Designing an Amazing Week: The Weekly Review
Volume 23, Chapter IV, Number 018
Hello!
This Week’s One Great Thing: Designing an Amazing Week: The Weekly Review
A good weekly review is a habit that successful people cultivate. It serves as a way to reflect on the past week's accomplishments and setbacks, and to plan for the upcoming week. By taking the time to evaluate your progress, you can identify areas for improvement and adjust your goals accordingly.
When I don’t do a good weekly review, I’m not able to assess the week that has passed and in turn, I’m not as purposive and intentional about the coming week. It’s not too big of a stretch then to say that the quality of my week is often determined by how well I do a weekly review. I have found that if I take some time to review the week that is past, and prepare for the week ahead, it is much more likely that I will have a successful, more productive and stress-free week.
Many years ago, before I started doing a Weekly Review, I was honestly apprehensive. I thought it was a waste of time and I wouldn't be able to stick to it. But I decided to give it a try and I'm glad I did. Doing a weekly review has become part of my routine and I'm so thankful that I decided to give it a try.
Part of the process is having quality ME time. For someone like me who works long hours, having at least a few hours to relax and do something that I love can help to refresh me and energise me for the coming week.
What is a Weekly Review?
A weekly review is a process of taking a step back and reflecting on the past week. It's about taking time to reflect on what you did, what you could have done better, and how you can improve in the coming weeks. It's a great way to stay organised and make sure that you're making progress towards your goals.
The Benefits of Doing a Weekly Review
There are many benefits of doing a weekly review, but here are a few of the most important ones:
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Increase Your Productivity Doing a weekly review can help you identify what tasks you need to focus on each week and help you stay on track. You'll be able to prioritize the most important tasks and ensure that you're making progress towards your goals.
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Improved Self-Awareness Doing a weekly review can help you become more self-aware and understand what motivates you. By taking time to reflect on your successes and failures, you can identify patterns and develop better strategies for future tasks.
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Build Good Habits Doing a weekly review is a great way to build good habits. You can identify what works for you and what doesn't and use that knowledge to make better decisions in the future.
How to Do a Weekly Review
There's no one "right" way to conduct a weekly review, but there are a few key components that should be included.
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Set Aside Time The first step is to set aside some time to do your weekly review. This can be anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on how much time you have available. Try to find a time that works best for you and stick to it.
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Make a List Make a list of all the tasks that you need to complete. This can include anything from personal tasks to work-related tasks. Prioritize the list according to importance and plan out how you're going to tackle each one.
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Reflect Take some time to reflect on what you accomplished in the past week. Think about what worked, what didn't, and what you could have done differently. This can help you develop strategies for tackling similar tasks in the future.
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Set Goals Set realistic goals for the coming week. Break them down into smaller, manageable tasks and set a timeline for completing each one. This will help you stay focused and productive.
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Celebrate Your Successes Take some time to celebrate your successes! This can be anything from taking a few minutes to read a book, watch a movie, or take a walk. Celebrating your successes is important and it can help motivate you to keep going.
Here’s my own template:
If you’re looking to incorporate a Weekly Review into your own routine, there are a few things to consider. It’s important to plan a day and time for your review and to block off enough time to actually do it. I suggest doing it at a slow, comfortable pace and without external distractions, so schedule it for when you won’t be interrupted. Some people use Sundays for the review. I used to do this when I was single. I would go to a friendly neighborhood Starbucks, open my Evernote, and start my review.
I don’t do that anymore because I have three kids and Sunday is family and errand time for us. So I just do it for a whole morning on a work day. The point is to carve out time to do it, free of distractions and meetings with other people, because it really is a MEETING WITH YOURSELF.
In my Evernote, I go to two note files I call MINDSWEEP, and the aptly named WEEKLY REVIEW (LOL!).
The MIND SWEEP note is just a list of reminders to check out and unclutter digital and physical inboxes (it could be your car glove compartment where you dump parking receipts, coins and other paper; or the mailbox in your condo, or your wallet). I also check my email and go through each one. I follow a quick triage process for all these inboxes. I call the process 4D: I could DELETE (in the case of email, or trash in the case of physical stuff), DELEGATE (I forward the email to someone else, or give the stuff to another person for action), DATE (I defer the email to another day by adding a date — this is easily done in my email app where I “snooze” the email or I forward the email to my Task App, Ticktick, for further action at a later date). The fourth D is DO, but a Weekly Review is not a time to DO, so I usually defer all action item to a later DATE. Non-action items are scanned and placed in a REFERENCE folder on Evernote, or to a specific folder in the physical world (we have a cabinet file in our room of all important references).
But the real power of the Weekly Review happens when I check my WEEKLY REVIEW note.
This is where I place random ideas, flights of fancy, inspiration, and yes, DREAMS, but also goals and the strategies to make these goals do-able. What I do is I list a few action steps to make the vague, general, audacious dream doable every week. Then I schedule the action steps throughout the week, or until I make the next Weekly Review. It’s a special time to put some handles on what is otherwise just a dream.
The WEEKLY REVIEW is a time to decide what to do with what I find in these inboxes: trash, work on if its actionable, or keep as reference. The same file also reminds me to review my calendar for the next week and to check my cellphone if there are meetings and events I should look out for. This is also the time I check my 30 Day List.
If weekly is not do-able, try to do this monthly. The key is to carve out and schedule this the way you would schedule a meeting. This is probably the best meeting you have ever scheduled in your life.
Doing a weekly review can be a great way to stay organised, increase your productivity, and set yourself up for success. It's all about taking time to reflect on the past week and plan for the future. Give it a try and see how it works for you!
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More Great Stuff:
- This is a really good list for those who are just starting their careers, and a good reminder for those who are in the middle of it and may need to make changes in their careers.
Why Stories Matter - and how to own your hero’s journey
- Story telling is important and we can use the structure of the hero's journey to create compelling narratives. The author argues that stories are an essential part of human communication and can be used to convey ideas, inspire action, and create meaningful connections with others.
- The hero's journey is a narrative structure that has been used for centuries in storytelling. It involves a hero who embarks on a journey, faces challenges and obstacles, and ultimately triumphs over adversity. The author suggests that we can use this structure to tell our own stories and to inspire others to follow their own hero's journey.
- The article also provides practical tips for owning your hero's journey, including identifying your purpose, facing your fears, and embracing the unknown. By following these steps and creating a compelling narrative, we can inspire others and make a positive impact on the world. Ultimately, the article emphasises the power of storytelling and the importance of embracing our own hero's journey in order to achieve our goals and make a difference in the world.
Ok! Now pause, get yourself to a window, look up to the sky, smile, and have a great day! Look forward to send you another letter next week!
☕ eric santillan