Plan, Review, Execute - A Life of Becoming

In order to learn and grow, we need to gain experience and learn from our past successes and failures. I love Thomas Edison’s response when he was asked about failing so many times perfecting the light bulb. Edison replied,

I have not failed. I have just found 9,999 ways that do not work.

I have grown to appreciate and learn from failing. It helps me learn more about myself and how to do things more efficiently in the future. In David Allen’s book Getting Things Done, he talks about conducting a weekly review. This is a process that I have done since 2017 that has helped me learn and fine-tune my life.

Weekly Review

My weekly review is my favorite process I conduct each week. It is a scheduled meeting I have with myself every Friday to review the past week and make plans for the future. This is how I Prepare, Review, and Plan during my weekly review:

Prepare

Schedule at least a one hour meeting to conduct a weekly review (you may need more time if this is your first time doing a weekly review).
Pick a location where I won’t be distracted or interrupted. I like to go to an empty conference room at work that has a great view of the mountains. It is refreshing and motivating to be in a calming and relaxing environment. I’ve also enjoyed doing my weekly reviews at restaurants during lunch.
When I’m ready to start, I’ll begin playing music from Focus@Will.
Do a thorough mind sweep and get everything stored in my head out.
Empty and process all physical and digital inboxes. This includes getting my email to inbox zero, balancing our YNAB budget, and any other loose ends I want to tie.
- The goal is to identify all commitments, tasks, and events. I organize each of them and place them where they belong (calendar, things, due, and  Notes).
- Starting with no friction from loose ends enables me to focus on learning and planning.

Mind Sweep and Inbox Zero

Your mind is for having ideas, not storing them.
—David Allen

David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology has helped me capture, review, and stay on top of everything that I need to remember and get done. I would say the biggest takeaway that blesses my life every week is my Weekly Review. As far as capturing and processing tasks, events, ideas, and reminders… below is a summarized workflow of how I have implemented his methodology and continue to use it today:

Review

Review Next Actions.
- These are tasks I plan on doing next for all of my current and future projects. I prioritize and schedule when I will do them.
Review past events.
- This is where I look at my calendar and review any loose ends or tasks from meetings and projects. Do I need to follow up with anyone with tasks or to give thanks?
Review the next two weeks.
- I like to review and plan ahead two weeks. This helps me stay on top of everything, not let anything fall through the cracks, and ensure I’m focusing on the most important things.
Review my “waiting for” list.
- These are tasks and reminders of things I’ve delegated or am waiting to hear back from others. I like to schedule these follow-up tasks in either Things or Due.
Review projects.
- Evaluate which projects I’m currently working on, prioritize which projects are next, and record any someday/maybe projects in the future.
- For each project, outline what the next action is. Is it something I need to do in the next two weeks? If so, schedule when it will get done or when I need to be reminded to do it.

Once I’ve done these things, I move onto the most time consuming and fulfilling part of my weekly review… my self-reflection. I like to record my responses in Google Sheets. This spreadsheet has become a valuable journal that I have used to document my growth and plans for the future. You can use the same weekly review template I’ve created for myself at the bottom of this page.

Underneath the current year, I have three words I have defined for the year that encompass my vision and goals. My words for 2021 are Prepared, Strong, and Intentional.

These are the questions I ask myself and answer:

What went well this week?
Did I improve from last week?
Opportunities for improvement and how I will improve.
Did I complete last week’s goals?
- These are goals I’ve set for each of my life accounts in my life plan.
Life account goals for next week.
- This is where I outline next steps and goals for each of my life accounts in my life plan.
Review Blood Sugar Averages
- Since I’m type-1 diabetic, I added a section specifically to my spreadsheet where I record my average glucose for the past 7, 14, 30, and 90 days. This gives me an estimate of how I’m doing by calculating an A1c through those periods of time. I get these results from the Dexcom Clarity app.
Review the most important events in the next two weeks.
- Record, schedule, and plan to complete any tasks.
What habits am I focusing on this week?
What is my focus this week?
What have I learned from studying Come, Follow Me this week?
How have I seen the hand of the Lord in my life this week?
- The more I regularly review how and where I have seen Him in the details of my life… the more I realize how involved He is. His fingerprints are everywhere and in every aspect of my life!

Plan

After I do my weekly self-reflection, I review and update my Annual Time Block spreadsheet in case anythings has changed. I then update my calendar to reflect my annual time block. I then continue my weekly review with these final tasks:

Schedule events, tasks, and reminders.
- Planning Date Night and Super Saturday are very important to us. This is what I focus on next. Not only do I continue to date my wife each week… but we each take time to have one-on-one time with each of our kids. They each take turns spending time with Mom and Dad.
- Schedule and organize any other loose ends and commitments that haven’t been captured yet?
Review someday/maybe list.
- Are there any projects I’ve been postponing or wanting to do that I want to start working on? If so, schedule the first steps to get that project started.
I finish up by reviewing my ideal week. If my routines and schedule could flow better at different times or on different days, I update my schedule and calendar.

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.

— Benjamin Franklin

Having a weekly review has been a huge blessing to me, my family, and those I serve. It drills in on where I need to invest my time and focus and give my best in all things.

On top of having a weekly review, I have found a lot of value in monthly, quarterly, and annual reviews.

Monthly Reviews

Usually the last day of each month is when I conduct a monthly review. It’s very similar to my weekly review but more condensed. Instead of focusing on the next steps for my goals, the monthly review is where I also extend the scope of those goals and identify how I can make progress which ultimately breaks down in my weekly review. My three words for the year which encompass my vision are also found on this spreadsheet.

These are the questions I answer for my monthly review:

What went well this month?
Did I improve from last month?
Opportunities for improvement and how I will improve.
This month’s focus.
Habits I’m focusing on.

After I do my monthly self-reflection, I review and update my Annual Time Block spreadsheet. If I have any vacations or other events scheduled, that’s when I plug them into my work calendar.

Quarterly Reviews

The end of each quarter for me feels like New Years resolutions. It is where I plan long-term goals which break down to monthly and weekly goals. I adjust my prioritized projects as needed and fine-tune any area of my life that needs correction. My three words for the year which encompass my vision are also found on this spreadsheet. My three words for the year which encompass my vision are also found on this spreadsheet.

These are the questions I answer for my quarterly review:

What went well this quarter?
Did I improve from last quarter?
Opportunities for improvement and how I will improve.
This quarter’s focus.
Habits I’m focusing on.

After I do my monthly self-reflection, I review and update my Annual Time Block spreadsheet. If I have any vacations or other events scheduled, that’s when I plug them into my work calendar.

Annual Reviews

During my annual review, My three words for the year which encompass my vision are also found on this spreadsheet.