6 things I do that set me up for a success week

Six strategies that make a huge difference in my week. 

1. Sharing my calendar with my husband

I am sure this is an obvious one to many of you.

But here’s the thing. I don’t have a synced calendar with my husband. I don’t have a family calendar. 

That is way too technical for us. It just wouldn’t work. 

Instead, I send him a screenshot of the daily calendar. To be fair, I send it the night before so it is a task I have to repeat. 

But it has been a game-changer for me to have a successful week. It sets a great boundary, shows mutual respect for each other, and is a super simple way to communicate. 

He knows when I’m available to support him on the farm. And I do just that- when I can. 

2. Meal plan

I hate having to make decisions about food. In the country, we have to feed people every meal every day. If we lived in town we could probably grab something from the pub or roadhouse, but that’s not a real option for me. 

So at the start of every week, I try to meal plan based on what’s in my fridge or freezer. If it’s harvest or seeding my freezer is chock full of frozen dinners. 

If you listen to this Big Ideas Rural podcast you will get some great tips from me and others about meal prep and planning. 

It’s a small thing but it removes the daily mental load throughout the week. 

3. Client Scheduling

It’s probably been about three years now I’ve had a client scheduling tool so people can book their own appointments. I started with Acuity and now I use Satori. 

Giving my customers the ability to schedule and reschedule their own appointments has given me back so much freedom and time. 

If you have that back and forth with clients trying to find time to talk. I recommend you get a scheduling app. It can be such a game-changer for your admin!

4. My Week in Trello

If you haven’t snagged my weekly to-do list you can do so here.  Using Trello is such an easy way for me to plan my week. 

I love that it gives me a birdseye view of what is happening but also allows me to get specific and drill down to the task level. 

Probably the biggest game-changer was adding ongoing tasks. That way I just had certain tasks I did on certain days without worrying about scheduling them in. It’s such an easy way to build strategies into your business without adding extra bulk to your to-do list. 

5. Dedicated me-time

Now, my time is hard to get. I’m not silly. I know that if the house is dirty you’re probably going to clean it. Or if that social post has to be finished you’ll probably do that first. 

Which is why I like creating some me-time in my life and business. 

I have two standing PT sessions a week which means an extra 1.5 hours of driving. I make sure I use this driving time to listen to a non-work podcast (probably true crime). And at the bare minimum, it’s my dedicated me time for the week. 

Sometimes I get more and have the luxury of a midday shower (my favourite me time) but the message here is I make sure I have space just for me. 

6. Outsourced cleaning

I know this is a luxury. And I know it’s not something everyone can justify. But for me. It’s the thing that makes me sane and helps me function. 

If I had to go without colouring my hair or buying née clothes for a year to have a cleaner- I would. 

It gives me my time back. It’s a task I loathe. And it makes me so happy to have a clean house.

Outsourcing my cleaning brings me joy. But there are so many things you can outsource if you enjoy your cleaning or find it therapeutic! 

I hope you enjoyed these strategies. I’d love to know what sets you up for success each week?