So last Friday was a complete mess. Seriously. Felt like I was running in circles chasing my own tail, never actually getting anything important done. You know those weeks? Decided enough was enough – needed some order, some direction.
Stumbling Upon the Guide
Honestly, was just scrolling, feeling a bit lost about next week’s mountain of stuff. Typed in something dumb like “how to not suck at planning next week”, and boom, Patrick Arundell’s Virgo Weekly thing popped up. Sounded kinda specific, figured why not give it a watch. Virgos seem to have their act together, maybe I could borrow some tips?
Actually Watching the Thing
Sat down Sunday afternoon with a giant mug of terrible instant coffee. No fancy setup, just me, my scratched-up laptop, and maybe a skeptical cat judging me. Hit play. Patrick’s got that calm, “got-this-handled” vibe, talking about the week ahead specifically for Virgos. Key things jumped out at me:
- Focus, focus, focus: He kept hammering on not scattering energy everywhere. Pick ONE big thing per day? Madness! But maybe… sensible madness?
- Routine is your rusty shovel: Doesn’t sound exciting, but he talked about anchoring your day with simple, repeatable habits. Less thinking, more doing.
- Watch those energy dips: Certain days looked tougher, mood-wise. He pointed them out. Okay, so not just me feeling weird on Tuesdays?
- Communication needs care: Warned about potential bumps talking to folks early in the week. Good to know before I accidentally bite someone’s head off.
My Messy Attempt
Grabbed the nearest wrinkled piece of paper – seriously, looked like it survived a flood – and a pen leaking weird blue ink.
- Pick that “One Thing”: Monday? Tackle the scary report. Not the whole thing. Just… start it. Tuesday? Focused meeting prep, not multitasking doom.
- “Anchor” Habits? More like rusty hooks: Wrote down “10 mins stretching + coffee BEFORE checking phone”. Sounds tiny. Is tiny. But last week, phone ate my first hour. Every. Single. Day.
- Marked Danger Zones: Circled Tuesday afternoon in scary red ink. “HIGH CHANCE OF GRUMPINESS.” Added note: “Do NOT schedule annoying meetings here. Maybe hide?”
- Communicate Later: Knew Wednesday morning needed clear talking. Planned time to actually think before replying to emails, not just firing off grumpy replies.
Didn’t build a spreadsheet. Didn’t download an app. Just chicken scratch on sad paper. The actual point was just thinking about the week before it crashed into me like a runaway train.
What Actually Happened? (So Far…)
It’s only Wednesday now. But honestly? Worlds better than last week’s chaos.
- Monday “One Thing”: The report wasn’t fun. Shocker. But because it was my ONLY goal for the morning block? I actually started it. Didn’t finish it, nope. But started! That’s a win against past-me.
- Stupid Anchor Habit: Nearly grabbed the phone Monday morning! Remembered the note. Put it down. Did some truly terrible stretching (bad back, who knew?) and drank my coffee slower. Felt… slightly less frazzled starting the day? Weird.
- Tuesday Grump Warning: Man, Patrick called it. Felt like a bear forced to wear shoes. BUT! Because I knew it might suck? I hid in a deep work hole in the afternoon. Scheduled nothing. Annoyed nobody (as far as I know). Win.
- Wednesday Talking: Took 10 mins this morning to mentally prep for a few key emails. Tried to be less… abrasive? Jury’s still out if the recipients noticed.
Look, I didn’t morph into a hyper-productive Virgo robot. Laundry pile still exists. Journaling habit lasted two days. The cat remains skeptical. BUT! Having that little framework, just thinking about the week’s shape in advance based on Patrick’s ideas? Game changer. Less chaos, slightly more control. Taking it one slightly-less-messy day at a time. Onwards!
