Use the Weekly Preview and a Daily Big 3 to land your planes

Pilots land one plane at a time. You can’t drop four onto the same runway. The Weekly Preview helps you space arrivals. On Sunday night or Monday morning, you look back for wins, forward for deadlines, and then you choose the three outcomes that will make the week a success. You block time for them before the week fills itself. Each morning, you pick three tasks that would make today a win. The rest goes to a holding pattern.

A customer success lead tried it. On Monday, she named three outcomes and blocked time. Tuesday morning, she picked her Daily Big 3: finalize a renewal plan, send two escalations updates, and draft a playbook page. By lunch, two planes were down. A surprise meeting popped up. She protected one block and rescheduled another instead of sacrificing everything. That night, she didn’t check email in bed.

The list will always be longer than the day. That’s why you pick three. It forces trade‑offs while you still have a choice. It also builds momentum. When you end a day with your Big 3 done, you feel like a winner and act like one tomorrow. Small wins stack. Weeks change shape.

Cognitively, this is the 80/20 rule in action. A few tasks drive most results. Pre‑committing to them reduces decision fatigue and protects focus. Reviewing wins triggers positive emotion that fuels motivation. And time blocking ensures your calendar reflects your priorities, not just other people’s urgency.

Set a 20‑minute Weekly Preview slot for Friday afternoon or Sunday evening to list your wins, review goals and deadlines, and select your Weekly Big 3 with calendar blocks. Each morning, scan your plan and pick a Daily Big 3 that, if finished, would make the day a true win, then let the rest wait. When surprises hit, protect at least one Big 3 block and reschedule the others with intention. Try one full cycle this week and watch your stress drop.