The Integrated Week
- Lora Crestan
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Stop Fitting Life Around Work (and Start Doing the Opposite)
Most of us build our week around work and try to squeeze in life where we can. We tell ourselves we’ll make time for what matters, but let’s be honest: when time isn’t protected, it disappears.
Let’s flip the script.
The Default Week vs. The Integrated Week
The Default Week looks like this:
Work meetings and deadlines go on the calendar first
Family, health, and rest fight for leftover scraps
Boundaries are porous (and usually ignored)
The Integrated Week starts with:
Non-negotiables like movement, family time, and rest
Energy-aware scheduling that puts focus work during your peak times
Boundaries that are clear and enforced
This isn’t about working less. It’s about working differently so your work supports your life, instead of swallowing it.
My Wake-Up Moment
I was about to text my son to reschedule our lunch, AGAIN, for a client call. But mid-text, I stopped. I realized I was sending him a clear message: that work mattered more than time with him.
That moment snapped me out of autopilot. I started designing a new kind of week. One where I protect time for what matters first, and let work fill in the rest.
How to Start Your Integrated Week
Identify your non-negotiables: What gives you energy? What relationships or practices make life feel whole?
Map your energy, not just your hours. Track when you feel focused, creative, depleted. Schedule accordingly.
Build your week from those two things. Start with life priorities and match them to your best energy. THEN fit in work.
Communicate your boundaries. Protect your time like you’d protect your biggest client.
Recalibrate quarterly Life changes. Your week should too.
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