Weekly Planning Checklist

Here’s a great Lifehacker article on the weekly review. And here’s my checklist, based on chapter 19 in What’s Best Next.

Step 1: Pray and Review

1. Pray for wisdom and insight, and for God to work on your behalf.
2. Review your mission and vision, so you stay connected to the big picture and don’t let them fall through the cracks.

Step 2: Define Your Priorities for the Week

For each of these things, write down the things you identify and come to mind:

1. Reflect. Ask yourself “what do I need to do this week?” and “what would I like to do this week?”
2. Review your roles and goals. Again, to stay connected to the big picture and make sure things don’t fall through the cracks. Ask “what 1-2 things would make the biggest impact this week in relation to each of my roles?”
3. Review your project and action lists. Identify the core actions you need to move forward on this week.
4. Review your calendar. What meetings and other activities do you have to prepare for?
5. Get creative about doing good. Ask: Are there any actions I can take against injustice this week (Isaiah 1:17)? Who is in need, and how might I be able to help? What action can I take, even if small, in the fight against large global problems?

Step 3: Organize Your Priorities in a Way that Makes them Easy to Do

1. Separate the large items from the small items.
2. Prune.
3. Schedule anything that needs to be scheduled.
4. Do the small items right away.
5. Put the large items on your weekly priority list for the week.

And Remember:

1. Don’t skip planning, even when you are super busy. Being busy is the precise reason you need to plan!
2. Seize unplanned opportunities throughout the week. Often, the most meaningful moments and opportunities are the things we didn’t expect or plan.