Getting the Most out of Your Week

Most people plan their weeks the same way they spend their paychecks. 

They get paid. 

They pay their bills. 

They buy the things they want. 

And then, if there's anything left, they save or invest it. 

That's backward! 

The smartest financial move you can make is to pay yourself first. 

And the smartest move you can make with your time? 

Same thing! 

There are 168 hours in a week. 

You're not getting another one. 

And yet, most people design their entire lives around work, obligations, errands, appointments, and everybody else's priorities. 

Then they try to squeeze in exercise, family time, friendships, learning, hobbies, and the things they actually enjoy. 

💥 If you keep giving yourself whatever time is left over, don't be surprised when there's nothing left! 

I want you to think about your schedule differently. 

Instead of asking how to fit your life around your obligations, start thinking about how to fit your obligations around the life you want. 

Here are six ways I approach designing my ideal week. 

1. Start with your life, not your calendar. 

Before scheduling anything, decide what matters most to you. Your health? Family? Relationships? Personal growth? Hobbies? You can't prioritize everything equally, so identify what makes your life meaningful and enjoyable. 

👉 Your calendar should reflect your priorities, not determine them. 

2. Pay yourself first with your time. 

I don't wait to see whether there's time left for exercise, reading, learning, or enjoying my family. I deliberately make room for those activities before other obligations consume my week. 

👉 The things that matter most shouldn't have to compete for your leftovers. 

3. Decide how often your priorities deserve your attention. 

Not everything important needs to happen every day. Some activities deserve daily attention. Others might be weekly, monthly, or occasionally. Establish a rhythm that keeps the things you care about in your life. 

👉 Consistency matters more than cramming everything into one week. 

4. Protect the time you've reserved for yourself. 

Personal time disappears quickly when other obligations come calling. Treat the time you've reserved for yourself as seriously as any other commitment. Be flexible when life happens, but make conscious decisions about what gets moved. 

👉 If you don't protect your time, somebody else will find a use for it. 

5. Build a week you can repeat. 

I don't want to reinvent my life every Sunday night! I have a preferred weekly structure that gives my most important personal activities a regular home. It’s like that expression, “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Well, I do that with my calendar too! 🤣 Every week looks just a wee bit different, but the foundation stays pretty much the same. 

👉 Your ideal week isn't something you create once. It's a way of living you can enjoy again and again. 

6. Make sure you're enjoying the life you're scheduling. 

The goal isn't to squeeze the maximum number of activities into your 168 hours. Some activities are fun. Others require discipline or (gulp) sacrifice, but contribute to a life you love. 

👉 A successful week isn't one where you do everything. It's one where you're happy with the life your activities are creating. 

So, here's something I'd love for you to try. 

Look at your calendar for next week. 

Ask yourself... 

• What am I making time for that matters most to me? 
• Which personal priorities are missing? 
• What commitments are consuming time they don't deserve? 
• What could I move, reduce, or eliminate? 
• If I could redesign one part of my week, what would I change? 

And here's the question I really want you to consider. 

👉 If someone looked at your calendar without knowing anything about you, would they be able to tell what matters most in your life? 

Think about that. 

I’ll wait. 

Your calendar tells a story about how you're living. 

Make sure it's the story you want to tell. 

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 22 at 12:15 PM Central, I'm diving deeper into this during my 5-to-9 with Coach Andy session: Designing Your Ideal Week. 

I'll show you how I organize my own schedule, protect my personal priorities, and make room for the things that make life enjoyable. 

There are two ways to join me. 

Become a 5-to-9 Lifetime Member with One Enrollment.
This gets you access to all 12 lessons, including past, current, and upcoming sessions and replays. Plus, The Life Equations bonus which covers time, health, and money. 

Become a Leadership Coaching Program Plus Member.
This gets you access to my entire leadership library of over 100 lessons, monthly live group coaching, ANDY AI, the 5-to-9 program, and a host of additional career development training bonus programs. 

I hope to see you tomorrow! 

Coach Andy 

...put people first, results second. 

P.S. Here's the entire 12-lesson 5-to-9 with Coach Andy series. We're already on lesson four! 

1. Your Personal Operating System 
2. Decluttering Your Life 
3. Buying Back Your Time 
4. Designing Your Ideal Week 
5. Your Money Playbook 
6. Peace of Mind Because Life Happens 
7. Relationships That Make Life Better 
8. Building Your Personal Board of Directors 
9. Healthy for Life 
10. Stop Waiting for Vacation 
11. Life's Biggest Decisions 
12. Enjoying the Life You've Built 

First, create the life you want. Then, make the most of it.