Tools

I list 5-7 themes aligned with my vision and write a paragraph about each and why it matters. Then, I plot a rough roadmap—breaking the initiatives across quarters.

Yearly and quarterly are big-picture, but weekly plans focus on execution.I create my weekly plan on Friday afternoon since it gives me peace of mind before the weekend. Although it takes an hour, I earn that time back by reducing uncertainty for the coming week.

I only plan working hours—07:00 to 18:00, Monday through Friday—and limit 3-4 to-dos to avoid burnout. If I have several little things to do, I quarantine them to a single block to keep my mind fresh for more intensive work.

The daily plan is 100% tactical.The evening before, I review my weekly plan and block time for meetings, workouts, and other obligations. With the hours remaining, I optimize for uninterrupted periods, and I’ll typically block a couple hours in the afternoon for focused work.

The biggest hack to daily planning is a set of habits. For instance, knowing that I write one hour per day, six days per week, helps me feel confident in delivering a five-hour writing project.I track my time allocation to gain this knowledge, such as hours spent in meetings vs. focused work. Seeing the daily and weekly trends help me better calibrate my workload.