## Back to Basics: Your Weekly Review
Source URL:: <https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/back-to-basics-your-weekly-review.html>
### Highlights
> [!quote]+ %%Updated on Thu Jul 28 2022 12:28:55 GMT-0400%%
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> Schedule your weekly review in your calendar. Allow yourself at least an hour, preferably two.
>Finish all your work before the review starts.
>Get comfortable. You might want to go somewhere you don’t associate with work.
>Take 5-10 minutes of quiet time. Meditate, doodle, or just stare at the head–whatever it takes to put a “buffer” between you and your everyday stuff.
>Have something to write in/on.
>Make sure you won’t be disturbed. This is your time!
> [!quote]+ %%Updated on Thu Jul 28 2022 12:29:07 GMT-0400%%
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> Collect all your loose papers and put them into your inbox for processing.
>Process your notes to glean any action items, appointments, new projects, etc.
>Review your previous calendar data to remind you of any ideas, tasks, etc. that you might not have captured at the time.
>Review your upcoming calendar to see if there are any new actions you need to add to your lists.
>Empty your head. Write down anything that’s currently on your mind or capturing your attention.
>Review your project lists to determine each project’s status and if there are any actions you need to take to move each of them forward.
>Review your next action lists. Bring them up to date by marking off any actions you’ve already completed. Use completed actions as triggers to remind you of any further steps you need to take not that an action is done.
>Review waiting for lists. Add appropriate follow-ups to your action lists. Check off anything that you’ve already received.
>Review any relevant checklists.
>Review your someday/maybe list and decide if there is anything you’re ready to move onto your active projects list.
>Review your project support files to make sure you haven’t missed any new actions you need to take.
>Be creative and courageous. This is the hardest and most poorly described part of the process in Allen’s books, which is too bad, since this is where the magic happens. Having cleared your mind of everything you need to do at the moment, take time to dream up new ideas—risky ones, creative ones, etc. Essentially a free-form brainstorming session around the topic of “what could I be doing?”
> [!quote]+ %%Updated on Thu Jul 28 2022 12:29:29 GMT-0400%%
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> What do I have to work on the next few days?
>What deadlines do I have coming up?
>Are there any new projects I have time to start working on?
> [!quote]+ %%Updated on Thu Jul 28 2022 12:29:34 GMT-0400%%
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> What do I have to work on the next few days?
>What deadlines do I have coming up?
>Are there any new projects I have time to start working on?
>What went wrong over the past week? What lessons can I learn from that?
>What went right over the past week? How can I make sure more of that happens?
>How well am I keeping up with all my duties and obligations?
>What is coming up that I need to be prepared for?
>What kind of help do I need?
>Is everything I’m doing contributing to my advancement towards my goals? What can I do about the stuff that isn’t?
>Am I happy with where I’m at? What would I like to change?
>What are my goals for the next week? Month? 90 days?