Design Your Week Like a Pro (S4) S49:E2

This is John C. Morley, Serial Entrepreneur, Engineer, Marketing Specialist, Video Producer, Podcast Host, Coach, Graduate Student, and passionate lifelong learner, welcoming you to another powerful episode of Inspirations for Your Life—the daily show that helps you think differently, act intentionally, and become the person you were designed to be.

Tonight’s master topic for the week is “Motion Mindset: 7 Days to Build Unshakeable Momentum,” and for this Sunday episode, Season 4, Episode 49, we’re diving into “Design Your Week Like a Pro.” This is not theory; these are small, practical levers you can pull in the next 30–60 minutes to change how your entire week feels.​

Why designing the week matters Researchers have shown that people who plan the specifics of where, when, and how they’ll act are far more likely to follow through, because detailed plans turn vague wishes into concrete actions. Time blocking and deep-work scheduling don’t just organize your calendar; they protect your focus, beat distractions, and reduce the constant “what should I do next?” decision fatigue that quietly drains your energy.​

Every tip you’re about to hear is designed to reduce friction, increase clarity, and build momentum—because once you’re in motion, staying in motion takes dramatically less effort.​

The 30 micro-design moves for your week As you listen, imagine yourself actually doing these—because after this show, the challenge is to pick a handful and implement them tonight.

Pick one theme word for the week Choose a single word—like “Focus,” “Courage,” or “Finish”—that sets the tone for everything. Put it at the top of your calendar or on a sticky note where you’ll see it every day. This word becomes your mental filter: if something doesn’t support that theme, it’s easier to say no.

Choose your top three outcomes, not tasks Instead of listing 50 to-dos, ask: “By Friday, what three outcomes would make this a winning week?” Outcomes could be “launch the landing page,” “have three meaningful conversations,” or “finish chapter three.” When your brain is outcome-focused, it naturally prioritizes high-impact actions.​

Block time for your number one project Open your calendar and lock in non-negotiable time for your single most important project. Treat it like a doctor’s appointment with yourself: you don’t move it without a very good reason. Time blocking like this is one of the most reliable ways to ensure deep, meaningful progress.​

Schedule one deep-work session daily Pick your best focus time—maybe early morning or late evening—and carve out 60–90 minutes of distraction-free deep work each day. No notifications, no email, no social media. Deep work sessions are where the real breakthroughs and high-quality output happen.​

Protect one evening for recharge Choose one night this week that is a “no obligation” evening—no work, no heavy social commitments, just genuine rest. Research on weekly planning shows that routines with built-in recovery are more sustainable than rigid, grind-heavy schedules.​

Plan one fun thing midweek Don’t wait for the weekend to feel alive. Add one fun activity on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday: a walk, a favorite show, a hobby session, or coffee with a friend. Scheduled joy keeps your energy up and helps you stick with your plans longer.​

Pre-plan simple meals to reduce decision fatigue Decision fatigue is real—your brain only has so many high-quality decisions in it per day. Pre-deciding simple breakfasts, lunches, or dinners for busy days frees up mental energy for more important choices. Even having a “default meal” you repeat can make mornings and evenings far smoother.​

Lay out clothes for Monday This may sound small, but it’s an easy win against morning chaos. By choosing your Monday outfit before you sleep, you start the week with one less decision and a little more momentum. People who pre-plan outfits report feeling calmer and more focused out the door.​

Choose one habit to focus on all week Instead of trying to overhaul your life in seven days, pick one habit: maybe “10 pages of reading,” “10 minutes of movement,” or “no phone at breakfast.” Habit stacking—attaching a new habit to an existing routine—creates compounding momentum over time.​

Remove one non-essential commitment Look at your week and ask, “What can I gracefully cancel, delay, or delegate?” Momentum isn’t only about doing more; it’s about removing the drag. Freeing up even one hour can unlock time for deep work, rest, or learning.​

Plan 10 minutes of learning per day Learning keeps your brain sharp and your motivation high. Block just 10 minutes a day for reading, a course, or a podcast that makes you think bigger. Over a year, this adds up to hours of focused self-education.​

Book one connection call or coffee Momentum loves relationships. Schedule one conversation this week with someone who inspires you, chal

Episode Transcript

(00:25):
Well, hey guys, good evening and welcome to
Inspirations for Your Life.
I'm so glad that you are with me
here today on Inspirations for Your Life.
I hope you guys are having a fantastic,
well, weekend.
And again, we have a fantastic show for
you that I definitely want to get off

