HOW WILL I NOT LET THINGS SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS?
The Weekly P(R)eview.
The Weekly P(R)eview is a dedicated time slot for reflecting on the past week and preparing for the next.
Let me give you 3 reasons why weekly planning is critical for execution:
- A Weekly Preview offers an opportunity to realign yourself with your long-term aspirations. But first, let's define what we mean by "long-term." Are we referring to 3-month goals? 6-month goals? 1-year goals? 10-year goals? Once we have that clarified, we can determine how to make progress towards those goals during the upcoming week. This process helps break down the long-term vision into a short-term plan for the week ahead.
- Performing a Weekly Review helps prevent tasks from being overlooked. It allows you to review all of your incomplete tasks and set new do-dates to complete them. Sometimes, you may leave meetings with an action item but forget to write it down. Other times, you might be in the car with a peer on the way to lunch and they mention something you need to do, but you forget to write it down. These things happen frequently. The weekly review gives you a second chance to remember all the things you forgot to capture in the moment.
- The Weekly Review includes dedicating a specific time each week to evaluate and improve YOURSELF. Reflection during this time allows you to review the week, gain insights, and enhance your productivity and efficiency. By conducting a Weekly Review, you can assess the effectiveness of your productivity system and identify areas for improvement. This process empowers you to make better decisions in the future.
In the Weekly Review we’re going to walk through, there are two sections with two purposes:
- Get Clear: Take a moment to capture all of the open loops that are currently in your mind and place them in your Inbox.
- Get Current: Ensure that all the items in your inbox are processed and strive to achieve inbox 0.
GET CLEAR
🧠 Empty Your Brain With A Mind Sweep and add them to your inbox
🧠 Considering my long-term aspirations, what actions can I take this week to make progress towards my goals?
🧠 Considering my long-term aspirations, what actions can I take this week to make progress towards my goals?
📥 Collect Email Open Loops and add them to your inbox
📥 Clear Your “Downloads” folder on your computer for any Open Loops and add them to your inbox
📥 Clear Your “Desktop” folder on your computer for any Open Loops and add them to your inbox
📥 Throw away or file any loose physical paper into your resource app. Add any Open Loops to your inbox
📥 Are there any notes or action items from meetings I need to add to my inbox?
GET CURRENT
🌲Go through each of your projects. One by one, ask:
- Is this project still relevant?
- Can I delegate this project?
- Should I move this project to Someday?
- Are there tasks I have already completed?
- Are there any tasks I want to delete?
📥 Process my “Inbox” and place all the items in their proper home (task list, project list, resource, calendar)
📥 When processing my “Inbox”, tell my to-do list manager when I want to see the item again
❓When I reflect on my productivity system for getting things done, are there any missing elements that I should start incorporating? Are there any effective practices that I should continue? Are there any counterproductive habits that I should stop? How can I ensure that I make these adjustments in the upcoming week?
THAT’S IT
Completing a Weekly Review takes me approximately 15 minutes.
It is extremely beneficial and an essential tool for any productivity system.
- It provides an opportunity to establish and reflect on goals
- Prevents tasks from being overlooked
- And enables self-improvement through weekly reflection.
I highly recommend making a Weekly Review a regular habit.
In my opinion, implementing this practice is the most effective way to ensure that nothing is overlooked.
ACTION STEP
Try it now and experience the satisfaction of having everything accounted for and in its proper place. Remember, your Weekly Review doesn't have to be the same as mine. Customize it and make it your own. Use mine as a starting point, but add in details that help you feel like it's your own practice.
Adapt or adopt my Weekly Review and add it to your Resource Manager as a note. Use it as the template for your Weekly Review every week.
See you tomorrow,
Hunter