Planning and setting goals are like setting a gps for our life. With a regular review we take a look at how much progress we have made and if we are moving in the right direction.
Both Stephen R Covey and David Allen advocate the importance of a weekly review. The weekly review is the way to monitor your progress towards acheiving goals and to take the time to plan. Choose a regular time for a weekly review that will work well for you.
Checklist for a Weekly Review
Download the Weekly Review Checklist (pdf)
10 Steps for a Weekly Review:
- Calendar
1. Review the past week – note major accomplishments and check for anything that needs to be followed up on. How does what actually happened compare to what you had planned? What went well? What didn’t go so well? Did you make the best use of your time?
2. Review your schedule for the upcoming week – What will you do next week? Look for room in your schedule to add tasks that will move your projects and goals forward, and add any repeating or recurring tasks that need to be done.
- To-do List
3. Review and update your to-do lists, keeping priorities in mind.
- Notes
4. Review notes, whether in paper or electronic form
- Cellphone & Email
5. Empty voicemails, delete or organize emails
- Projects & Goals
6. Review your projects and goals – update and add more action steps as needed.
- Value statement
7. Review your value statement or unique selling proposition
- Ideas (someday/maybe list in GTD)
8. Review ideas and decide if there are any you wish to take action on.
- Office & Desk
9. Clear desktop and other office areas, back-up computer
10. Print calendar and/or lists if desired.
To recap:
- Review progress
- Explore options
- View schedule and tasks
- Important work #1
- Examine priorities
- What’s next?
Weekly Planning lets you see how the next week will look. You can see how busy it is, and quiet times where you can schedule additional tasks. The free printable Annual Planner at An Annual Review keeps you on track with forms to capture results of weekly and monthly reviews.
See also A Paper Planner Tool for the Weekly Review, the Weekly Plan, Planning is Thinking, and Planning.
Paper Planner Tool for the Weekly Review
Questions for the Weekly Review: Weekly Review Questions | Trigger Questions from Paauwerfully Organized (pdf)
Additional reading
- GTD Weekly Review Tips from David Allen
- Facile Things-Basic GTD: The Weekly Review
- Productivityist – Why You Need to Review
- Genuine Curiosity – 5 Steps Weekly Review
- Zen Habits – Review Your Goals Weekly
- Step 8 -Review Your System Regularly at Productive Magazine
- My Weekly Review Checklist from gtd.marvelz.com
I seek to create order from the chaos of complex information. Join me at the Daily PlanIt to gain insights, inspiration, and information to increase skills for a better life. I unlock the power of teaching reading with phonics in the pursuit of literacy at www.phonicspow.com. In my spare time I explore books and movies, often choosing titles available on both screen and page.
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