(00:46):
the ground and share with you guys.
It's been a very, very amazing, how can
I say, week and Thanksgiving and everything.
And if it's your first time here, I
want to say thank you for coming here.
And if you're coming back, I want to
say welcome back and thank you so much
for being here and coming back.
I really do appreciate all of you guys

(01:08):
that enjoy the content and keep wanting to
share this great information.
So thank you very much for being here,
you as well.
So if you are new or not, we
have something called BelieveMeAchieve.com.
Feel free to check that out.
And yeah, you can check out my short
-form content, my long-form content, reels, articles,

(01:31):
and much more.
So go ahead and check that out when
you get an opportunity.
If you're thirsty, feel free to get yourself
a water, a snack, a beverage, and come
on back and get comfortable and we'll start
the show.
So design your week, and your week will
design your momentum.
So this is John Seymour, a serial entrepreneur.

(01:54):
I'm an engineer, marketing specialist, video producer, podcast
host, coach, graduate student, and a passionate lifelong
learner.
And tonight on Inspirations for Your Life, we're
turning your next seven days from random to

(02:14):
intentional.
I also progress with starting to feel inevitable,
not accidental.
Why does this matter so much?
Well, people who decide in advance where, when,
and how they act are far more likely
to follow through because detailed plans turn your

(02:36):
vague wishes into concrete actions.
Your brain can execute.
And you know, time blocking and deep work
scheduling.
Don't just organize your calendar.
They protect your focus, be it distractions and
slash that constant, what should I do next,

(03:00):
decision fatigue.
Yes, you know the one.
Things that quietly drain your energy every single
day.
Every tip you're about to hear is designed
to reduce friction, increase clarity, and build momentum
because, well, once you're in motion, staying in
motion takes over.

(03:20):
It takes dramatically less effort.
I don't know if you know that.
So as you listen or watch and imagine
yourself actually doing these, because after this show,
the challenge is to pick a handful and,
well, implement these things.
I'm not saying you're going to do them
all tonight.

(03:40):
Pick one theme, a word for the week,
and choose a single word like focus, courage,
or finish.
That sets the tone for everything.
Put it at the top of your calendar
or on a sticky note where you'll see
it every day so it becomes your mental

(04:03):
filter.
If something doesn't support that theme, it's easier
to say no, right?
Choose your top three outcomes, not tasks.
Instead of listing 50 to-dos, ask by
Friday what three outcomes would make this a
winning week for me.
Outcomes could be launch the landing page, have

(04:29):
three meaningful conversations, or finish chapter three.
And when your brain is outcome-focused, it
naturally prioritizes high-impact actions.
So block time for your number one project.
Open your calendar and lock in non-negotiable

(04:51):
time for your single most important project.
Treat it like a doctor's appointment with yourself
that you don't move without a serious reason.
Because time blocking like this is one of
the most reliable ways to ensure deep, meaningful

(05:13):
progress.
Schedule one deep work session daily.
Pick your best focus time, early morning, late
evening, whenever you feel sharp.
And carve out 60 to 90 minutes of
distraction-free deep work time each day.

(05:35):
No notifications on, no emails to bother you,
no social media to scroll through.
Because deep work time is where breakthroughs and
your highest quality output actually transpire and will
happen.
Protect one evening for recharge.
Choose one night this week that is a

(05:56):
genuine, quote-unquote, no-obligation evening.
No work, no heavy social commitments, just rest
and reset.
Weekly planning research shows that routines with built
-in recovery are more sustainable and prevent burnout
for better than grind-only schedules.

(06:21):
Plan one fun thing midweek.
Don't let life happen on the weekend.
And add one fun activity on Tuesday, Wednesday,
or Thursday.
A walk, a favorite show, a hobby session,
or coffee with a friend.
Because scheduled joy keeps your energy up and

(06:45):
helps you stick with your plans longer than
you would have imagined.
Pre-plan simple meals to reduce decision fatigue.
Decision fatigue is real.
Your brain only has so many high-quality
decisions in it per day.
Pre-deciding simple things like breakfasts, lunches, or

(07:07):
dinners for busy days frees up mental energy
for more important choices.
And even, quote-unquote, a default meal can
make mornings and evenings smoother.
Lay out clothes for Monday.
By choosing your Monday outfit before you sleep,

(07:27):
you start the week with one less decision
and a little more momentum.
People who pre-plan outfits often report feeling
calmer and more focused as they head out
the door.
Choose one habit to focus on all week.

