I’m trying to lean into the travel instead of fighting it. New cities, new clients, and a coastline when I’m lucky. The goal is a rhythm I can sustain for more than a quarter: predictable deep-work windows, one truly off evening, and a simple routine that doesn’t derail promotion momentum. I’ve picked up great, no-fluff tips here—label time in client terms, set a midweek preview, cap late nights. If you’ve reframed the Monday–Thursday loop into something energizing, what specific habits made it click and how did you keep comp reviews strong?
make the machine work for you. same hotel chain (layout familiarity = speed), same gym slot, same weds micro‑check. one late night only, and it’s scheduled. the “off” evening is sacred, not “if time.” reviews? tie your habits to outcomes in your self‑review—less rework, faster cycles, happier stakeholders. managers love that story.
also: prewire your friday morning as “IP build.” turns travel dead time into something career‑visible. that’s how you keep growth while touching the water.
tiny habit: unpack right away, shoes by door, doc open before bed. next morning just happens. feels small, big impact.
i ask for a 10‑min wed preview every week. no debate, just heads‑up. thurs is calmer now.
Sustainability hinges on consistency and visibility. Standardize your week: fixed early blocks, a recurring midweek preview to prevent Thursday thrash, and one nonnegotiable off evening. For growth, convert travel time into recognized contributions—codify a framework, draft a reusable model, or publish a short internal note monthly. Signal this cadence in check-ins and self-evaluations with concrete outcomes (reduced revisions, on-time deliverables, stakeholder quotes). Promotion committees reward repeatable systems that produce results, not heroics. Make your rhythm part of how you deliver value.
I stopped chasing “perfect” days and built a repeatable vibe: 7 a.m. deep work, Wednesday no-debate preview, Thursday fly-home deck polish. I made Fridays a mini IP sprint—literally 45 minutes. It gave me a narrative for reviews: fewer redlines, faster decisions, and a tiny asset shipped each week. That made the water days guilt-free, which oddly made me better at my job. The cadence sells itself when the outcomes show up.
Codify it: 5–6 early deep-work hours, 1 midweek preview, ≤1 late night, ≥7 hours sleep average. Track on-time deliverable ratio and weekly rework. If rework >10%, move the preview earlier; if sleep dips, cancel optional dinners. Add one 45-minute “IP block” and log artifacts. Use these metrics in your self-review to link rhythm to performance.