Update
Well, I thought i should give you a bit of an update of my progress. So here it is… when i’m good i’m really good, and when i’m bad i’m really bad! Somedays i do really well and power through my next action lists and other days i just do not even look at them!
I haven’t done a proper weekly review last week so this week i feel like i’m treading water. Let me tell you the weekly review is the most important thing in the whole process. When you don’t do it, i think that’s when the system really goes wrong.
I just can’t seem to find a really good time to do it. I was doing it on Friday mornings, but Fridays i can get so distracted. So then i thought Tuesday morning first thing when i get in the office. But often Tuesdays are filled with meetings and first thing in the office can mean 4pm! So, i’ve set Fridays aside, but if not then i try to get it done on Tuesdays.
How do other people find the weekly review? How do you set time aside and stick to it?
I do my weekly review on Saturdays or Sundays. Depending on the day I have more time to devote to this task.
I want to share with you two little tips that works for me in the beginning.
First one: try to find a place where you are not disturbed to do your weekly review. A coffee shop do the trick for me.
Second one: don’t try to projectize everything. There are a lot of tasks like changing your car oil where you waste more time thinking about all the steps that you have to do and write them down than in doing the thing itself.
Sorry for my bad english but as I said in my blog I’m improving my writing skills in this second language for me
.
Cheers
I’m a pastor faced with the same issue of finding time to do a weekly review. Fridays and Saturdays are totally out. Sunday evenings would be the perfect time, but by then I am ready to just unwind and spend time with the family. Mondays would be good, except that Mondays are my day of rest. So Tuesday mornings should be the perfect time. But like you, I typically do not get to a review time until 5 or 6 in the evening.
I should probably work toward a Monday afternoon review. Then Tuesdays wouldn’t be so hectic. But I agree with you that the weekly review is the place where the system can break down.
Thank you for providing this blog. I am interested in discussing with other clergy persons/church workers about applying GTD to the congregational setting. Peace.
[...] I do my weekly review Two days ago I have read a post in the evchapman’s blog about the GTD weekly reviews. I wrote a comment sharing two little [...]
How I do my weekly review « Wintermute’s Blog said this on February 16, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Thanks for the comments. This week i managed to get my weekly review done on Friday morning. So i feel like i am all set for the week. My biggest problem is distractions. Not so much from people, but i might be thinking about a new project and instead of doing my review i start working on the project. I think for me it is a matter of discipline. If i have a new idea, i can work on it like all my other projects.
I have often thought that Sunday nights would be a good time to do my review, but like you i just really want to unwind after a big day at Church. But it would make a lot of sense, since i would also be able to process all that happened on this day.
If i can stay disciplined then Friday will most probably work for me with a small process of all items on tuesday afternoon after all my meetings.
Believe it or not I’m pretty sure this Friday you are going to do your weekly review. You have shared with us this commitment and sharing a commitment is a good way to get things done.
When I have a new idea the best way for me is write it down and then review it in my weekly review. After all, that’s the GTD method. Write down, write down, write down.
Take care