If you feel overwhelmed and off course, weekly planning helps you to take control and get back on track. The lack of a plan or the plan itself could be your problem. Cultivate purposeful work and intentional living with a review of your past week and a preview of your upcoming week.
Consolidate by planning your ideal week, designate by prioritizing your tasks with the weekly review, and activate by beating interruptions and distractions. Streamline your to-do list by connecting to your heart, mind, and body and the cosmos.
What do you want to have done in the week? What are the big things you can do to call the week a success and make it great?
Unexpected things will come up. Tasks will take longer than you expected. Distractions and interruptions will pull you away. But you’re more likely to accomplish what you must when you plan for it and begin with the end in mind.
In episode 8 of The Incrementalist podcast, I discuss achieving more by doing less in a week. You will learn:
1. How to consolidate by planning your Ideal Week
- The concepts of batching and theming
- The categories of front stage, back stage, and off stage activities
- The use of color codes in your weekly plan or calendar to reflect focus areas
2. How to designate by prioritizing your tasks with the Weekly Review and Preview
- The best times to do a weekly review and preview
- The six steps in a weekly planning session: list your biggest wins; review the prior week; review your lists and notes; check goals, projects, events, meetings and deadlines; designate your Weekly Big 3 things to accomplish; and plan for self-care
3. How to streamline your to-do list
- The four areas to help you design your week and your weekly to-dos: body; mind; heart; and the cosmos.
- The importance of margin or buffer time
Resources Cited:
- Michael Hyatt, Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less
- Kate Northrup, Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Ambitious Women
To listen to episode 8, How to Plan an Ideal Week, click here.
Cheers,
Dyan Williams
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Dyan Williams is a solo lawyer who practices U.S. immigration law and legal ethics at Dyan Williams Law PLLC. She is also a productivity coach who helps working parents, lawyers, small business owners and other busy people turn their ideas into action, reduce overwhelm, and focus on what truly matters. She is the author of The Incrementalist: A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps.
