Ep 141: How I Structure My 3-Day Workweek for Optimal Growth and Work-Life Balance
Episode Summary
Are you curious about what a 3-day workweek might look like IRL?
This episode will walk you through how I’ve prioritized freedom, flexibility, and intentional strategy to scale my business without overwork and without sacrificing income so that you can do the same
In this episode, you will:
Discover the exact workweek structure that allows me to scale my business while maintaining flexibility, so you can see how to apply it to your own life.
Learn why simplifying decisions—everything from breakfast to business strategy—can unlock more creativity, productivity, and ease in your workweek.
Find out my biggest challenge in maintaining a 3-day workweek and how I navigate it—because knowing what to expect makes all the difference.
If you’re ready to create a high-impact business while working smarter (not harder), hit play now and start designing a workweek that actually fits your life!
Episodes mentioned:
Ep 71: How I Structure My 33-Hour Workweek
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This podcast dives into the challenges of leadership, decision making, and delegation, helping women business owners and mompreneurs overcome overwhelm, decision fatigue, and the guilt of working less. Learn to build powerful habits, embrace smarter working, and master time management by streamlining tasks, implementing business systems, and even prioritising self-care. We explore efficiency, productivity, and automation to create passive income, reduce overworking, and finally take time off—without the fear or shame. Say goodbye to imposter syndrome and people pleasing while running a small business: It's time to shift your mindset, reclaim your work-life balance, and thrive!
Full Episode Transcript:
Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] Today, I'm giving you an inside look at how I structure my three-day work week for both success and balance. So you can start designing a business that works for you instead of the other way around. Welcome to the show that helps women entrepreneurs run profitable, meaningful businesses in just three days a week without stress, guilt, or sacrificing growth.
I'm your host, Jenna Harrison, sharing practical strategies, mindset hacks, and even some woo to help you work smarter, lead boldly, and find true balance. Let's dive in. Welcome, welcome to the three-day workweek. The last time I did an episode on this was over a year ago, so it's definitely time for an update, especially now with the launch of our new title.
I think if I do these episodes every year or so, you'll get to see how my workweeks evolve as different priorities come into play. One of the biggest misconceptions about this approach is that it only works for certain business levels or circumstances. But hopefully, by sharing my schedule and what I see working for my clients, [00:01:00] you'll start to see how this can be possible for you, too.
Now, before we dive in, let's get one thing straight. This is not about working less just for the sake of working less. If you're looking for a shortcut to bare minimum success, this isn't for you. But if you're here because you want to create a high-impact, high-profit business while living a life that feels deeply aligned, you're in the right place.
In this episode, you will discover the exact workweek structure that allows me to scale my business while maintaining flexibility, so you can see how to apply it in your own life. And you'll learn why simplifying decisions, everything from breakfast to business strategy, can unlock more creativity, productivity, and ease in your work week.
And you'll find out my biggest challenge in maintaining a three-day work week and how I navigate it. Because knowing what to expect, it makes all the difference. Let's dive in. Let's dive in. [00:02:00] Right now, my work week is about 24 hours but spread over 4 days. People are often like, you can do that? Remember, this isn't about rigid rules.
If you haven't yet, take a listen to last week's episode. We'll link to it. The whole point of a three-day workweek is allowing yourself to believe that you can create whatever you want. If we got super strict about exactly three days or exactly 24 hours, it would totally defeat the purpose. That said, I do love an actual three-day structure because of how many days it gives your brain to decompress.
Which, actually supports business growth. For me though, I work Monday through Thursday because most of my clients and team members are in the U. S., and there's a very small window of time between when they wake up and when my son gets home from school. So, shorter, more frequent work days make more sense to me.
[00:03:00] If your business involves working with clients in different time zones or managing family responsibilities, you might find that shorter, more frequent work days work better for you too. So, here are what mine looks like, typically. About 10. 30am to 2 pm, I have focus work and communication or oversight. That adds up to about 14 hours a week.
