THE WEEKLY REVIEW AND PLANNING PROCEDURE
THE CORE ESSENTIAL PLANNING PROCESS
In process, with the rest of the time productivity system all being tied in. Contact me if interested, so I might prioritize it.
Purpose: Polish up effectiveness, create the week you want!
Major steps:
Use the checklist in the order specified:
1. Orderganize and review the prior week, forwarding all undones.
Optional, but recommended: Review what went right or wrong, what to learn. Use this
check off sheet below.
2. Read my key goals list
3. Determine tasks to do, tie up all "open loops"
A. List highest importance goals/tasks by "role" for the week, enter them into calendar.
Use this format.
4. Finalize the weekly plan onto the calendar or reminder system.
Time
Recommended: 2 hours
Shortest possible, realistically: 20-30 minutes
Clarify exactly what to do and do not leave it up to re-deciding or re-determining what to do. Settle it completely, definitely, and definitively.
90 minutes
Procedure: Organize, assure to dos mechanics
Thinking, improving: Weekly special time, separate from mechanical
Mechanics: See checklist
Questions: What did I do that I should revise
Procedure needed: __ New; __ Revise
Note that some people might wish to do this in two pieces.
Themes
Orderganize and review
__ Gather all loose papers from any place you carry or put them.
__ Go through each piece of paper or undone item I'm working on and decide what to do with it.
Sort for
__ For action?
__ Less than 2 minutes, do it (or add it to task list)
__ Schedule in calendar, onto "today", "next" or "today" task lists for a time to do it
__ Delegate it, adding it to my "Waiting For" list, with a date.
__ Build in, tickle, "progress reports" where possible, before final deadline
__ No action required
__ Trash it (be biased toward this as most nonessential things will not be done)
__ Add it to the "Someday/Maybe" list
__ File it for future reference (right then, not into a big "to file later" file)
__ Review my notes (Master notebook and other), looking for action items and agreements
__ Pull out any pages that should be filed (the rest is only for "reference" by date, if
needed)
__ Review the last week's calendar.
__ Anything to be added to actions.
__ Anything to reschedule (reschedule it right now)
Orient self
__ Read my key goals list, to assure I am aware of what matters.
__ Make sure the "next action" for each goal is scheduled or tickled in the task list.
__ Review the next two weeks' calendars at least to see if any preparation for meetings is needed.
__ Review my projects list.
__ Ask what do I need to accomplish this week?
Review task lists
__ Review my "Waiting For" list (note that all of these are to be tickled to call attention to them.
___ See if anything is overdue
___ Assure follow up tickle is still to be on the same date
__ Ruthlessly review all to dos and scheduled items and eliminate, minimize or put off what you can.
__ What can I eliminate, cut down, delegate?
__ Set up batching time blocks (doing similar things together so "set up" times and attention shifts are reduced)
What will I do for each "role" or area of my life this week? Use this format: Roles And Goals
