Productivity 101

I have a two hour time slot in my calendar every Friday. I sit down and do my Weekly review. For me this is a perfect start of the weekend. It helps me to keep track of everything. It also ensures me that nothing is falling between the cracks.

It is a special time in my week. During the review I listen to music, not always the same kind of music. Mostly music that reflects how my week has been.

I can do the weekly review almost everywhere. I only need my Treo 680 with me or my laptop computer. I have set up a note with a template of things I do during my review. I just open up that memo on my computer or my Treo.

Here are the highlights:

1. I review my calendar for the week that is almost behind me. By reading through my calendar entries from the last several days I am reminded of actions that I need to write down, follow up calls I need to make. Fresh ideas are gathered and written down. It amazes me how refreshing this can be. I take notes during meetings and conversations with people, yet still after a couple of days I am getting new insights from those events.

2. I review my calendar for the next week. Do I need to reschedule some meetings? Do I need to prepare myself for some of the things that are coming next week? I make sure everything is in place for the new week.

3. I review my next actions list. I see if there are any actions that I can mark as complete. Some actions are removed to my Someday/Maybe list. This leaves me with a fresh and current list of next actions to tackle for the coming week.

4. I review my projects list. By going through my list of projects I am reminded of the things that are important in my life. On my projects list I have work and personal projects all in one list. During this time I write down any next action that comes to mind for every single project I am currently doing. By reviewing the projects lists every week I ensure myself that the projects are still going strong.

5. I review several short memos with important stuff in it. I have memos on my short term goals, long term goals and focus areas in my life. This is more a time of thinking about the higher levels of life. Am I still on the right track?

6. I review the action support file folders for my current projects. Just to keep completely informed and up to date on the projects I am doing.

7. I do some errands. I empty my pockets for credit card slips, business cards or other info I need to keep. I go through my briefcase to see if there is something in there that needs my attention. I make a backup of the SD card in my Treo on my computer and then I do a complete backup of the computer. (During the week incremental backups are done with a online backup service I use, Mozy).

During the Weekly Review I have a nice cup of coffee with me, preferable with a bar of chocolate. It truly is a fun time! When I fall behind on this habit I experience more stress in my life. That is the main reason I have scheduled it as an important meeting with myself.

written by Fokke \\ tags: GTD