Weekly Review Guide: Focus on Values, Not Tasks (TPS593)

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Dec 29, 2025

Feeling busy but unfulfilled? Discover why traditional task-checking may not align with your true values. Explore Scott Young's research on the transformative power of values-based weekly reviews. Learn to use the '5 Whys' to uncover deeper motivations behind tasks and design a well-rounded week with meaningful goals. Find insights on how focusing on your 'North Star' can enhance productivity and satisfaction. Plus, get practical tips for making your weekly reviews quick, effective, and impossible to skip.

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ANECDOTE

GTd Date Proved Reviews Matter

Tan recounts quizzing a date about GTD and learning she knew the weekly review was the most important phase.
That moment convinced him the weekly review is essential for sustained execution.

insights

INSIGHT

Weekly Review Ties Systems To Outcomes

The weekly review is the glue that turns capture and organization into consistent execution.
Without it you can be busy yet feel unproductive because tasks lack direction.

insights

INSIGHT

Higher Roles Need Strategic Review

As people rise in organizations, task completion gives less of a sense of accomplishment.
Weekly reviews help senior roles translate strategic progress into measurable focus.

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Why the Weekly Review Matters

00:30 • 2min

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Top Resources: Books and Tools

02:52 • 1min

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Feeling Busy but Unfulfilled

04:15 • 3min

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Weekly Review Prevents Problems

07:00 • 2min

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Compass vs Clock: Focus on Direction

08:39 • 6min

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Filter Your Week Through Goals

Goals, Values, and the Compass

17:49 • 4min

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Applying the Five Whys

21:20 • 1min

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Values Can Change Your Week

22:49 • 2min

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Combining Goals and Rules

24:51 • 41sec

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Tan's Five Rules for a Perfect Week

25:31 • 4min

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Practical Weekly Review Tips

29:11 • 4min

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Action: Plan with Goals or Values First

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Productive but still unfulfilled? Your weekly review might be tracking the wrong things. Most people focus on tasks and efficiency, but the most effective weekly planning focuses on values and direction. In this productivity episode, learn Scott Young’s values-based weekly review technique, use the “5 Whys” to connect tasks to deeper motivations, and apply Stephen Covey’s “First Things First” philosophy to finally feel satisfied with how you spend your time.

Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TPS, and get 3 months free when you run your first payroll.

Visit asianefficiency.com for more productivity tips and tactics.

Cheat Sheet:

Become a member of TPS+ and get ad-free episodes a week before anyone else with other great bonuses like the famous “One Tweak A Week” shirt.

The one ground rule that keeps this episode from going completely off the rails [00:29]
Top 3 Productivity Resources [02:51]
Why checking off tasks can still leave you feeling behind (and what fixes it) [04:17]
The five rules Thanh uses to design a “perfect week” no matter how busy life gets [24:47]
How to make the weekly review fast, sustainable, and impossible to skip [29:59]

Links:

Gusto
25X Productivity Coaching
Mike does the 5 Whys: Why Pursuing the Work-Life Balance Myth is Hurting Your Productivity (TPS139)
Book: Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career by Scott Young
Book: First Things First by Stephen Covey
Fantastical
Scott Young: The Most Underrated Productivity Technique
Clockspeed: Winning Industry Control in the Age of Temporary Advantage by Charles Fine
Achieving Next-Level Productivity Through Conative Understanding w/ David Kolbe (TPS197)
CABIN: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman
Productivity Academy
The Productivity Show on Youtube
The Productivity Show Youtube Clips
Become a member of TPS+
Take the Productivity Quiz

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