Your Ideal Week

Recently, I asked a fellow keynoter how she structured her work week, to which she began walking?me through her calendar. She stopped?on Saturday and told?me that's when she shuts her laptop and doesn't look at it again until Monday morning.??

I instantly have SO.MANY.QUESTIONS!

You whaaaaaaat? Monday morning? No email on the weekends? You take TWO DAYS OFF? Every week? How? Help?

Are you an alien from another planet?

I sat back in my chair, almost wanting to cry at how confidently and efficiently, and guilt-free she made that?choice?for herself, and?I thought:

When did working five days a week not become enough?

And if I can't take two days off, something is fundamentally broken, and I need to figure out how to fix it.

Now, of course, there will be times you have to work on a weekend, or maybe you work the weekend shift, or perhaps you work nights, or maybe your schedule changes week to week, so it's not so much about?when?you're working but how much you're working. New data shows that 80% of us check emails on the weekend, proving most of us aren't hitting the pause button, so no wonder we are sick, exhausted, and burnt out.

Why wait until January 1 to start designing a life that lets?you have one?

After that conversation with my friend, I read?Free to Focus ?and felt wholly inspired to design an ideal week that serves my business and life goals. So I wanted to share it with you so you can start to think about how you want to work?and?feel?in 2023.

There are three?essential parts:

1.?Determine your Zone?of Genius "ZOG" Buckets. These are the things that only?you?can do. That thing you do better than everyone else. That task that just can't be outsourced. The?tasks that make?your goals a reality. The tasks that keep the lights on.

WORK EXAMPLE:??I work as a keynote speaker, so my number one zone of genius is writing, rehearsing, and researching for new talks. I also write newsletters, create + record podcasts, make sales calls, write marketing copy, and have networking goals. All ZOG activities because they are things that require?me.

PERSONAL EXAMPLE:?I am working with a personal trainer, so getting in my weekly gym time is a zone of genius.

• Maybe you are a new Mom, and only you can be that baby's Mamma, so that is a ZOG for you right now.
• You may want to get in shape, and only you can do that work, so getting to the gym should be a ZOG.
• You may want to start that business that's been on your heart, and only you can create it, so dedicating time every week to work on it should be a ZOG.

2.?Create your ideal week.?Once you?determine?your?ZOG buckets, as yourself, "Ok, what do I need to do M-F that will allow me to get everything done AND have time to reset on the weekends?" Here is what I came up with:

?*I?write first thing in the morning because I like to do the most critical work, and mornings are my most creative and high vibe.

**Freestyle Fridays' are my secret weapon because it gives me a buffer if/when my week gets disrupted. This is a day to catch up on anything outstanding, do administrative work, pay bills, plan menus, grocery shop, run errands, and set up next week's goals and priorities so that I can go into the weekend with a free mind.

***You'll notice that I'm only available for calls twice a week; Of course, there are exceptions to that rule, but it's rate. If you are always available, you will never get anything done.

3.?Create a start-up + shut-down ritual.?Last, each?day begins/ends with a Start-Up and Shut Down Ritual, which helps me stay connected AND guard my focus.?I got this idea from?Free To Focus , and it looks like this:

The whole point of my sharing this with you is to get you thinking about how?you?will design a life next year that allows you to live one. It's possible, but it will take discipline, focus, and boundaries.?A better life is possible; the question is, are you ready to create it?

Assignment

Here are some steps you can take to start designing your ideal week:

1. First, read?Free ?to Focus ?by Michael Hyatt. You’ll get so many ideas no matter what kind of work you do.
2. Could you start to identify your Zone of Genius Activities? Those things that only you can do. The items that require your most focused attention. The things that are critical to the bottom line.
3. Develop a start-up and shut-down ritual that gets you ready for work and wound down so you can ease out.
4. Start to draft an ideal week for yourself. What would it look like if you had a crystal ball and your week could look any way you desire?
5. Try it out for a week!?#exFEARiment :)
6. Make edits, then try again.
7. Keep iterating until you’ve got something you can sustain for at least 30 days because building any new habit takes time and discipline.

YOU GOT THIS!?Let me know how this goes for you and what light bulb moments you have. Of course, please feel free to reply to these emails and be right in my inbox.?