If you’ve studied the Getting Things Done methodology or if you’ve studied productivity for any length of time, you’ve come across the idea of conducting a weekly review. A weekly review is a chance to clear your head and prioritize the upcoming week. This post will help you use regular reviews (weekly & monthly) to keep moving forward with your goals.
The Weekly Review
You have your goals, routines, and daily task management system down to a science. You are a well-oiled productivity machine.
But what’s next?
Have you gone back and reflected on how far you have come in relation to your goals instead of simply checking things off your list?
Just like a car needs routine maintenance, so do project and task lists.
Your weekly review is that maintenance for your life.
A weekly review is a chance to clear your head and prioritize the upcoming week.
It’s a chance to delete tasks that don’t matter any more and add the tasks that will move your projects forward.
Using a weekly review will help you reach those larger goals.
My weekly review is modeled on the same format as my daily review. I take the same principles and apply it to the week.
- Be honest about what happened last week.
- Figure out where I am now.
- Empty your head using the GTD Triggers App.
- Plan for next week by aligning my tasks with my goals.
This form of weekly reflection helps me maintain focus and modify my goals as situations change.
Monthly Meeting: Planning 30, 60, & 90 Days Out
During my time in the Army, we had to plan far in advance to ensure that we have the resources and personnel available to accomplish our missions and tasks.
When it comes to planning, your life should be no different.
In the the book Living Forward, Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy describe the importance of taking control of your calendar before someone else does.
They actually recommend a process of planning 3 years out.
That may seem like too much to think about if you’re just starting out.
So why don’t we look at something a little more near-term.
Here’s a snapshot of what your monthly meeting can look like.
- Block out time on your calendar for a monthly meeting. I use the last Sunday of each month. It’s a chance reflect on the previous month and look 30, 60, and 90 days into the future.
- Review your goals. Are you on track? If not, what are you going to do about it?
- Brainstorm and outline the next actions so you know the exact steps you need to take to make progress.
- Fill in your calendar with time to plan and batch tasks (hold meetings, make calls, send emails, conduct research, etc).
Weekly and monthly meetings have become one of the most important time management tools for planning and achieving my goals.
These regular reviews provide a chance for reflection and planning.
If you need a place to start, make sure you download a copy of my Weekly & Monthly Review Templates.
Exclusive Download: Get a free a Weekly Review template with the exact to plan for success every week!
