On the seventh day, he dedicated time to get ahead.
Some employees find that working on Sunday to prepare for the week feels essential, or perhaps a pleasant way to be ready for the flood of emails and calls on Monday morning.
However, executive coach Shane Arthur warns that there is a cost to this approach.
“He explains that completing preparation on Sunday night makes the week run smoothly,” he advised. “But avoid that habit.”
Arthur advises his clients — business owners, CEOs, and other executives — to skip Sunday prep and instead allocate time during the workweek, ensuring work doesn’t encroach on rest and other priorities.
For certain employees, checking email over the weekend is routine. In 2025, Microsoft noted a significant increase in weekend email activity among users of its workplace platform.
Arthur urges all workers — even non‑leaders — to reserve time on Monday morning for weekly planning. Even an hour free of meetings can create a smoother week, he notes.
At week’s end, Arthur suggests setting aside Friday afternoon to reflect on the past week and prepare for the upcoming one.
His counsel opposes the prevailing hustle culture, as Silicon Valley debates “grindslop” and the pros and cons of the 996 work model, which promotes long hours and a six‑day workweek.
Arthur states that the aim is to prevent work from encroaching on the time people need for other pursuits, including downtime.
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