When people learn I have five kids, they sometimes ask “how do you do it?” I don’t have “it” all figured out — whatever “it” is — but if I do have an answer, it’s this: I spend a few minutes each Friday planning my upcoming week.
Every Friday, I think about what will be important over the next week, and when I will do those things. I think about what I need to do, and what I want to do, in the categories of career, relationships, and self. I think about what I’m looking forward to. I aim to solve any logistical problems. In 20 minutes or so, I have my marching orders for the next 168 hours.
I find this weekly pause to survey the upcoming landscape so important that it became Tranquility by Tuesday Rule #2: Plan on Fridays. When I plan my weeks holistically, I feel more in control, and more like I am making progress on my goals.
That’s why I’m a Friday planning evangelist…but you don’t just need to take my word for it.
Rachel Scarpato of York, Pennsylvania, leads a team as part of her role at a real estate company. She also has three kids, and interests like playing the piano. In this week’s Tranquility by Tuesday in Real Life video, she talks about how learning Rule #2: Plan on Fridays was instrumental in helping her manage her team better, and make more time for fun.
I enjoyed driving out through some rustic parts of Pennsylvania to visit York! And Rachel was such a trooper. Her family was going through a major home renovation and they were just about to demolish the kitchen when my crew tromped through. But she squeezed us in! I wound up watching some magic tricks the kids were doing when the crew needed to film Rachel without them.
Please check out the third video in my Tranquility by Tuesday In Real Life series to see how Friday planning made life more calm for Rachel, and helped make her a more effective leader. If you like the video, please share it! I’d love to give it a big audience.
In case you missed it, here’s last week’s video, on how Rule #6: One big adventure, one little adventure, made life more exciting for Rachana Shah.
And here’s the first video, on how Elisa Ung learned Rule #7: Take one night for you.
If you haven’t picked up a copy of Tranquility by Tuesday yet, would you please do so? I appreciate the support!
Really enjoying these video vignettes, Laura. Kudos to you for the vision and thanks to all the willing participants for sharing more about their personal experiences. Love the whiteboard to help keep everyone organized!
@Amy – thanks! I loved the white board too! Creating these videos was a highlight of my past few months 🙂