How I Actually Run My Week

What I often get asked isn’t about tools at all. It’s:

“What does your day actually look like?" or “How much time do you spend on X?” or "How do you decide what to do?"

So,  few weeks ago, I shared my solopreneur tech-stack — all the online tools I use to keep my business running and make my life easier. 

Now, you'll get Part 2, a peek into how I structure my days, what keeps me moving, and the reality behind the polished side of running a business.

Starting my day

I wake up (by alarm) between 5:45 and 6:00. I do hit snooze at least once. I'll have a coffee, snack, maybe do some Dutch flashcards, and then workout.

This year I’ve been struggling with fatigue, so I asked myself what was different when I had more energy. Two things stood out: 

1. I worked out consistently in the mornings (I love early mornings).
2. I wasn’t addicted or didn't have a smartphone.

I’m still working on the phone addiction, but getting back into a morning workout routine has been huge for my energy and mental health. Hopefully it's a new normal.

By 8:45 or 9:00, I’ve taken a kid to school, said goodbye to the other one, gotten dressed, and walked the dog. That’s when I sit down with coffee number two and some breakfast.

Daily Planning: Zooming out before I zoom in

While I eat breakfast (or right after), I map out my day. If my husband is awake, we’ll usually have a quick chat first — I’m on morning duty, he’s on evenings so he sleeps in.

If you’ve been here a while, you know I love (am obsessed with?) the quarterly planner from Intelligent Change. Every Monday, I spend about 20 minutes mapping out the week and highlighting the most important tasks.

Each day, I pull from that weekly list and outline my top priorities. Without that step, I’d just start working on the first thing that came to mind and a few hours later realize I forgot something important.

I also make sure to outline when I’m doing what. When I have a client deliverable due, I block time for it in my calendar. My Google Calendar has everything in it — need to make a cake for a kid’s birthday? Time blocked. Developing a new free worksheet or updating my course? Time blocked. Call the doctor? Time blocked. Otherwise, my hyperfocus takes over and it just doesn’t happen.

Weekly rhythm 

I don’t have strict theme days, but weekly patterns do give me structure and routine.

Mondays are slower for clients, so they’re typically my planning and marketing day. I review my marketing plan in Notion, block time in my calendar, and usually tackle:

• Filming and editing (using the edits app or descript)
• Canva design for carousels or posts
• LinkedIn and Instagram posting and scheduling
• Writing and uploading my Tuesday email (always the top priority if time runs short)

I also spend time browsing my Feedly and various news sites for recommendations to share in that Tuesday email. And Mondays usually include a meeting with my VA (hi Amy!), who keeps me on track with Dutch taxes and healthcare reimbursements. Honestly, she pays for herself just by making sure those things actually get filed.

Tuesdays are typically split between client work and my check-in with my marketing collaborator. Client work usually means one to three calls, plus follow-up. I try to make three my max — more than that and I know I won’t show up as well. Calendly auto-blocks a 15-minute buffer before each call, and I use it to prepare and ground myself.

The marketing check-in is where we review the plan, see what’s working (and what isn’t), and map out webinars or campaigns. I spend a little time beforehand gathering notes and my thoughts.

Wednesdays often include a dedicated block for writing my Thursday newsletter. Sometimes it takes hours — the one I wrote last week took many, many hours, but I was so stuck in those thoughts I felt like it was the only thing I could do. I also usually have therapy every other Wednesday, which often helps bring clarity to my mind (and writing). Plus, I have my Dutch lesson on Wednesdays — which means cramming homework in somewhere too.

Thursdays and Fridays are a similar mix to Tuesdays: client work, plus anything else that still needs to get done. Fridays are a popular client day. Thursdays I block time at my coworking space — it’s always hard to get out of the house, but I feel better after. It’s also a great way to meet other small business owners locally. This week, I’m trading time with someone who does sound baths.

Daily constants that keep me grounded

Every day, I make sure I’ve responded to all client questions in WhatsApp or email within 24 hours. I'll do it on the spot if it's quick. If a reply will take longer, I time-block it on my calendar. Sometimes it’s a short thought or voice memo, sometimes it’s reviewing a draft or providing guidance, and sometimes it’s a coaching question to get them unstuck.

If I don't have afternoon childcare, I say hi and help with snacks for my kids sometime between 2:30 and 3:30, depending when I’m on a call. Around 5pm a few days a week, I help my oldest get off to water polo practice.

Also smattered in here is the admin that adds up to 1–5 hours a week: kids’ appointments (this week we had beginning-of-year school meetings for both kids), coordinating playdates and hangouts, and handling financials and admin like end-of-month bookkeeping.

Evenings = winding down

By 6 or 6:30, work is done and it’s family time. My husband has made dinner and we all eat together. Around 7, we’ll watch the kids’ news, and then I usually disappear upstairs.

My phone switches to grayscale, Do Not Disturb goes on, and I aim to be asleep by 9:30 or 10. Getting my phone out of the bedroom and reading instead of scrolling is still a challenge, but that's for another day.

Some weeks if I have a lot of client work or have fallen behind, I'll work after dinner. But I prefer to get up earlier and do that work than do it at night. 

How I deal with bad days

Not every week looks like this. Some weeks, like last week, I end up only doing the bare minimum. For me, that means showing up for my clients and getting at least one email out the door. 

I get frustrated with myself on days — or multiple days — when it’s hard to motivate. When that happens, I try to remember two things:

• I don’t have to do everything. My bare minimum is enough. Client delivery comes first. The rest can wait.
• Bad days happen, and they don’t mean I’m failing. These weeks are just part of the entrepreneurial rollercoaster.

One trick that helps me shift into work mode is looking for connection. If I have a client question, or if someone on IG, LinkedIn, or Reddit needs support, that gives me energy to keep going. So I’ll look for that first.

If that’s still not enough, I’ll step away — close the laptop and come back later. I’ll do some house stuff, call a friend, or go for a walk. I'll remind myself that pushing through when I’m drained almost never works, so I try to give myself permission to reset instead.

Closing thoughts

No two weeks look exactly alike — some are smooth, some are messy. But having a loose rhythm, clear priorities, and a little grace for myself on the hard days keeps me moving forward.

Tell me, what’s one daily habit that keeps your business running smoothly?