And then from 3 to 5pm, I usually have client calls and meetings. That's about 8 hours per week. Plus, I have two floating hours for flexibility. Now, typically, I work Monday through Thursday, but it's so flexible. If we want to go on a hike on a Wednesday or there's a school event on Thursday, no problem, I'll work on Friday instead.
The key is to establish a structure first so you can be intentionally flexible. I have a rough routine throughout the week. On Mondays, I check in with and I respond to private and mastermind clients on WhatsApp. [00:04:00] I review podcast materials before they're posted. And then I either calendar in my week or I work on a growth initiative with my freshest grain.
Then I have, in the afternoon, about two to three calls. On Tuesdays, I have an open morning and then in the afternoon, I have some calls with clients or team members. On Wednesdays, I write my podcast in the morning and take afternoon calls. You're seeing a trend here with my afternoons, right? And then on Thursdays, I record my podcast, I interact with clients on WhatsApp again, and then I take additional calls.
Now throughout the rest of the week, I fill in the remaining time with things like working with my coach or handling finances or reviewing social media content, writing newsletters and doing that strategic CEO time thinking about client delivery or improvements and future initiatives. Most recently, we've been working on the back end of the business.
We've been switching accountants, [00:05:00] bookkeepers, and my entire bookkeeping system. So, all that hiring and onboarding has required my personal involvement. PSA, do not use 1 800 ACCOUNTANT. They are not just the worst accounting, bookkeeping, or payroll company I've ever worked with. They're the worst company I've ever worked with, period.
If you're curious I can share more about my experiences in a future episode, just let me know. Ask me questions about anything in my work week, please. I'm happy to get more detailed or share more of my way of thinking about any of this. I've always loved picking the brains of my coaches and I want you to feel you can do the same so you can begin working differently and create your uncommonly successful business in life.
The best way to get in touch with me is just to reply to any email you receive via my email list. If you're not on the list yet, you can access that on our homepage at the uncommon way. [00:06:00] com. But in the meantime, here are some common questions I've heard in the past. 1. Do you ever work more than 24 hours?
Yes, occasionally. For example, when I was working on episode 134, which I consider to be one of my best and will link to it below so you can get to it easily, but I got so into the research that I worked way into the night. My husband slept in another room because he'd be like, hun, we should probably get to bed now.
And I just wouldn't even register that he'd said anything. The real question you want to ask yourself is, is this an anomaly or is this routine? Look, I know some people love to wear their long hours like a badge of honor. If that's your thing, go for it. But I'm here to show you another way. Because if your business requires you to work endless hours just to keep it afloat, that's not a business.
It's a trap. When I used to [00:07:00] overwork all the time, my business became bloated, my growth stalled, and I felt constantly exhausted. Now when I find myself wanting to work beyond my set schedule, I pause and I ask myself, what's really going on here? Am I being rigid about what I must accomplish this week? Am I people-pleasing?
Is there some system that I need to put into place that would make this easier in the future? Or do I just need to detox from the cortisol? That desire to work more is a good thing. It gets my brain working about how to solve for that going forward. So that I can avoid this discomfort in the future. But it doesn't mean I have to give in to the urge to actually work more.
Because like I said, I know that leads to bloat and slower growth and exhaustion. And I wouldn't be able to tap into my greatest creative capacity. I'd be working for my business instead of my business working for me. Many entrepreneurs say [00:08:00] they want freedom, but most aren't willing to make the decisions that truly create it.
If you're past the point of telling yourself that next year you'll finally do things differently, And you're ready to align and simplify your business, rewire your brain without guilt, and actually claim the freedom you started this for, all while scaling your business? I'll show you how to do it inside the Clarity Accelerator Mastermind.
Okay, here's another. Why do you prioritize doing a podcast? I like having one long-form content channel that can be repurposed. This is something I set up in the early days of my business when I only had a few hours a day to work as I was taking care of my newborn. Back then it was Facebook Lives, not a podcast, but it's the same idea.
