How to Create a Weekly Workflow That Frees Up One Extra Day

Hey there,

Imagine stepping into a week knowing you've built in an entire extra day of time to focus on growth, tackle that big project, or simply recharge. The good news? This isn’t a pipe dream – it’s achievable by setting up an optimised weekly workflow designed to clear out time-sinks and boost efficiency.

Today, I’ll walk you through a step-by-step guide to building a weekly workflow that consistently frees up time – giving you a practical blueprint to turn 7 days into 8.

Building a Weekly Workflow That Frees Up One Extra Day

Why Time Management Alone Isn’t Enough

Traditional time management tends to focus on fitting more tasks into your day. But if you’re working towards scalability and efficiency, the goal should be eliminating or delegating tasks entirely, not squeezing more in. Creating an optimised workflow brings a sustainable system into your week, giving you back time while keeping your priorities intact.

Step 1: Plan Ahead with Clear Intentions

• Allocate 30 Minutes on Friday: Set aside time to lay out next week’s priorities, aligning them with your biggest goals. Identify your three key tasks for the week.

• Use Templates: Create task templates in your project management tool (e.g., ClickUp or monday.com) for recurring tasks. This prevents the need to plan routine work from scratch every week.

💡 Pro Tip: Leverage automation tools like Make to trigger routine checklists or follow-up reminders. Set it once, and let the system work for you.

Step 2: Batch Similar Tasks for Efficiency

• Group Tasks by Theme: Bundle similar tasks – emails, admin, meetings – into specific time blocks. This prevents task-switching fatigue and increases focus.

• Use Time Blocks in Your Calendar: For example, allocate 9-11 AM on Mondays for emails and catch-ups, 2-4 PM on Wednesdays for deep work, and so on.

💡 Quick Win: Turn notifications off during these time blocks. Consider setting an autoresponder during focused work periods to minimise interruptions.

Step 3: Automate Your Low-Value Tasks

• Identify Low-Impact Tasks: Are there regular admin tasks, data entries, or status updates you handle that can be automated?

• Set Up Automations: Use tools like Make or Pipedrive to automate these. For instance, automate data transfer between tools or use task reminders for team updates.

💡 Automation in Action: Set up an automated task in your CRM to track client follow-ups, so nothing falls through the cracks without manually checking.

Step 4: Establish a 15-Minute Daily Review

• Check Your Daily Progress: Each day, spend 15 minutes to review your progress on the week’s priorities.

• Make Adjustments in Real-Time: If a task took longer than expected, adjust timelines or reassign where possible.

💡 Productivity Hack: Use this review to clear out distractions, delegate tasks, and focus on your top three priorities for the next day.

Step 5: End-of-Week Reflection and Adjustment

• Allocate 15 Minutes on Friday: Check off completed tasks, review what didn’t get done, and ask why. Was it essential? Could it be automated or reassigned?

• Adjust Your System as Needed: Identify bottlenecks or distractions, and make tweaks to the workflow for next week.

⚡ QUICK WIN OF THE WEEK: The "Two-Minute Close-Out"

Before you close your laptop each day, do this:

• Tick off completed tasks.

• Flag unfinished ones for tomorrow.

• Organise your workspace.

Why This Works: Finishing with a clean slate each day prevents task carryover and primes you for success the next morning.

By setting up a workflow that prioritises automation, batching, and clear weekly planning, you’ll find yourself saving hours each week. Those hours can quickly add up to a full extra day – ready to be invested in what matters most to you.

Here's to turning your 7 days into 8,

Hina