How Weekly Planning Saved My Business (And My Sanity)

When I first opened my restaurant and cocktail bar, I had no real hospitality experience. I built it from scratch, one lesson at a time—usually the hard way.

And like a lot of business owners, I thought success would eventually bring a sense of control.

It didn’t.

It brought more chaos.

Shifts, rotas, emails, supplier issues, HR meetings, last-minute events—it all blurred together until I woke up every day already overwhelmed.

And every week started with the same quiet panic:

“How the hell am I going to stay on top of everything?”

For a long time, my solution was simple: work harder.

Arrive earlier. Stay later. Answer messages at midnight.

Pretend I could handle it.

But the truth was, I wasn’t handling it.

I was just reacting faster.

And it nearly broke me.

Burnout doesn’t always show up as a crash.

Sometimes it shows up slowly—through irritability, exhaustion, poor decisions, distance from the people you love.

It took a series of panic attacks (including one while driving with my wife in the car) to finally wake me up to what was happening.

Something had to change.

I couldn’t outwork the problem anymore.

I had to outstructure it.

And that’s when I discovered the real power of weekly planning.

Why Weekly Planning Was a Game-Changer

Before I started planning my weeks properly, my days were driven entirely by fires.

What’s broken? What’s urgent? Who needs me?

I was stuck in survival mode, convincing myself that was just how leadership worked.

But leadership without clarity isn’t leadership at all. It’s firefighting.

When I started introducing a Weekly Reset—just one hour to sit down, zoom out, and intentionally plan my week—it changed everything.

Not overnight. Not magically.

But enough to give me back a sense of control over my time, my focus, and my energy.

And from that place, everything else got better.

What My Weekly Planning Looked Like

It wasn’t complicated. It didn’t involve fancy planners or color-coded systems.

It looked like this:

Personal Non-Negotiables First

• Before I even touched the business side, I mapped out me:

• Morning routines.

• Gym sessions.

• Walks with my wife.

• Creative time for hobbies.

• Mental health check-ins.

Because if I didn’t schedule them first, they didn’t happen.

Top 3 Business Priorities
Not a giant to-do list.

Just the three things that would genuinely move the business forward that week.

If everything else fell away but those three things got done, it would still be a good week.

Staff and Team Checkpoints
Instead of dealing with issues reactively, I started planning check-ins with my managers, reviewing rotas, and prepping team meetings in advance.

Prevention, not constant correction.

Potential Bottlenecks or Challenges
Instead of pretending the week would be smooth, I started predicting what might go wrong:
Staff sickness, supplier issues, big bookings, personal overwhelm.

That way, I could plan around them instead of being blindsided.

Wellness Check-In
Each week, I rated my energy, stress, clarity, and connection to myself—1 to 10.

Not to be “perfect.”

Just to be honest.

If my energy dropped three weeks in a row, that was a sign—not something to bulldoze through.

The Mindset Shift

At first, weekly planning felt like another job to do.

Another thing on the never-ending list.

But very quickly, I realised:

It wasn’t another weight.

It was the thing that let me carry the weight better.

Because instead of every day being a guessing game, I knew where I was aiming.

Instead of drowning in a million urgent things, I could focus on a few important ones.

Most importantly, weekly planning gave me back something I hadn’t even realised I’d lost:

Choice.

I got to choose where my energy went.

I got to say, “This matters this week. That can wait.”

I got to lead, instead of being dragged.

Why It Matters for You

If you’re reading this, chances are you know the feeling I’m describing.

That low-level hum of anxiety, even on your days off.

That voice that says you’re never doing enough, even when you’re flat out.

Weekly planning isn’t a cure for the pressures of hospitality.

But it’s a defence.

It’s a way to stay connected to yourself while running a business that demands a lot.

It’s one of the first steps to leading with intention again—before burnout forces you to.

Want Help Getting Started?

Inside my free Skool community, I’ve uploaded the exact Weekly Reset Planner I built for myself—and now use with the owners and managers I coach.

It’s simple. It’s practical. And it’s built specifically for the chaos of hospitality life—not some corporate fantasy world.

You’ll also find:

• Burnout early warning checklists

• Leadership boundary scripts

• Personal wellness trackers

• And a group of leaders who actually understand what you’re carrying

If you’re ready to plan your week instead of being run by it—come join us.

[Join the Community Here] (Link Launching in May 2025)

You carry a lot.

You deserve the tools and support to carry it well.

You matter too. Don’t forget that.