Introduction: Weeks don’t collapse because you’re undisciplined; they collapse because the important work never makes it onto the calendar. A tight weekly review fixes that by turning fog into choices. In ninety minutes on Sunday—or any calm evening—you can reflect honestly, choose a few must‑ships, block defensible time, and clear the friction that trips you Monday morning. The aim isn’t to pack every hour; it’s to make space for what matters and protect your energy so you can actually do it.

Begin with one trusted inbox. Empty your head, notes, flagged emails, texts, and sticky reminders into a single page. The less you sort during capture, the more your brain relaxes. Once everything is visible, it stops shouting for attention and you can decide with calm.

Look back briefly before you look forward. Scan last week’s calendar and tasks. Mark three things you shipped that mattered and one thing to improve. This anchors your identity in progress, not in the unfinished. It also surfaces patterns: meetings that always slip, tasks that always take twice as long, times of day when you do your best work.

Choose three to five must‑ships for the week ahead. These are outcomes, not vague intentions. “Finish the Q3 budget draft,” “Submit two client proposals,” “Three workouts,” “Update portfolio page.” If everything is a must‑ship, nothing is. Constraints create focus; let them help you.

Block real time for must‑ships first. Place ninety‑to‑one‑hundred‑twenty‑minute focus blocks on your calendar for each must‑ship and mark them busy. Add fifteen‑minute buffers before big meetings and around deep work. If there’s no space, the plan is a fantasy; move or decline low‑impact meetings, shrink scope, or split outcomes across weeks. You’re designing a week a human can live, not an idealized robot schedule.

Break must‑ships into honest chunks. Translate each outcome into 30–60‑minute steps and place them where they fit. Park overflow on a “Later” list you’ll revisit next Sunday. Deferral is not failure; it’s focus.

Decide how you’ll handle email and messages so your plan survives Monday. Choose two or three inbox windows for most days—perhaps mid‑morning and mid‑afternoon—and close email outside those windows. Create a “Waiting” list for things you’re expecting from others and set calendar nudges to follow up once instead of checking ten times. The more you batch, the more you protect focus blocks.

Prep your environment so Monday is a glide, not a climb. Clear your desk, charge devices, and set out the first task’s materials. Decide tomorrow’s clothes and lunch if that reduces friction. Small frictions compound into avoidance; remove them while you have Sunday energy.

Pick a health baseline that survives noisy weeks. Three short walks, two strength sessions at home, lights‑out by a target time on four nights—whatever keeps your energy steady. When life gets loud, a baseline prevents spirals. No one’s week is perfect; the baseline keeps you moving.

Align with the people who matter. Send a quick note to your manager or team with your top priorities and what you need from them. Text a friend or family member and book something you’ll look forward to. Weeks that include appointments for joy are weeks you keep showing up to.

Protect “no” as a tool for focus. Write one kind refusal you can send without guilt: “I’m heads‑down on two deadlines and can’t take this on. If timing shifts, I’m happy to revisit next month.” Practicing the sentence once makes it available when the ask arrives.

Close the loop with a short Friday retro. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough. Check off what shipped, slide what didn’t, and capture one learning while it’s fresh. This makes Sunday lighter and your system self‑healing.

Troubleshoot the common snags. If you chronically underestimate, double your time estimates and add buffer. If emergencies explode your week, leave one afternoon open as a pressure valve. If you dread the review, pair it with a treat—a favorite tea, a playlist, or a café table. Rituals make systems stick.

- Quick checklist: brain dump captured in one place, last week scanned, three to five must‑ships chosen, focus blocks placed and protected, inbox windows set, environment prepped, health baseline picked, one joyful plan scheduled, one kind no prepared, Friday retro booked.