Over a decade ago I began studying David Allen’s classic Getting Things Done. So many of those ideas have become foundational to modern task and project management, but there was one piece of the GTD puzzle that was a huge challenge for me and for many, many, many people I’ve met and worked with over the years since then: The Weekly Review.
In theory, the idea of stepping back and doing a check-in on a weekly basis makes perfect sense, but the structure of David Allen’s Weekly Review literally used to take me… HOURS! I’m not kidding. Once I took about 3 hours to complete ALL the steps of the Weekly Review. Seriously? Who’s got that kind of time?!
This was in the early days when I was still learning and probably I was doing more than I “should have,” but after messing around with the concept now for over a decade I’ve found a version that’s much easier for both me and my clients.
Now, my Weekly Reset Ritual (which is what I’ve taken to calling it) takes usually 15-20 minutes – Tops!
If you are looking for a streamlined process to make your plans for the week, then you’ll love this excerpt from my book Inspired Action: Create More Purpose, Productivity, and Peace in Your Life.What follows is Chapter 49: Weekly Planning, which walks you through step-by-step exactly how to create your own Weekly Reset Ritual.
So, let’s dive in…
Weekly Planning
Planning our time and activities is something that we all do in order to make sure that we get important tasks done and show up in the right places at the right times. For many people, this planning process happens fairly naturally when they glance over their schedule or to-do list. However, many of those same people are constantly frustrated by showing up to meetings unprepared, forgetting about errands that needed to be accomplished before the party this weekend, or trying to slam three weeks’ worth of work into the last week before the deadline. Has this ever been you?
If so, then this chapter—indeed, all of Part 9 of Inspired Action—is for you. I have been this person in the past, and I have worked with others around these challenges for years. Almost universally, the solution to these crunch times and embarrassing moments involves better and more consistent planning.
A weekly planning ritual can save you untold frustrations, heartaches, and stressful days. A half hour per week of planning might help you lower your blood pressure, reduce your stress level, and even save you from a heart attack. (Did you know that several studies have shown that a higher number of heart attacks occur on Mondays, as people head back into work frustrated, disengaged, and overwhelmed?) Proactive planning will certainly help you feel more in control, on target, and ready for each day.
The “Why” of Weekly Planning
The purpose of a weekly planning ritual is to keep your task management system and your mind focused on the actions and projects that are immediately relevant to your current success. It also allows you to decide strategically what you are not going to worry about this week. This weekly process is the linchpin of keeping you productive and on-target for your daily life. Moreover, a frequent reason why productivity systems unravel is a lack of commitment to developing this weekly planning habit.
Planning is a maintenance part of life, kind of like doing laundry. If you only do it once a month, then you’ll have a huge mountain to sort through, a bunch of loads to process, and an entire day of work on your hands. If you do it once a week, then it becomes more manageable. Adding in a daily planning element can help you make it much easier. (See Chapter 50: Daily Planning.)
During the weekly ritual, the focus is at both a project level and a task level. You are reviewing your entire master list, bringing it up-to-date based on recent events, and making strategic choices about where you are going to focus your attention in the upcoming week. In other words, you are maintaining your task management system to allow it to continue functioning effectively for you and create a sense of natural flow.
Choosing a Regular Weekly Time
There is no universal right answer to when a weekly planning ritual should happen. It depends on your preferences and your life circumstances. However, here are some of the most popular choices and the rationales behind them to help you consider what feels right for you:
- Friday morning or afternoon. You’ve gotten to the end of your workweek (if you’re like most folks), and this is your chance to review the week’s events, to integrate all the new information, and to decide what you are going to focus on next week. This allows to you start Monday morning fresh, knowing exactly where to focus your attention.
- Sunday morning or evening. Some people prefer to use the end of their weekend to settle in and get ready for the new week. Perhaps by Friday afternoon you are too tired to think straight, but after a couple days of rest you are ready to bring yourself up-to-date and make plans. Some couples make this a mutual planning time and incorporate a family meeting to have conversations about plans or finances that might affect immediate decision-making or to review joint schedules and get on the same page about how to support each other through the week. (For more information, see Inspired Action Chapter 38: Communication: Team & Family Meetings.)
