How a process saved my week

In a previous blog, I shared how my husband and I got some news on a Monday that filled us with uncertainty and overwhelm. 

I shared how my emotions were all over the place, and I was distracted and unfocused all week. 

At the end of the week, when I did my review AND accepted that although I was not at my best, I did my best under the circumstances, I was surprised at how much I managed to accomplish.  

Sure, I didn’t write a blog, didn’t do a couple of hours of personal development, and missed a few other small things.  

However, what I did get done was my weekly social media posts, I got my newsletter written, created a new lead magnet, and so much more.  

As I did my review, I thought over the week and wondered how I accomplished as much as I did, given I was unfocused and distracted.  That’s when I realized that I owed it all to my process. 

I’ve shared with you how I plan my week.  I’ve shared that I start by brainstorming everything I could do.  I pull this list together by looking at my recurring success activities, goals, and miscellaneous items.  I then start with my ideal week and start putting a plan for the week in place, planning what I “commit” to getting done.   

I do this process on Sundays.  

This process was done before we got the call on Monday.  Even my daily process of setting my intentions for the day and planning my top 3 items was complete before we got the call that day.  

Every time I did sit down at my desk to work, I knew what to work on.  My plan told me.  It told me to work on bill payments, process payroll, create social media posts, prep for a client, etc.  

When I sat down to work, my plan told me my most important activities and where to focus.  The only thing I had to do was do it.  

It didn’t work for all things.  For example, I couldn’t write my newsletter on Tuesday as planned, but I could on Friday (where I schedule overflow time) when my emotions were in better control.   I couldn’t write my blog because I wasn’t in the headspace to develop a topic.  (Although, I wrote two this week to make up for it).   I skipped personal development to work on more important activities that had gotten derailed.  

Yes, things moved around a bit to adjust for the best I could give that day, and yes, not everything on my commitment list got done that week.  However, by only having the commitment list to focus on and having the week planned, I could get more than 80% of my commitments done.  

I’d say that was a big win.  

As I reviewed and reflected on my week, I was struck by how powerful this process is.  Without it, I wouldn’t have had a clear idea of my priorities and would not have been as successful.  

My weekly planning process saved my week. 

Do you have a process that has saved you before?    

Slow down. Calm down. Don’t worry. Don’t hurry. Turst the process.

Alexandra Stoddard