Managing Your Time Effectively with Weekly Reviews

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Recognizing the importance of weekly reviews is essential for effective time management. Blocking dedicated time for this process allows for a proactive approach to goal setting and task management. Start by listing three to five accomplishments from the previous week, then review annual goals or set specific monthly objectives. Focus on determining the next actionable steps to advance those goals, selecting only the three most important tasks for the week. Review previous priorities to ensure relevance, evaluate upcoming tasks and projects, and choose one daily habit to concentrate on for sustained improvement. Additionally, conduct a thorough review of your calendar for the next 14 days, ensuring to block necessary time for important tasks. Investing time in this weekly review will lead to greater efficiency and clarity throughout the week.

Dave Stachowiak: Coaching for Leaders In the book Getting Things Done*, past guest David Allen first popularized the practice of a weekly review. In this episode, I share my own process for the weekly review, so that you can incorporate the actions that best work for you. Key Points 1. Block Time I complete my weekly review either Sunday evening or early Monday morning. Pick a time that will work consistently in your schedule. 2. Record What Worked I don’t have an issue remembering what didn’t work, so I discipline myself to write down what did work last week. That way, I recognize strengths. 3. Review Goals I do a full read of the annual goals I created at the beginning of the year, so I know where I am headed. 4. Determine Next Actions I decide the next action for each annual goal to advance me closer. 5. Flag 3-5 Actions I pick the 3-5 actions (fewer is better) than I will commit to complete this week. I leave the rest of them for another week. 6. Remove Flags from Last Week If there are still ﬂagged items remaining from last week (often the case) I remove them if they are not already on this week’s list. This is an administrative step. 7. Review Projects in OmniFocus I review all my projects in OmniFocus* for important tasks that might need to be added to the week. 8. Review Habits and Set Focus I review my daily habits on Coach.me for the last week to see where I did well and where I fell short. Then, I pick a focus habit for the week so I can realign with one I’ve been missing. I write it on my oﬃce board. 9. Review Calendar for 14 Days Looking ahead to just this week isn’t good enough and I won’t think to look to the following week until Friday. Reminding myself to do this is key. 10. Review Tasks for 7 Days I review all my tasks in the OmniFocus* forecast view, just to be sure I’m aware of busier days ahead. 11. Block Time I schedule or block time that I need to be doing something (like a client meeting) if not already booked. I work hard to minimize this to only things I must do at a certain time. Download My Weekly Review Checklist Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.