How Do You Organize Your Week?

Are there certain things that you always do on the same day of the week? A friend of mine, Stan, is a solopreneur who strives to follow this routine, because it has served him well:

Sunday night. This is when his work week begins. He likes the idea of getting a jump on the rest of the work world. He says the best part about starting on Sunday night is the feeling of calm it gives him on Monday morning. It’s his “manic Monday” antidote.

Monday-Wednesday. This is his prime time for putting in quality and quantity time on projects that require full attention and energy.

Thursday. The week is beginning to wind down, and he believes his creativity tank is at one-quarter full and falling fast. So, he tries to use Thursday for meetings with clients, customers, and vendors.

Thursday night. He works on the books. By Thursday night, his creative tank is close to empty, so he believes that if he’s going to work at all, it should be on a task that doesn’t require much imagination. Also, when he knows he does the books at the same time each week, he can set aside financial tasks for that block of time and not let those jobs sidetrack the work that actually makes him money.

Friday morning. His creativity tank is empty, and it’s time for a refill. He uses Friday morning for tying up loose ends—returning phone calls that he has put off, sending e-mails that he hasn’t gotten around to during the week.

Friday afternoon. It’s time for non-work activity that refills his tank. In the summer he plays golf, in the winter it’s racquetball. My buddy takes off on Friday afternoon because: 1) he’s not productive on Friday afternoons anyway; and 2) clients don’t want to hear from him on Friday afternoons.

My take: I’ve never been able to follow this plan with precision, but I do keep its principles in mind and try to make my week flow similarly. I especially like getting started on Sunday and taking off on Friday afternoon. What’s your take?