- Monday morning. If you are slow to get moving on Mondays, then you might like to use your weekly planning ritual as a way to gear up for the week. Ideally, you are rested from the weekend at this time.
If none of these options feel right, then find your own right time. Perhaps Wednesday afternoons are quiet in your office and thus are a perfect time to settle in and make new plans. Whatever works for you! The most important thing is to choose one time and make a habit of it. Knowing that you will spend that time planning will allow you not to think about it at other times and trust that you’ll get up-to-date on your system then. My best suggestion is to mark it right on your calendar so that you’ll be disinclined to give up your planning time to other commitments.
How Much Time Will It Take?
If you stay current weekly, then your planning time will likely take an hour or less. Mine is usually 15-20 minutes. However, the more weeks you skip, the longer it will take to get your systems back up-to-date and to make the needed plans and decisions.
What You Will Need
For your weekly planning ritual, you’ll want to have the following items available:
- Your master list (See Inspired Action Chapter 24)
- Your daily task list tool (via your smartphone, index cards, or other task management tool)
- Your calendar
- Your capture tool (See Inspired Action Chapter 19)
- Your email inbox (via your computer, laptop, or smartphone)
- Your paperwork action items folder
Weekly Planning Ritual Steps
Here are the main steps of an effective weekly planning ritual.
- Capture new projects. Add all new projects that have arisen in your world—personal, work, and otherwise. Review your capture tool, calendar, and email inbox for cues about these new commitments. You can also walk around your space, both at home and in your office, to see if any new projects appear upon this visual inspection of your domains.
- Determine next actions. Review your Active Projects on your master list and identify next steps. Based on what you accomplished this week, what must happen next to move each project forward? Any projects that have no further steps can be removed or marked as completed. Are there any projects that need to be demoted to On-Hold Projects given your current commitments and workload?
- Choose upcoming tasks. Which tasks are going to be most important and relevant for the next week? This is a subset of tasks from your master list that you want on the immediate horizon. For paper systems, you might write these on a separate page for this week. For digital systems, hopefully there’s a way to segment or mark these tasks as “Upcoming,” “This Week,” or a similar category.
Optional additional steps include the following:
- Start planning for new projects. For new projects (see step 2), figure out the immediate next action (at least) or capture the major steps if appropriate or possible. Doing this type of planning once a week allows you to avoid thinking about it constantly during the week when you should be taking action (thus batching the planning task). It also allows you to consider the individual project in relationship to the whole group of Active Projects currently on your plate. Thus, you might see tasks that can be done together (for instance, two things that require you to talk to your co-worker) or determine why you would choose to make one next action a priority over another when you consider them together.
- Review your On-Hold Projects and your life list for items to upgrade. Do you want to upgrade any of these items to active? A project might get upgraded because the deadline or event is coming up and it’s time to start getting busy. Or, it might be that a recent event has made this project more relevant or useful in your current life than it was previously.
One member of my staff makes this weekly planning ritual a treat for herself on Sunday evenings by pouring a glass of wine, lighting a couple candles, putting on some soft music, and pulling out her planning materials. There’s nothing like a little ambiance to make a necessary maintenance task enjoyable.
Next Actions
- Choose a good time during the week for your weekly planning ritual. Write it into your calendar for the next four weeks as a trial. After that time you can check in with yourself to evaluate (and potentially shift) the timing.
- Brainstorm ways to add ambiance to your ritual. Will you do it at a favorite café over a latte? Will you and your partner crack open a bottle of wine and plan together? What could make this weekly activity something to look forward to?
- Try implementing the above five steps during this week’s scheduled planning time. How long did it take? Did you get distracted or start actually doing things rather than just planning? What would you change next time?
- Talk to your partner or a friend about doing your planning ritual together. Sometimes adding a social element and an accountability partner can improve the result and make the experience more fun.
- Have a staff member plan with you, or hire a productivity expert or professional organizer to help you implement your planning process consistently and regularly.
If this excerpt from Inspired Action has been helpful to you, then pick up a copy of the book today. It provides 50 short, actionable chapters that can help you connect with greater meaning and purpose and develop the productivity systems to put your purpose into action each day.
