Struggling to (gracefully) balance multiple client coaching sessions, all the marketing tasks (read: filming b-roll for Instagram, crafting witty Facebook posts and meticulously crafting your weekly newsletter), plus both family and self-care time?
If so, you’re not alone. The great news? You can save yourself hours a week (plus a heckuva lotta stress-induced headaches!) by learning to plan your weekly schedule in a way that works for you.
Here’s the thing: You’re a unique coach with your own unique responsibilities, strengths and–let’s be real–capabilities. But if you’re always wrapping up your week with lots still on your To Do List, feel swamped or overwhelmed as you move throughout your week or just know in your heart your weekly sched needs a Clueless-level makeover, you’re in the right place.
Below, I’m breaking down four tried-and-tested ways you can approach setting up a weekly schedule as a coach so you can get it all done and still have (lotsa) time for fun.
Before we dive into the specific techniques, though, there’s something you’ll need to do first: prioritize your tasks.
Sometimes our schedule isn’t the problem, but the sheer volume of tasks we think we “must do” every week is. If your usual weekly To Do List is longer than a CVS receipt, it’s time to ask the hard questions: What absolutely needs to get done every single week? What can wait? What can be delegated, automated or outsourced? What can you drop altogether?
Once you’ve whittled down your weekly tasks to just the “must-dos,” try experimenting with each of the techniques below and decide which scheduling technique works best.
1) Batching
Batching has become super popular over the last few years. Essentially, it’s grouping similar tasks together to do all at once (like writing all your biz marketing emails in one afternoon, versus pumping out one a week). Research says batching can help you slip into that coveted flow state much easier. And? It also should (theoretically) take you less time to complete your tasks, since you’re not “context switching” (read: you don’t have to constantly refresh and remind yourself what you’re working on, or use different areas of your brain).
Tried batching but didn’t love it? There are actually several different ways to “batch.” You can try batching at a certain time of day, like always tackling emails post-lunch, when you’re a bit tired & a lot less motivated. You can batch on a weekly basis – like perhaps you always work on new offer outlines or creation on Fridays, after you’ve wrapped up any client calls for the week. You can even try batching on a monthly basis, like knocking out a large project (like whipping up all your monthly marketing emails) one specific day a month (like every 1st Monday). Give them all a go and see if one works for you.
2) Theme Days
What if you only took coaching clients on Tuesdays & Thursdays every week? Or if every single Monday was dedicated just to marketing tasks? Setting up “Theme Days” like this is another popular (and uber-easy) way to setup your weekly schedule.
Here’s an example (but of course, you can always tweak this so it includes everything you need in your schedule!):
Monday: Marketing (plus yoga class)
Tuesday: Admin + client calls
Wednesday: Business development
Thursday: Admin + client calls (plus book club)
Friday: Financials and business development
It’s simple, effective and easy-to-remember (especially if you want to get cute with it – “Marketing Mondays,” anyone? ;)).
3) Focus on When You Work Best
Serious question: Are you super sharp in the A.M., but struggle to string together a decent sentence after 3 p.m. rolls around? Or do you feel crazy-sleepy until the sun starts to set, then get a sudden burst of feel-good creative energy? (Or maybe somewhere in between?)
Choosing to schedule your most difficult, complex or creative work during this “peak” natural time for you is another super easy way to schedule your weeks. This way, you’ll be able to tackle your hardest tacks when you’re your most productive, sharp and “on” (so–bonus! –they won’t feel as hard, or as time-consuming). Then, you’ll just need to schedule everything else – less complex tasks (hello, responding to emails and DMs), family TV time and/or grocery pick-up, for example – around your peak work time. If 5-9pm on weeknights is your difficult task time, everything else has to happen around this sacred little container.
And obviously, what’s “difficult, complex or creative” will vary from coach to coach. You might whip up social media posts like no big deal, but really struggle to film videos where you look and feel energized. This is where knowing yourself is key.
But whether a morning girlie who likes to rise & grind or a night owl who prefers to go hard at night and ease slooowly into your mornings, this type of schedule allows you to work with your natural rhythms instead of against them.
4) Week-by-Week with Recurring Non-Negotiables
Let’s be real: Some of us just aren’t planners. Sometimes the only way you can plan your schedule–and stick to it–is by taking a look at it Sunday or Monday morning so you can fully “see” your week. And if that’s you? No shame, friend!
In fact, it can make a lot of sense for entrepreneurs with limited time or energy (or chronic illnesses and other responsibilities that make life week-to-week unpredictable) to schedule this way.
Checking in and scheduling your week on Sunday or Monday – aka after the majority of the weekend’s festivities (and chores) are over – could provide you with a better idea of the energy & bandwidth you’ll actually have for the week.
My biggest suggestion if you go this route, though? Set up a few recurring tasks on your calendar for the weekly priorities you identified. This might include six hours for client sessions, three hours for business development, five hours for marketing, etc. (And yes, don’t forget to ‘pencil in’ any self-care appointments or family obligations as well.)
This way, you’ll always know needs to get done every week – but can move these chunks around on your calendar with ease, depending on your energy level or any unexpected issues that pop up. (Google Calendar and Motion app are both fabulous options for this!)
Remember that your schedule isn’t carved into stone. Things change, priorities shift, and that’s okay. Take a few minutes each week (or at minimum every month) to comb over your schedule and make any necessary adjustments. Flexibility is truly the name of the game (and the whole reason we’re doing this online biz thing anyway, right?).
