ROPHO – Life, Balance & Doing Our Best with What We’ve Got 

I’ll start with a confession, I love the idea of a weekly plan, I like writing one, I like how organised it makes me feel. 

I am also very good at not sticking to it. 

If you’ve ever created a beautifully structured week, only to abandon it by Tuesday lunchtime, you’re in good company. 

Why weekly plans so often fail (especially later in life) 

Weekly plans usually fail for one simple reason: 

They assume life will behave itself. 

At this stage of life, it rarely does. 

Energy changes, appointments appear, family needs time, health has a say, motivation comes and goes. 

So instead of scrapping planning altogether, I’m trying something different for 2026. 

Not a rigid plan. 
A framework. 

From “perfect week” to “good enough week” 

My old weekly plans looked something like this: 

• Work blocks perfectly aligned 

• Exercise every other day 

• Time set aside for creativity 

• Social time clearly defined 

• Rest scheduled (but usually ignored) 

On paper, it was ideal. 

In reality, it was exhausting, and quietly disappointing when I didn’t follow it. 

So, I’m rebuilding my weekly plan with one guiding principle: 

Support life don’t fight it. 

The new approach: gentle structure, flexible reality 

Here’s what I’m working towards for 2026 — not as rules, but as intentions. 

📅 A Simple Weekly Template 

Not hour-by-hour. 
Just broad blocks. 

Morning / Afternoon / Evening 
That’s often enough. 

The goal isn’t precision, it’s awareness. 

❤️ Relationship & Family Time 

If it’s not lightly protected, it gets squeezed out. 

That doesn’t mean formal “appointments”, but: 

• shared meals 

• walks 

• conversations without distraction 

• being present, not just nearby 

🏃 Movement & Health 

Not “training plans”. 
Not targets. 

Just regular movement: 

• walking 

• light resistance 

• stretching 

• fresh air 

Enough to keep energy, strength, and confidence ticking along. 

You can adapt these depending on your fitness levels and time availability etc. 

🎨 Hobbies & Creativity 

This is the one that often disappears first. 

Writing. 
Reading. 
Learning. 
Thinking. 

And yet, this is often what gives the most satisfaction. 

Even short, regular sessions count. 

💼 ROPHO / Business Time 

Treating this seriously, but not obsessively. 

Creative energy is strongest some days, weaker others. 
The plan needs to allow for both. 

Progress over pressure. 

😌 Rest, Reflection & Reset 

This is not “doing nothing”. 
It’s recovery. 

Time without input, time without productivity, time to notice how things actually feel. 

This is where balance quietly returns. 

What I’ve stopped doing 

I’ve stopped trying to plan every day perfectly. 

Instead, I’m asking one simple question each week: 

Does this week include a bit of exercise, connection, purpose, enjoyment and rest? 

If the answer is mostly yes, that’s a good week. 

A gentle reminder (for you and me) 

You don’t need: 

• a colour-coded planner 

• a life overhaul 

• a new version of yourself 

You need: 

• kindness 

• consistency 

• flexibility 

And permission to adjust as you go. 

If you’d like to try this too… 

You don’t have to copy my approach. 

But you might like to consider: 

• one anchor for health 

• one anchor for relationships 

• one anchor for enjoyment 

• one anchor for purpose 

That’s enough. 

Before the next post… 

Here are three gentle questions you might want to reflect on this week: 

🖊 What part of your week do you most look forward to, and why? 
🖊 What drains you more than it should? 
🖊 What would a “good enough” week actually look like for you? 

Not perfect. 
Just supportive. 

Coming next: 

“One Intention Per Week, Why This Works Better Than Big Goals” 

We’ll look at: 

• why small intentions stick 

• how to avoid self-criticism 

• and how consistency quietly builds confidence 

You’re not alone in balancing work, life, love, health, purpose and time. 

Most of us in our sixties are still figuring it out. 

And that’s not failure, that’s life. 

We figure it out together. 

Below a snippet of the template I’ve created if you would like to give it a try subscribe and I will send you a PDF copy 

SIMPLE WEEKLY LIFE BALANCE TEMPLATE 

(Google Docs friendly / printable / calm) 

How to use this template (very important) 

This is not a timetable. 
It’s a framework, something to support life, not control it. 

Fill it in lightly. Pencil mentality. 

MY WEEK AT A GLANCE 

Week of: ___________________________ 

One word I’d like this week to feel like: ___________________________ 

❤️ RELATIONSHIPS & CONNECTION 

(family, partner, friends, community) 

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🏃 HEALTH & MOVEMENT 

(walks, exercise, appointments, rest) 

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🎨 HOBBIES, CREATIVITY & CURIOSITY 

(writing, reading, learning, thinking) 

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💼 WORK / PROJECTS / PURPOSE 

(                          , paid work, volunteering, contribution) 

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