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The Friday Power Hour: How 60 Minutes of Planning Unlocked My Four-Hour Freedom

Simon Theakston
The Startup
Published in
4 min readJan 24, 2025

You need to slow down,” the doctor said, looking at my brain scan. At 44, I’d just had a stroke that would forever change how I viewed productivity.

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

That moment forced me to confront an uncomfortable truth: I was working harder, not smarter, and it nearly cost me everything.

Today, I run my entire business in just four hours a day. The secret is one focused hour every Friday that saves me from the 40+ hour chaos that nearly broke me.

Here’s the system that not only saved my sanity but helped me build Four Hour Freedom, a framework that’s helped me reclaim my time and work alongside my recuperation.

Why Friday?

I picked Friday for a reason. My brain feels sharp after the week’s experiences, but I’m relaxed enough to think beyond urgent tasks. Microsoft’s research backs this up — most of us do our best strategic thinking when workplace pressure drops.

My hour breaks into four 15-minute blocks. Each one serves a specific purpose.

Here’s exactly what I do in each block, and why it works.

Block 1: Reset (15 minutes)

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The Startup
The Startup

Published in The Startup

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Simon Theakston
Simon Theakston

Written by Simon Theakston

Tech Co-Founder who had a stroke & lost my job. Built my own thing in 4hrs a day. Deep dive into systems and processes at: https://fourhourfreedom.substack.com

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