to get them done in the next week.
Sometimes I'll bounce between Reflect and Prioritize at the same time. While I'm reflecting, I often catch big picture important tasks. The goal is not to make yourself remember everything, so write it down as it pops up.
In my template, you’ll see a third section, a little shaded box labeled Ruminating Thoughts. This section is optional and you can change it to fit your preferences. Here I’ll write a word, phrase, or quote that stood out to me that week. These are lessons I need to remember or an inspiring mantra.
Over time, you'll notice even more benefits. By doing this week after week, you'll capture unexpected insights. If you didn't stop to reflect, you wouldn't have uncovered them. Look back through all the papers each month or quarter to find recurring patterns. You'll identify common themes, trends, and blocks. Once you're aware of them, you can take action to improve
If you only do one of these activities, do this one. It clears your head and quiets that nagging voice. You've closed the week and are able to move on.
2. Review project statuses and calendar
Next, we turn our focus to work management. You may call this project management or scheduling. Regardless of what you call it, you're creating time for everything that needs to get done.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but it took me an eternity to figure this out. After 6,524-ish rounds of trial and error, I found what works for me. You may need to experiment with many techniques as well. Keep testing until you find what works for you!
Here's my process. I gather my project lists, calendars, and weekly planner.
I start with my project lists. These started as blank pieces of paper and function as a parking lot. In broad categories, I "brain dump" all the current to-dos I can think of for both my business and personal life. These pages are not organized, except by a general category (ex. Client work, internal work, marketing, personal).
Again, I don't make my brain remember everything. I get it out on paper so that I have the mental bandwidth to stay present. When a to-do or new idea pops into my head, I jot it down on the list right away. If my papers aren't within reach, I'll add a note in my cell phone.
After R&P, I’ll update these brain dump lists. I’ll scan for items to cross off, others to tackle the next week, and add anything new.
Once my lists are up-to-date, I cross-reference them with monthly calendars. I batch my work each day based on a theme. On printed out monthly spreads, I'll pencil in tasks from the brain dump lists. I assign tasks based on the importance, due date, hours required, and batch day theme.
This step is key in creating structure over the long term. Not only do I organize the what and when of my work, but I also notice any busy or slow weeks. Then I can plan for capacity and adjust as necessary.
Seeing my schedule as a month helps me take a step back and get the big picture. It puts my mind at ease because all my work is in order and I have a plan to get it done.
3. Plan out the next week
The last step of my week-end bookend process is to bust out my planner and schedule out the next week. Using the lists and monthly calendars, I'll schedule each workday.
First I’ll write in any meetings or deadlines. Next, I add my top priority for each day, based on the batch schedule. Specific days are for internal work, client work, and meetings. After my top priorities are clear, I’ll fill in any other tasks that need to get done.
Depending on the priority and other tasks, I may be able to finish only one or two items. Keep your working hours in mind, as well as how long you expect to spend on each task. It's easy to go overboard here and overschedule. Don't. It's unrealistic and sets you up for failure and more stress.
I know it's hard not to when it feels like everything should've been done yesterday. Trust this process. After a few weeks, you'll feel on top of your work and will be less likely to overschedule.
With my planner complete, I'm ready for next week. Each day, I'll open my planner. I know what's the priority each day, plus what else needs to get done. All I have to do is execute the plan.
Ahhhhh, I'm more relaxed already.
Bonus Tip:
Estimate how long each task will take and stick to that estimate. Once the time is up, you move on to the next task. This forces you to complete a task in the allocated time.
If you're familiar with Parkinson's Law, a task expands to fit the time allotted. Since you have a lot to do, you need to limit how long you'll spend on a task.
To get started, establish a baseline for how long each task takes. Use a time-keeping app and take good notes (I use T-Sheets).
After a few weeks or months, you'll have data on how long each task takes. Then you can use that data to make realistic monthly and weekly schedules. Plus, you can then challenge yourself to increase efficiency.
Full disclosure: this is an area I'm still working on. I've always had a hard time estimating how long a task will take. As I said before about finding a system that works for you - keep experimenting! I'm constantly refining this step and learning more.
If you can't relax on the weekend, follow my week-end bookend process. On a Friday afternoon, carve out half an hour to reflect, plan, and prep for the next one. The end goal is to rest and recharge. You cannot do that if you always feel like you're in work mode or like you’re forgetting something.
This process works well for me. I share them in hopes that it helps you build your own end-of-the-week ritual. This marks a placeholder in your work. You won't forget where you left off, plus you’ll get to rest and recharge.
For any biz owner, there's always more to do. It's our nature to push and do as much as we can. But we are more than entrepreneurs. We are family members and friends and individuals. We need balance so we can recharge. We need to get "off the clock" regularly if we want to do our best work.
Give it a try. After a few weeks, you'll start reaping the benefits. On Mondays, you’ll feel vibrant and excited to jump back into your work.
Guess what? That nagging thought left and you didn't even notice.