How to Plan Your Week in 4 Easy Steps (Free Download)
- Stuart Ashley
- Sep 1
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 2
Introduction
When you’re running a business, every week can feel like a whirlwind. Emails, meetings, admin, and unexpected issues can quickly eat up your time. Without a plan, it’s easy to end the week feeling busy but not productive.
The good news? You don’t need a complicated system. With just four simple steps, you can plan your week in a way that keeps you focused, reduces stress, and ensures real progress.
Step 1: Write Everything Down
Why it works: Your brain is a great place for ideas but a terrible place for storage. Writing everything down clears mental clutter and creates clarity.
How to do it:
Grab a notebook, digital app, or whiteboard.
Write down every task, idea, and concern for the week.
Don’t organise or edit yet, just get it all out of your head.
Step 2: Choose Your Top 3 Priorities
Why it works: Not all tasks are created equal. Choosing your top three forces you to focus on actions that move your business forward.
How to do it:
Look at your list from Step 1.
Highlight three tasks that will make the biggest impact.
Ask: “If I only completed these three, would I still feel the week was a success?”
Step 3: Put Them in Your Calendar
Why it works: If it’s not scheduled, it often won’t happen. Blocking time makes priorities non-negotiable.
How to do it:
Open your digital or paper calendar.
Allocate specific time blocks for each top priority.
Treat these as appointments with yourself that can’t be cancelled.
Step 4: Fit the Rest Around Them
Why it works: Smaller tasks still need doing, but they shouldn’t take centre stage. Prioritising big wins first means you avoid the trap of being “busy but not productive.”
How to do it:
Slot quick tasks (emails, admin, calls) around your scheduled priorities.
Use short gaps or low-energy parts of the day.
Batch similar tasks together for efficiency.
Conclusion
Planning your week doesn’t have to be complicated. In just 15 minutes, you can set yourself up for focus and progress:
Write everything down.
Choose your top 3.
Schedule them.
Fit the rest around them.
This simple structure gives you clarity, reduces overwhelm, and ensures that each week ends with real achievements, not just busyness.
Actionable Weekly Planning Checklist
✅ Spend 5 minutes doing a “brain dump” of all tasks, ideas, and worries.
✅ Highlight your 3 most important priorities for the week.
✅ Block out time in your calendar for each priority.
✅ Slot smaller tasks around your top 3 to fill in the gaps.
✅ Review at the end of the week:
Did you complete your top 3? What can you adjust for next week?
👉Want a printable version of this system?
Here you go, it's yours to download for FREE!
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