10 Things to Do at a Startup Every Wednesday
Mondays are for renewal and Fridays are for closing strong. They are the most important two days of the workweek. But then there is Wednesday, and it is no slouch sitting in between. Wednesday is for redemption because the week just got going — but the end is in sight. And if you are a middle child, you might say that it is the glue that keeps everything together.
If you are like me and looking ahead is everything, sometimes it’s tough to get through what you want to achieve during the week. Wednesdays can help. They are the day when the reality of the week smacks you in the face and you have a chance to reconsider whether you are working on what really matters.
I was reminded of the importance of Wednesday last week while out to dinner with my brother and a few friends. One friend, referred to being happy to get over “hump day” and another friend who is an ER doctor looked at him with the strain of confusion on his face.
He had never heard the phrase, because the workweek takes no special form when you work in the ER. It all runs together. But for those of us who sit at a desk or work a standard M-F, it’s the peak of our days.
I love the “wake up” call that every Wednesday brings. The promise of the week is still fresh and my list of to-dos is less than halfway finished. You set a plan on Monday, start working through the tasks with vigor, and pick up your head on Wednesday to make sure you are on track. Our team at Aha! is working at peak velocity because aggressive goals are to be met before the week runs away.
I have not shared my own approach to how I manage Wednesdays until now. I can tell you that it’s a day that’s part Monday and part Friday. It benefits from clear planning early in the week and a healthy respect for failing to get work done by sundown on Friday.
Here are the 10 things that I try to do every Wednesday. I know that I will be behind on Wednesday no matter what, and this approach has always helped me catch back up.
Get 7.5 hours of sleep on Tuesday night (because I know the next three days will be long)
Work out in the evening on Wednesday rather than the morning (so I can accomplish #1)
Go back over my to-do list for the week
Go back over the team’s to-do list for the week
Check in with my direct reports to see how they are progressing and what I can do to help
Review the business growth metrics
Meet with the Marketing team and tweak the campaigns
Meet with my co-founder and CTO to make sure we are on the same page
Set aside an hour to look out at the bigger picture
Contact at least one friend or family member to catch up
Wednesday is the most bi-polar of days, and I can respect that. It’s a bit like lunchtime, caught between the crisp air of the morning and the shadows of dusk. Time is still left for redemption.
Even when the week has gotten off to a slow start or the interruptions have dominated my days, these ten actions keep me reminded of what I must get done with enough time left to triumph. They have a way of helping me shed the urgent but unimportant requests because I know time is still my friend even if it is fleeting.
Do you have any tricks for Wednesdays? Leave a comment below.
