Align weekly actions with your life goals
Frank Baxter, a former CEO and ambassador, used to let urgent requests hijack his calendar until weekends blurred into catch-up sessions. He adopted Stephen Covey’s “first things first” approach by listing his roles—board president, father, runner—and setting weekly targets for each.
On Sunday evenings, he blocked three slots: a two-hour strategy meeting with his team, a daddy-daughter baking session, and a solo 5 K run at dawn. He treated them like board meetings: immovable, clearly titled, and nonnegotiable. His assistant even added reminders to give the slots gravitas.
The result was dramatic. His project approvals stayed on track, his daughter felt prioritized, and his energy soared as he stuck to morning runs. Colleagues noticed he never canceled these slots, which boosted his credibility and focus.
This practice reflects modern goal-setting theory: aligning time blocks to roles ensures balanced progress. With your calendar reflecting core priorities, you reduce context switching, increase willpower efficiency, and ensure every week moves you closer to annual aspirations.
Follow Baxter’s lead by listing your key roles and drafting two to three weekly goals for each, then block precise time slots in your calendar as firm commitments. Treat them like professional appointments, and on Monday morning, review your plan to guard against distractions. This structure ensures balanced progress across life’s domains. Try it this Sunday evening.
What You'll Achieve
You’ll gain clarity on role-based priorities and strengthen self-regulation, improving focus. Externally, your week will reflect balanced progress in career, relationships, and personal health, reducing stress and scatter.
Plan your week around top roles
Define your major roles
List three main identities you play—such as professional, parent, and self-care advocate—in a column on paper.
Set 2–3 goals per role
Next to each role, write down two or three concrete outcomes for the coming week—for instance, finish a project proposal, have a date night, or run three times.
Block time in your calendar
Schedule specific slots for each goal before any other appointments, writing them in as if they’re meetings.
Review on Monday morning
On Monday, glance at the blocked slots to remind yourself of your priorities and resist schedule drift.
Reflection Questions
- What three roles define your life right now?
- Which goals for each role are most urgent?
- How can you treat personal goals with the same respect as work meetings?
- What will you do if an urgent task clashes with a blocked slot?
Personalization Tips
- A startup founder blocks Tuesday morning to pitch investors, Wednesday evening for family dinner, and Thursday run before dawn.
- A grad student schedules Monday and Wednesday research writing sessions, Tuesday tutoring, and Friday yoga class.
- A small-business owner sets aside Sunday afternoon to plan her marketing goals, then Monday 8 a.m. for a family walk.
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