So last Friday I did a slow review. Instead of closing my door and getting through the entire review in about an hour and a half, I let myself be interrupted and follow the trails and do some doing as I did my review over pretty much the entire day. I finished mid-afternoon. I don't necessarily recommend doing it this way, but I knew my lists were a little overgrown having missed the previous week's review and there were a lot of little things (but more than 2 minutes!) that I could do as I went. It feels great now knowing everything was up-to-date for at least a few moments.
Weekly Review Challenge (July 2014)
- Thread starter Barb
- Start date
WR #3
Second Weekly Review completed in one day (last Friday)! I think one reason for this is judicious use of Someday Maybe lists. I have set up multiple SMB lists by review frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually). This keeps me from getting overwhelmed with any one list while, hopefully, seeing things often enough that they don't fall between the cracks.
Thanks to rainy weather Saturday I knocked an old / stale item off of my @Home list: Put up blinds (that we got for Christmas). That got the juices flowing so Sunday I completed another next action that was starting to age: Weed eat yard (with the unwritten almost-project of "get the stoopid weed eater running).
Now to tackle some Yuck Factor items at work!
Mike
Second Weekly Review completed in one day (last Friday)! I think one reason for this is judicious use of Someday Maybe lists. I have set up multiple SMB lists by review frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually). This keeps me from getting overwhelmed with any one list while, hopefully, seeing things often enough that they don't fall between the cracks.
Thanks to rainy weather Saturday I knocked an old / stale item off of my @Home list: Put up blinds (that we got for Christmas). That got the juices flowing so Sunday I completed another next action that was starting to age: Weed eat yard (with the unwritten almost-project of "get the stoopid weed eater running).
Now to tackle some Yuck Factor items at work!
Mike
WR #1 for July! @Barb, thanks! It is great to be back!! I meandered my way through this review over about 10 days, getting emails back under control, going through all of my action lists, DOING a lot of actions, and a quick review of projects. I've scheduled a deeper Project Review for next week. And I might even get a 2nd review in for the month!
Oogiem
0
WR #4 Started
I know it's not ideal but I'm doing review in pieces due to the issues w/ picking up all the slack from K while he's injured. So today is going to be focused on get clear and review of calendar and pending projects to see what trains are heading down the tracks at me that I know about.
I know it's not ideal but I'm doing review in pieces due to the issues w/ picking up all the slack from K while he's injured. So today is going to be focused on get clear and review of calendar and pending projects to see what trains are heading down the tracks at me that I know about.
Oogiem
0
WR# 4 Continued
Then I decided to switch up my review and look at each AOF rather than by active or in someday maybe. I'm only part way through my AOFs but I'm getting some interesting insights from this. I think I may need to incorporate a by AOF review every once in a while just because of the different thinking it is forcing me to do.
Then I decided to switch up my review and look at each AOF rather than by active or in someday maybe. I'm only part way through my AOFs but I'm getting some interesting insights from this. I think I may need to incorporate a by AOF review every once in a while just because of the different thinking it is forcing me to do.
WR #4
Another Weekly Review completed in one day (three in a row now). I would have posted sooner but it I wrapped it up late in the day Friday and I tend to get into a focused doing mode over the weekend so lunch on Monday is the first time I have to compose my thoughts on it.
I was reminded by the latest Connect webinar (and my projects list) that I want to go through the exercise of mapping my Areas of Focus (which I mindmapped during a previous webinar) to my projects list. Not a Yuck Factor item but something that gets put off due to more pressing demands on my time. Perhaps that is something to add to my WR checklist, maybe with a quarterly frequency (assuming I find enough benefit from the exercise).
I think this week's Yuck Factor item is to read (maybe skim is a better term) the manual for my calendar software to make sure I am utilizing it effectively. I have carried it around in my backpack for several months now as I prefer to highlight and make notes and really want to lighten my load!
Mike
Another Weekly Review completed in one day (three in a row now). I would have posted sooner but it I wrapped it up late in the day Friday and I tend to get into a focused doing mode over the weekend so lunch on Monday is the first time I have to compose my thoughts on it.
I was reminded by the latest Connect webinar (and my projects list) that I want to go through the exercise of mapping my Areas of Focus (which I mindmapped during a previous webinar) to my projects list. Not a Yuck Factor item but something that gets put off due to more pressing demands on my time. Perhaps that is something to add to my WR checklist, maybe with a quarterly frequency (assuming I find enough benefit from the exercise).
I think this week's Yuck Factor item is to read (maybe skim is a better term) the manual for my calendar software to make sure I am utilizing it effectively. I have carried it around in my backpack for several months now as I prefer to highlight and make notes and really want to lighten my load!