(07:48):
Instead of trying to change everything, reinventing the
wheel in seven days, pick one habit.
Ten pages of reading maybe.
Ten minutes of movement or no phone at
breakfast.
Habit stacking.
Attaching a new habit to something you already

(08:11):
do.
Creates momentum that compounds over time.
Celebrate three things you've done great today before
you go to bed.
Remove one non-essential commitment and look at
your week and ask, what can I gracefully
cancel, delay, or delegate?

(08:33):
Momentum isn't only about doing more.
It's about removing drag and freeing up even
one hour can unlock space for deep work,
rest, or learning.
Plan 10 minutes of learning per day.
Learning keeps you sharp and motivated.

(08:56):
Block just 10 minutes a day for reading
a quick course or a podcast for 30
minutes like mine.
That stretches your thinking because over a year,
this adds up to serious self-education hours.
Book one connection call or coffee schedule one

(09:17):
conversation on this week with someone who inspires
you, challenges, and helps you support your goals.
Connections often become the source of new ideas,
accountability, and opportunities you never see coming.
Set a bedtime alarm, not just a wake

(09:41):
alarm.
Most people guard their wake-up time, but
let bedtime drift.
Set an alarm that says begin shut down
because consistent sleep routines are one of the
biggest performance and productivity boosters you can give

(10:05):
yourself.
Get into that habit and you'll start to
realize your body's going to treat you better.
Decide your no-work cutoff time.
Pick a time when all work stops, no
more, just one more email.
This boundary tells your brain, your family, and

(10:25):
your calendar that your life is bigger than
your inbox.
And clear cutoffs, reduce burnout, and sharpen your
focus during work hours.
I know there may be exceptions to this,
like you're going on a trip, and you're
like, oh my gosh, I have to do
all this stuff, and I get that.
But for the 99.9% of the

(10:45):
time, you should stick to this.
Create a short morning launch routine.
Design a simple 5-10 minute routine.
Maybe drink water, stretch, say one affirmation, and
review your top three outcomes.
A consistent launch sequence signals your brain, that's

(11:08):
it, go time, and it makes starting your
day far easier than you thought ever could
be.
Create a short evening shutdown ritual.
Before bed, close your loops, review what you
did, move unfinished tasks, and jot down your
top priorities for tomorrow.

(11:31):
Now, this tiny nightly reset keeps you out
of quote-unquote mental tab overload.
And usually improves sleep quality.
I know I try to start planning my
shutdown routine, so if I want to get
to bed by 10, I'm trying to plan
my shutdown routine by 8 or 9.

(11:52):
That I'll usually be in bed by 9,
but I don't want to be out more
than 10 o'clock.
I want to be in bed and sleeping
by that time.
Set a social media time limit.
Unbounded scrolling quietly steals hours of attention.
I've mentioned this before.
Decide in advance how many minutes you'll spend

(12:13):
on social platforms each day.
And honor that limit as a commitment to
your focus and mental health.
Now, if you're doing this for business, which
is what we do, obviously you've got to
put more time into it.
But if you're just doing this for social
fun, then you've got to cut it.
One of my companies does social media, so
we're always on social media, but there's a

(12:34):
different reason we're on it.
We're on it as a business.
Put one visual reminder of your goal where
you see it.
Your environment.
And by that happening, it'll either nudge you
or, well, numb you.
Put a sticky note, printed quote, or imagine

(12:55):
putting an image tied to your main weekly
goal.
Somewhere you can't miss it.
Mirror, monitor, or the fridge.
So your intentions stay in sight and in
mind.
Decide in advance how you'll handle stress.
Stress will show up, so give yourself a

(13:16):
default response.
Now, a five-minute walk, breathing, exercise, or
even quick journaling.
Having a pre-decided pattern helps you respond
instead of reacting when pressure hits.
Write one sentence about who you're becoming.

(13:39):
Not just what you're doing, but who you're
becoming.
Like, I'm becoming someone who keeps promises to
myself.
Identity-based statements make habits stick.
Because they align behavior with your core sense
of values in yourself.

(14:01):
Choose your quote-unquote win criteria for the
week.
Finish this sentence.
This week is a win if I blank.
It's completing your three outcomes.
Protecting your energy or keeping one key habit
every day.
And clear win criteria stop you from moving

(14:23):
the goal posts.
Plan one act of kindness midweek.
Design your week to lift others, not just
yourself.
Plan one act of kindness.
A message, a small favor, or a thank
you.
Because giving boosts your own mood and reminds

(14:45):
you your momentum can impact more than your
own life.
That's an important one, guys.
But I think a lot of people, they
don't think about how they can help others.
They just think about what they can do
for themselves.
So that's selfishness, right?
And that's actually a bad thing.

