No weekly routine possible in my job/life!! Weekly review gets difficult to schedule

[sonia13de]

almost doing this now

If your schedule is very dynamic with no discernible weekly pattern then I think your "weekly" review should be just as flexible. Forget weekends or every 7 days. 4 days since the last review? but you have a nice window of opportunity on the plane? do it. Been 10 days but now the opportunity presents itself? do it.

I think the more important things when you don't have a weekly pattern is to be aware of the energy/mood that you're usually in when you do feel like doing it. Is there a pattern to that? Mornings? Evenings? Also, notice the environments that are also conducive to reviews for you. Maybe plane or train rides? My point is, forget the days and instead look for opportunities in your energy level and environment.

I think it's also important to notice your comfort level with your GTD system. You can go through 4 days of really hectic activity and start to feel icky about your system cause you know its not up to date. Or you could go 9 days of relatively calm period and still be comfortable with your system. When you start to feel uncomfortable with your system then its time to start looking for those energy/environment opportunities.

Good luck!

Thanks Noel!
In fact, this is a bit how I am doing it today, even without having planned it... the strange thing is that I tend to do it when I feel more stressed, probably I do it in order NOT to lose control totally. When it is calm it feels like I have better control of it. I posted my question because I saw everyone having kind of a "routine" but you are right: if all the rest in my life has none, why should I make a strict weekly review. Thanks for releiving me

 

[sonia13de]

I found my Weekly Review went more smoothly when I shuffled things around and framed it as:

1. Set the Stage (collecting & processing)
2. Clear the Runway (review action lists & calendar data)
3. Come up to 10,000 feet (review projects, someday/maybe & checklists)
4. Imagine Future Manifestations (mind sweep - sometimes this gets done in stage 1, depending on how much is tugging at my attention; I also spend some time just visualising general successful outcomes and clip pictures to include in an Image Book I keep)...

If it feels like it's time, I add in an "Upper Horizons" stage and review my 20,000-40,000 foot stuff...

I don't schedule my WR for any particular day anymore. I just know when I'm (a) in the right frame of mind, and (b) need to do it! It's definitely instrinsically motivated at this point.

Thanks Carolyn!
Another confirmation of what Noel wrote me. I like the idea of linking it to another habit that is already established. My problem is the disciplin and probably starting with 5min will be good. And taking out the pressure of *having* to do it once a week is worth a lot. Thanks!