Before We Begin: Where We Are in the Sprint
We’re now in Week 3 of the 6-week sprint. And we’re doing this together, step by step.
In Week 1, we defined your North Star for the final stretch of the year.
In Week 2, we built your priority framework using the Eisenhower Matrix, so you know day to day exactly what matters and what doesn’t.
Now, let’s sharpen your execution because even with the clearest goal and the smartest priorities, nothing changes unless your week and days are set up to support them.
Today’s edition gives you the exact system I use to design my days and weeks to make progress predictable.
Why Structure Beats Motivation
You already know your priority. You already know where your time should go.
But structure, not motivation, is what’s going to move us forward.
A structured week creates rhythm, predictability and ultimately execution.
Without structure, even the best priorities get swallowed by:
interruptions
meetings
low-value requests
energy crashes
“I’ll do it later”.
So today, we’re building the structure that makes progress automatic.
Step 1: Build Your Structured Week
Think of your week as the container for everything that matters.
A good weekly structure has three pillars:
Themed days
Non-negotiables
Protected focus blocks.
Let’s break those down.
1. Theme Your Days (This Creates Flow)
Theming your days gives each day a “purpose.”
It eliminates context switching, gives you focus and creates momentum.
Here’s a simple example you can mirror but make it work for you:
Monday: Planning & Deep Work
Set your direction and move your biggest priority forward.
Tuesday: Meetings & Collaboration
Group your interruptions. Don’t let them impact your whole week.
Wednesday: Focus & Project Progress
A quieter day for extended work on your key projects or 6-week sprint goal.
This is your “move things forward” day.
Thursday: Execution Day
A solid, distraction-minimised day to push tasks over the line, make progress, and close loops.
Friday: Admin & Clean-Up
Emails, invoicing, follow-ups, loose ends. End the workweek tidy and organised.
Sunday: Weekly Reset & Planning
Your reflection day.
Review the week, reset, plan, set priorities, and check in on your habits.
2. Build In Your Weekly Non-Negotiables
These anchor you and protect your consistency.
Your non-negotiables should support your goal(s). You must remain dedicated to executing on these.
Examples:
3-4 workouts
A weekly planning session
2 focus blocks
A walk without your phone
A midday reset
Daily steps
A weekly personal check-in
These aren’t “nice to haves.” They are the support beams of your week.
3. Protect Your Weekly Focus Blocks
A focus block is 60-120 minutes of deep work on your highest-impact priority.
This is where your sprint goal actually moves.
To protect focus blocks:
Put them in your highest-energy time of day
Place them early in the week
Never put them between meetings
Turn off notifications during them
Treat them like a meeting with your future self.
Aim for 2–4 each week.
If you nail these blocks?
You will move further in six weeks than most people do in six months.
Step 2: Build Your Structured Day
While your week gives you direction, your day gives you discipline.
A good daily structure has three parts:
Your morning setup
Your focus block
Your evening review.
Let’s build it.
1. Morning Setup (Your Daily Anchor)
Your morning should set the tone, not just start the day.
Your morning should be planned the night before. You should wake up knowing what your next move is.
Examples:
Hydrate
Movement: Workout, swim, walk - your choice
Take health supplements
Eat breakfast
Phone stays off until after your first focus block
You should also review what you’ve planned to achieve today and what today’s theme is based on your weekly structure.
Top Tip - I find it helps to set a daily morning reminder on my phone to look at what I’ve planned for the day
The goal is simple: Start with clarity, not chaos.
2. Your Daily Focus Block
Every day needs one protected window where you work on something meaningful.
Even 45 minutes counts.
This is where consistency is built - not through effort, but through routine.
3. Evening Review
This shouldn’t be an onerous task. In fact a 60 second reflection is all that’s needed. Nothing more.
Take a look down the list of what you wanted to achieve today and ask:
Did I follow my plan and complete all my non-negotiables?
Did I move my priority forward today?
What will I improve tomorrow?
This micro-reflection builds awareness and discipline faster than anything else.
Rhythm Beats Rigidity
This is where most people go wrong - they think structure means perfection. It doesn’t.
A structured week is not about:
controlling every minute
micromanaging your life
sticking to a rigid routine.
It’s about rhythm, not rigidity.
Rhythm means:
You know your anchors
You know your priorities
You know how to get back on track
You know what matters most.
This is what keeps you consistent, even when life gets messy.
