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Today is the last day of my quarterly Buffer Week.
That's 5 days at my desk, working 80% ON my business and 20% IN my business.
To remind you, my annual calendar is made of up:
12 Free Weeks (away from work, having holidays, adventures, experiences);
4 Buffer Weeks (80% working ON the business);
36 Focus Weeks (working 80% IN my business).
It's a formula that has been in place for almost 20 years (thank you Strategic Coach) and I remain convinced that the Free Weeks help me to maintain my personal sanity and the Buffer Weeks my professional sanity.
This week, even though I've been keeping a steady eye on inbox and task list zero, I have also had the chance to sit back and conduct a SWOT analysis of where my business stands today. Also to review my plans for the rest of this year, for 2025, and beyond.
I'll be taking that to a quarterly review meeting with my business coach Rachel Turner next week.
Even though it is Friday and my last day, I have a very big task ahead of me, taking my thoughts into reality and creating a Quarter 3 Masterclass for my clients on both Internal and Inbound Marketing.
I want to take a look at where practice marketing is today and give my clients a checklist of all the actions they must commit to as we enter our next political and economic cycle. By the end of the day my objective is the mother of all Marketing Powerpoint shows, ready for our first date of the tour in Belfast 2 weeks today.
Buffer Weeks are brilliant:
More sleep (earlier nights and no alarm calls);
More exercise (usually - I plan for extra time to ride, run and walk - this week I've been laid low by a chest infection - but it has been a good place from which to recover);
No interruptions;
No meetings;
No people;
Time to focus;
Time to think.
Ultimate benefits of a Buffer Week:
Increased wellbeing;
Better planning;
Improved confidence.
You should get your calendar out now and plan them through to the end of 2025.
Because you can.
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