Minimum Viable Week (MVW): Build a floor you can stand on
Some weeks things move easily. Others… they don’t. When life gets loud, most of us try to add more control: longer lists, stricter routines, bigger promises. It rarely works. What does help is a floor — a few tiny, reliable actions that hold you up when plans fall apart. That’s your Minimum Viable Week.
What MVW is (and isn’t)
MVW is the smallest set of actions that keeps you steady. It’s not a perfect routine. It’s a compassionate baseline. When energy dips, you do the floor — and you release the guilt.
This idea mirrors the Agile principle of delivering the simplest viable version of a product or plan, the minimum viable product (MVP) that maximises impact and learning with the least amount of effort.
Why it works
Reduces decision fatigue: fewer “what now?” moments.
Protects self-trust: you keep small promises, even in messy weeks.
Supports your nervous system: tiny, predictable cues signal safety and calm.
Improves consistency: small actions done often beat big actions done rarely.
Build yours in five steps
1) Name your season
Are you growing, maintaining, transitioning, or recovering?
Your season sets your pace.
2) Choose 3–5 anchors.
Think: one body, one mind, one planning anchor — plus rest.
Examples: a 10-minute walk, one-line daily plan, 11 PM lights out, Friday 15-minute weekly review.
3) Make them tiny & specific.
“After coffee → write one line in my plan.”
“After lunch → 10-minute walk outside.”
“Before bed → phone out of the bedroom.”
4) Add if–then fallbacks.
“If I miss a day, I’ll do the smallest version tomorrow.”
“If the week goes sideways, I keep two anchors only.”
5) Put it where you’ll see it.
Sticky note on your desk, phone lock screen, or a small box in your planner titled MVW.
Common mistakes
Choosing too many anchors. Start with three.
Making them too big. If it takes willpower, make it smaller.
Treating MVW like a performance. It’s scaffolding, not a test.
Review weekly (10 minutes)
On Friday, ask:
What do I keep?
What do I tweak?
What do I drop?
Progress is keeping the floor steady, not climbing a ladder every week.
Try this today
Write down your three anchors. Put them somewhere visible. Do just one, once. That’s a win.
Want more?
If you’d like a printable one-pager to guide this,
join my newsletter Mind the Mess — subscribers get the free worksheet in September.
(This tool is part of my new Tool Library: calm, evidence-informed tools you can use today.)
HEY, I’M JO
I’m Jo, a consultant and coach with 20+ years in tech.
I work with people who want to build lives and work environments they actually believe in.
I believe the systems we build shape the world we live in, so my work focuses on intentional design, creating system that work for people:
Delivery systems that create predictability without micromanagement or heroics
Rhythms and habits for navigating life
Work and life that are sustainable, not just survivable
My background spans coaching, systems thinking, and years of observing the same pattern: people blame themselves for struggles that are often created by the environments they’re living in.
This work is about taking responsibility for how we live, while also questioning the defaults we’ve inherited.
Choosing deliberately how we participate in it.
Here you’ll find small tools you can use today, plus a few deeper dives. If you want guidance in diving deeper, have a look around the website and see what speaks to you.
THE TRAVELLING COACH
Sarah Will
C/ Jose Manaut Viglietti 3
46024 Valencia
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