(15:05):
But some people are brought up like that.
Set a small reward for Friday if you
follow your plan.
Pick a simple reward.
You'll give yourself Friday if you stick to
your design.
A dessert.
A movie.
A night.
Or extra hobby time.

(15:26):
Rewards help your brain associate planning and follow
through with something positive and enjoyable.
Prep your workspace for Monday before you wrap
up Sunday.
Reset your workspace, clear clutter, layout materials for

(15:47):
your most important project.
And leave a note telling Monday you exactly
where to start.
A ready environment lowers resistance and makes it
much easier to dive into deep work on
time.
So I use something simple where I just
write everything down on a piece of paper.

(16:07):
And I have that done the day before
so I know tomorrow what I need to
do.
What I'm adding to my sheet now is
what's a win for me this week.
When I do this, I've won this week.
Those are important things.
Decide what you will not chase this week.

(16:30):
Clarity also means limits.
Decide what you're not chasing this week.
No new side projects.
No extra committees.
No comparison scrolling.
So your real priorities actually have room to
move forward.

(16:51):
Schedule movement into the calendar motion.
Fuels mindset.
Remember that.
Add walking, stretching, or workouts into your calendar.
Like appointments.
Because movement improves mood, focus, and resilience.

(17:11):
And helps you maintain momentum even when things
get hard.
Make a later list for non-urgent ideas.
Instead of letting every new idea hijack your
plan, capture it on a later list.
This keeps your creativity alive without letting shiny

(17:35):
objects derail your focus on what matters this
week.
Share your main goal with someone supportive.
Tell one supportive person your main goal for
the week.
And ask them to check in with you.
I know you might be saying, John, I
don't know who to check in with.
If you don't know, if this is the

(17:56):
person you trust, then that's not the person
you should be checking in with.
That's just a quick two cents there.
People who choose to share specific goals and
have check-ins are more likely to follow
through than those who keep everything to themselves.

(18:17):
Commit to review your week.
Next Friday, right now, schedule a 10-minute
review next Friday.
Ask, what worked this week?
What didn't work?
What do I want to repeat or change
this week?
Weekly reflection turns experience into insight and is

(18:40):
a cornerstone of any momentum system.
So get comfortable with this.
Remember I said you got to get comfortable
being uncomfortable?
Go to sleep knowing your week is designed
not randomly.
When you've done even a handful of these
things I imagined to you and I've shared,
you can go to bed with confidence instead

(19:02):
of just hope.
You're not leaving your week to chance.
You've laid down rails so your energy and
actions flow toward the life you actually want
to build.
I think when we start to embrace our

(19:26):
life and we start to understand that we
actually have control in our life, guys.
We have a lot more control than you
probably imagined.
And I say this to you because many
people think they don't have control.
And the reason they do that is because
they get so blown out of the way.

(19:49):
They just don't know what to do.
And we've all been in those situations where
we don't know what to say or what
to do.
But the truth of the matter is you
do know what to do.
You absolutely know what to do.
And so if you know what to do,
then you've got to practice it over and

(20:09):
over again.
And when you practice it over and over
again, you know what happens?
Your body is like, oh, he knows what
he's doing.
I know.
I better pay attention.
He's got the idea.
Designing your week is important.
People say plan your week.
I like to say design your week because
designing your week is more creative.

(20:31):
Planning is like, okay, I'm going to do
this.
I'm going to get up.
Design your week is like you can kind
of like add this and add that.
And then you can review it.
When you say I'm going to plan my
week, it seems like it's very solid.
Designing says you can kind of creatively put
what you want.

(20:52):
I mean, when's the last time you planned
something in your life?
I mean, that's what I want to ask
you.
When's the last time?
Was it yesterday?
Was it last week?
Let's take Thanksgiving for a moment, okay?
How many of you had plans for Thanksgiving?
Okay, I visited family.
Maybe you guys visited family too or visited

(21:13):
friends or you did something else, right?
But what is it you did?
I think one of the most important things
is knowing that you planned.
Like when I was leaving for vacation last
Saturday, there was a lot getting put on

(21:38):
burners to complete.
The schedule seemed to get so crazy on
me, like immediately.
And I wasn't sure what to do, okay?
I know that I had to just relax.
I had to write down the important things.