And I'm not saying that every coach needs long form content, by the way. You get to do business in a way that aligns with you. The real work is expanding your mind to see how you can make your chosen strategy work with a minimal time input. [00:09:00] I love how creating a weekly podcast expands my thinking and deepens my intellectual property.
Of course, my brain tries to tell me to skip it when it feels hard, or to change strategies altogether because this other one would be easier, or, you know, it'll slip in some negative judgments about myself. But learning to move through those moments and build emotional tolerance is key to successful entrepreneurship.
Because no matter how big you grow, that brain will still be in your head there doing brain things. Number three, do you still eat the same breakfast every day? I get lots of comments about this still, because in my last episode, I mentioned how I eat the same breakfast every day to help minimize decision fatigue.
So yes, that's still true on work days. Every day, people come to me for decisions. My son is wondering if he can have ice cream today, a contractor bringing me a problem and how do we want to proceed, [00:10:00] or I'm deciding how to help a particular client integrate a concept, or there's an immigration lawyer asking which avenue we want to pursue.
By simplifying and creating routines, I conserve brain power and then don't feel like those decisions are so taxing. Right now, my go-to is avocado toast with hard-boiled egg slices on German whole-grain sourdough bread with lots of olive oil. I have the avocado already mashed up in the fridge, so I just toast the bread, array some egg slices, and I'm good.
I also still simplify my wardrobe, and I mostly wear black in winter or one pieces in the summer, so I don't have to think about what to put on or how to mix and match things. I wear tinted sunscreen and mascara only, and I do my hair once or twice a week. Number four, what is your biggest challenge in maintaining a three-day work week?
Honestly, wanting to do too much. I have [00:11:00] so many growth initiatives that I would love to tackle, and pacing myself is a constant practice. Right now, for example, my focus is on streamlining our accounting and creating a refined podcast pitching system. I'd love to be in a learning phase to improve my group facilitation skills, but I'm making that a Q3 initiative.
In Q2, we'll release some fun new little offers and we'll hold another scholarship round, but mostly I'm allowing for a very relaxed July and August. By then, we'll be fully installed in our new house, our final visa application will be submitted, and it'll be nice to give myself some relaxation and family time after what has been a very chaotic challenging year.
So I'm always thinking ahead, like, what's Q2? What's Q3? And by limiting myself to just a couple of new initiatives at a time, I do my best work and I keep my schedule sustainable. The secret [00:12:00] to sustainable success isn't doing more, it's making smarter decisions about what actually moves the needle.
Number 5. You seem so calm. How do you stay that way? It's a mix of nature and nurture. I grew up on the west coast of the U. S., where a more relaxed culture is common. But I used to be very stressed, constantly overthinking, constantly pushing myself. What changed was learning tools to rewire my brain. And I didn't get those until I was in my 40s, after starting this business.
So if you struggle with stress, know that it's absolutely possible to shift your mindset and let go of the guilt around working less. That's what this podcast is all about. So now I'd love to hear from you. What's one question you have for me or one thing that might make it difficult for you to create a three-day workweek?
Reply to any of my emails and let me know, and I might address it in a future episode. [00:13:00] Here are some final takeaways. Your workweek should be designed to support your business and life, not the other way around. The key is setting up a structure that gives you both flexibility and focus so you can create a rhythm that allows for growth without overwork.
Pacing yourself in business is a power move, not a limitation. The more intentional you are, the bigger the results. When you do this, you open up new possibilities, not just for your business, but for your life as a whole. Because training your mind to think uncommonly unlocks a whole new level of impact and possibility.
Okay, my friend. Let's talk again on Tuesday.
Thanks for joining us here at this uncommon way. If you want more tips and resources for developing clarity in your business and life, including the clarity first strategy for growing and scaling your business, [00:14:00] visit the uncommon way. com. See you next time.
