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How to Run a Successful Weekly Review

The weekly review is the linchpin of the Getting Things Done method. When I started GTD, I bypassed the weekly review, thinking it was unnecessary and that I could get by without it. Turns out I couldn’t. The weekly review is, fundamentally, a time to synchronize your system with real life — and that will always be indispensable.

Here’s a summary of how to get through a successful weekly review.

1. Put it on your calendar. The weekly review is an unbreakable date with yourself — it should take priority over all things. If you don’t dedicate time for the weekly review, you will procrastinate or deal with seemingly more urgent work. Write ‘weekly review’ on your calendar and get your butt in the chair when the time comes.
2. Process everything in your inboxen. Every week, go through the places that collect messages, notes, and information. For me, these are personal notebook pages, text messages, stickies, computer desktop, physical inbox, and email. Review the items in these boxes one at a time and for each one either immediately do it, put it on a next action list, file it, delegate it or delete it. No exceptions.
3. Review your next actions lists. Cross off anything you’ve done, add any actions as they occur to you.
4. Review your projects list. Before adding anything to this list, make sure you have a real commitment to getting it done. If any projects require it, generate the next actions necessary to move them forward and place them on the appropriate lists.
5. Review your someday/maybe lists. Any half-brained ideas or vague interests you have, dump onto your someday/maybe list. This frees your mind from storing these ideas for the indefinite future. If you are on top of your work and looking to take on a new project, this list is the place to start.
6. Empty your brain. Take a moment and just sit still. Stare at the ceiling and wait for anything that isn’t on your lists to pop into your mind. Get it down no matter how big or small.
7. Review your calendar. Check your calendar to see upcoming events and responsibilities.

If you do the weekly review properly, it will become something you look forward to each week. It de-stresses your life by removing the fear of the unknown and making you aware of what needs to get done.

So, pick a time on your calendar, schedule your weekly review and stick to it.

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Header photograph by orangeacid

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Why ‘Next Actions’ Make Big Projects Easy to Tackle

One of the key ideas of Getting Things Done, is the ‘next action’. Like much of GTD it’s a simple idea that makes a big difference.

Next actions are the steps you take to complete a project. For example, your project may be ‘sell my old CD collection. That’s a typical to-do list item, but it’s not something that you can do in one go — so it lingers on your list. Forever.

To decide what the next action is, you need to think of the next physical step required to move the project forward. For selling your CDs, you need to decide how you are going to sell those CDs. On the Internet or at a store? Your next action is ‘find the phone number of local music shops’. After you complete that, your next action is to call music shops to see how much they pay for old CDs. Then you may want to ‘research eBay and Amazon auctions online’ to see if they are better options.

Next actions improve upon the idea of breaking down a project into small steps for two reasons. First, you’re only need to think of one next action at a time. This way you don’t get overwhelmed by trying plan every step from start to finish. Second, by thinking of the next physical step, you force yourself to clarify exactly what needs to be done — and don’t end up with a nebulous, undoable to-do list.

So take a look at one of your big projects, define the next action and get started.

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Header photograph by visualpanic

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If you would like to see more articles about getting organized in the future, please click here to subscribe to the RSS feed.

If you live in London and would like personal help, please check out my workflow and organizational coaching services.

How Merlin Mann Gets Stuff Done

There’s an interview on LifeHacker that details how the excellent Merlin Mann of 43 folders actually gets his work done. Many organizational gurus talk in broad principals of work in an ideal world, but Merlin gets down into the nitty gritty tactical details of getting things done.

[Read the LifeHacker Interview with Merlin Mann]