(22:00):
And I crossed them off as I got
them.
And you know what?
I got through every single one.
I think there was one thing I still
had to do when I got that done
when I was at the airport.
Making time to rest is important.
Making time to meditate is important.
When you tell your body, look, enough is

(22:21):
enough, right?
Your body says, okay, all right.
You're not fooling around.
You mean business.
But too many people are like, oh, you
know what?
Oh, this is my friend.
This is my boyfriend.
This is my girlfriend.
Oh, I have to do it for this.
You can't make exceptions.
When you make exceptions, you tell the universe
and you tell your mind, you know what?

(22:42):
I'm not that important.
People are more important.
No, no.
You are important.
Respect yourself.
Yes, respect others, but respect yourself.
Because if you don't respect yourself, you know
what happens?
People walk on you.
I had this happen last week.
It was getting a little crazy.
And there was a client.

(23:03):
And I was going to a meeting outside
the office at a mutual third-party place
for kind of like an in-service.
It was a coaching.
And so I went there to basically help
the client understand some information.
And when I left, I said, okay, that
will be two hours.

(23:25):
The person says to me, I didn't realize
you were charging me for this.
And I said, well, I don't work for
free.
And sometimes you can have a communication breakdown.
Nobody is perfect.
So what I like to say is put

(23:45):
everything in writing.
If you're doing something and there's a concern
like, hey, you know, I'm meeting you tomorrow.
I just want to let you know you're
being charged for this.
I should have done that.
Things were just getting away from me so,
so quickly.
But I was able to get everything done
that I needed.
And the same thing happened with today.
So today and yesterday was so crazy when

(24:07):
I got back.
I got back.
I was baking.
But then we even had some challenges in
baking.
I love doing culinary, and I've done it
for years.
But when there's something wrong with the ingredients,
there's something wrong with the ingredients.
And at like 10 o'clock in the
night, I'm like, well, gee, why are the
cookies flat?
I'm looking at things.
I'm trying to look, everything's fresh.
I'm like, oh, the baking soda expired.
So now I make sure that I date

(24:29):
things so that doesn't happen again.
So that mishap became a lesson for me.
A very timely, expensive lesson of a few
hours.
But now I've learned that you've got to
check things and you've got to make sure
dates are correct.
Not just because you want to save a
few pennies to not throw something out.

(24:50):
When you save something and it's bad, well,
you could have a bad product.
And so I had to work double time.
Okay, no joke.
I had to work double time to redo
what I needed yesterday.
Saturday.
Because on Friday, I had all these oatmeal

(25:13):
cookies and they were all flat.
And then not only did I have to
do that, I had to then bake another
cookie yesterday.
Okay?
I baked chocolate chip yesterday.
Then I also did three batches of dough
before that and put that in the fridge
for overnight.
And so it's about planning, but it's also

(25:35):
about taking breaks.
Right?
I think these are really important things to
understand.
And hopefully, they'll mean something to you.
Hopefully.
I'm not saying they're going to mean something
immediately.
But I think when you plan something, you're
like, oh, wait a minute, I should have
done this.
Or wait a minute, I should have done
it this way.

(25:55):
When you see something on paper, it makes
it more real.
Not that you're living a phony life, but
when you put something on paper, it's like
the real deal.
When it's not on paper, it's like, well,
you know, it could happen.
It may not happen.
But when you have something signed or something
on paper, that's pretty much taken for granted.

(26:19):
Right?
It's going to happen.
Or you've got to get that done.
And I think sometimes people, they have a
tendency of adjusting their goalposts.
Not because they want to, but they feel
they have to because they haven't been living
up to the commitments that they've given themselves.

(26:42):
When you do that, you show the universe
that you are not somebody of high value.
Okay?
That's very important to realize.
Ladies and gentlemen, you have been watching or
listening to the ever-popular Inspirations for Your
Life show with myself, John C.

(27:03):
Morley.
Serial entrepreneur, engineer, marketing specialist, video producer, podcast
host, coach, graduate student, and a passionate lifelong
learner.
Guiding you through designing your week like a
pro.
As part of our master topic, Motion Mindset,

(27:25):
Seven Days to Build Unshakable Momentum.
Tonight's challenge is simple.
Don't try all 30 of these ideas tonight.
Pick five.
Implement a couple of them before you go
to sleep.
And tomorrow, live like someone whose week was

(27:48):
designed on purpose.
On design.
Because your best life doesn't happen by accident.
It happens by design.
One intentional week at a time.
When we fail to plan, we plan to
fail.
Have a great one, everyone, and be well.