A Cyclone Is Unpredictable…. But Your Week Shouldn’t Be
Right now in Brisbane, the rain is hammering down, the wind is howling, and the streets are flooding thanks to Cyclone Alfred. But inside, we’re calm. We prepared days in advance—making sure we had food, water, batteries, and all the essentials ready. We hoped for the best but planned for the worst.
This got me thinking…
Life works the same way.
How often do we step into a new week without a plan, hoping everything falls into place? Before we know it, we’re caught in the storm—meetings, deadlines, commitments, and unexpected challenges—scrambling to keep up, feeling stressed, reactive, and exhausted.
But when we take the time to prepare, everything changes.
The Science of Planning: Why It Works
Planning isn’t just about making to-do lists—it’s a powerful psychological tool. Neuroscience shows that when we create a plan, our brain releases dopamine—the “anticipation” neurotransmitter. This gives us a sense of motivation and clarity before we even start.
Dr. Edwin Locke’s Goal-Setting Theory tells us that people who set clear, structured goals are significantly more likely to achieve them than those who don’t. Why? Because goals give our brain a mental GPS—helping us filter out distractions and take aligned action.
Similarly, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) teaches us that the way we structure our time and thoughts influences our results. When we organize our week in advance, we prime our subconscious mind to focus on solutions instead of chaos.
In other words… when you plan ahead, you create certainty in an uncertain world.
How Martin and I Plan Our Week for Maximum Productivity & Balance
Every Sunday, we sit down with our Performance Planner & 12-Week Planner to map out our week ahead. Here’s how we do it:
Step 1: Identify Priorities (What Actually Matters?)
Before we even look at tasks, we define our non-negotiables.
What do we need to accomplish this week?
What aligns with our values and long-term goals?
What’s urgent vs. what’s important?
We don’t let distractions dictate our focus—we choose our direction first.
Step 2: Lock in Commitments
Once we’ve set our focus, we schedule the key things first:
✅ Training, recovery, and well-being activities.
✅ Business and work commitments.
✅ Family time and personal priorities.
We treat these like unbreakable appointments because if they aren’t scheduled, they don’t happen.
Step 3: Break Down Big Goals into Small Actions
One of the biggest mistakes people make is writing vague, overwhelming goals like:
❌ "Work on business"
❌ "Get fit"
❌ "Improve finances"
Instead, we break everything down into specific, actionable steps:
✅ “Create content for Monday and schedule posts for the week.”
✅ “Strength train 3x and get 7 hours of sleep each night.”
✅ “Review budget and automate savings on Thursday night.”
When we do this, we remove decision fatigue—we don’t waste time wondering what to do next.
Step 4: Weekly Check-In & Adjustments
A plan is not set in stone—it’s a guide. Every few days, we check in:
Are we on track?
Do we need to adjust anything?
What’s working? What’s not?
Flexibility is key. Life throws curveballs, but having a plan means you can pivot without losing momentum.
Step 5: End-of-Week Reflection & Reset
Every Sunday, we take 5-10 minutes to reflect:
✨ What did we accomplish?
✨ What challenges did we face, and how did we handle them?
✨ What can we improve for next week?
This reflection process rewires our brain for growth. Studies show that reflecting on progress increases motivation, resilience, and problem-solving ability
Why the Right Planning Tools Matter
We’ve tried every method under the sun—from digital planners to apps—but nothing beats writing things down.
Research from Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University found that people who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them.
That’s why our Performance Planner & 12-Week Udated Planner are designed to:
📌 Keep your goals aligned with your values.
📌 Help you track daily habits and non-negotiables.
📌 Review & refine your progress every week.
📌 Keep everything in one place so you don’t feel scattered.
When you have the right system, you eliminate overwhelm and create space for the things that matter most.
With love,
Michelle xo
Personalised 2025 Performance Planner and 12 Week Undated Planner in Stone