Carolina de Arriba

So I choose to design them differently.

On Mondays, I like to start at a slower pace.

Starting my day with planning and strategy and big picture thinking.

I don't schedule my hardest meetings on Monday morning.

I use Mondays to ramp up, to get oriented and organized and to set the tone for the week.

Here's the thing, no matter what happens the rest of the week, how crazy my schedule gets, if I get something important done on Monday morning, then I'm already winning my week.

Fridays, on the other hand, for me are more about execution and wrapping up and admin work and more lighter meetings.

I don't schedule intense deep work or difficult conversations on Friday afternoons.

I usually use my Friday afternoons to close loops, to tie loose ends, to wind down, to check in with my team, and to invest time in my app skilling and learning.

Because when you work with your natural weekly rhythms instead of against them, everything starts to flow better.

Rule number six, know your energy drains.

For me, the fastest drainers are back-to-back meetings, especially virtual, which is my reality these days.

Emotionally heavy conversations without recovery time.

Days with no movement.

and origin tasks that aren't actually mine, but are other people's fires that I get pulled into.

Once you know what drains you, you can design against it.

Maybe for you, what drains you is detail analytical work for hours or a large group meeting or administrative task or creative work without structure.

There are no judgment here, just awareness.

And once you have that awareness, you can make better choices.

Your move this week, if you're looking to tackle this one, is track your week.