Mike
@jkunk
My tip for reducing list size overwhelm is to divide and conquer. I have several Someday Maybe lists based on review frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually currently). About once a month I review my calendar 4 months out and that usually triggers some new projects but not all of them need to be worked on immediately so I pick one of these lists to put them on. This is also good for projects that change from active to on-hold or projects that I just plain don't have the bandwidth to work on this week.
This helps me reduce the size of the current Projects and Next Actions that I look at daily.
Another trick I use is to add a "focus" tag for items I "really, really" want to make progress on this week. My eyes are usually larger than my stomach when I apply this tag but I think it helps me further refine what I look at from day to day.
Mike
My tip for reducing list size overwhelm is to divide and conquer. I have several Someday Maybe lists based on review frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually currently). About once a month I review my calendar 4 months out and that usually triggers some new projects but not all of them need to be worked on immediately so I pick one of these lists to put them on. This is also good for projects that change from active to on-hold or projects that I just plain don't have the bandwidth to work on this week.
This helps me reduce the size of the current Projects and Next Actions that I look at daily.
Another trick I use is to add a "focus" tag for items I "really, really" want to make progress on this week. My eyes are usually larger than my stomach when I apply this tag but I think it helps me further refine what I look at from day to day.
Mike
hikerpa
0
Weekly Review #4 for July
I'm so amazed that the weekly review is what really keeps me on tract. I'm looking at my lists on a regular basis and keeping everything as up to date as possible. The weekly review has really forced me to take a good look at each of my projects. I'm not sure why I resisted it for so long.
This week I tackled a project that has been on my list for quite a while and I was really resisting it. I cleaned out my Bathroom Closet and was able to pitch a bunch of things and then painted the inside. It took me about 2 days and now it's completed and looks great!
I'm so amazed that the weekly review is what really keeps me on tract. I'm looking at my lists on a regular basis and keeping everything as up to date as possible. The weekly review has really forced me to take a good look at each of my projects. I'm not sure why I resisted it for so long.
This week I tackled a project that has been on my list for quite a while and I was really resisting it. I cleaned out my Bathroom Closet and was able to pitch a bunch of things and then painted the inside. It took me about 2 days and now it's completed and looks great!
WR # 3 for July (# 26 of 2014)
I had the best of intentions to do my weekly review last week while at the airport waiting for my flight. It didn't quite work out since it felt like jet lag set in before I even left home! I guess I really needed the break and quite honestly, I knew that I was in good shape based on keeping my system up to date so I let it go. So here I am, back from my trip and getting caught up.
I was able to check off quite a bit that's happened in the last two weeks as well as add new actions from my meetings while I was away. I combined a short vacation during my trip and this has renewed my energy to focus on some "yuck" actions at home in the coming month.
I still need to tackle my projects list - I've listened to the Managing Projects series and understand how key this is but just haven't found the time to get it done.
I've added an appointment to my calendar to spend some time on it later this week, at least to get started.
I had the best of intentions to do my weekly review last week while at the airport waiting for my flight. It didn't quite work out since it felt like jet lag set in before I even left home! I guess I really needed the break and quite honestly, I knew that I was in good shape based on keeping my system up to date so I let it go. So here I am, back from my trip and getting caught up.
I was able to check off quite a bit that's happened in the last two weeks as well as add new actions from my meetings while I was away. I combined a short vacation during my trip and this has renewed my energy to focus on some "yuck" actions at home in the coming month.
I still need to tackle my projects list - I've listened to the Managing Projects series and understand how key this is but just haven't found the time to get it done.
I've added an appointment to my calendar to spend some time on it later this week, at least to get started.
WR# 2 for July
Back on the wagon... It feels great to get through a quick WR after the monster one I finished last week.
I have 5 projects that feel most important/most time sensitive, so I read through all my project lists (including "projects not now" and "projects later") and found 2 others that need attention in the next 2 weeks. I pulled those 7 onto a temporary "Projects NOW" list. That will help me keep focused, and give me the freedom of now worrying about anything else on my project lists until my next review. The YUCK factor around getting back on the wagon is mostly resolved. Thanks!
Back on the wagon... It feels great to get through a quick WR after the monster one I finished last week.
I have 5 projects that feel most important/most time sensitive, so I read through all my project lists (including "projects not now" and "projects later") and found 2 others that need attention in the next 2 weeks. I pulled those 7 onto a temporary "Projects NOW" list. That will help me keep focused, and give me the freedom of now worrying about anything else on my project lists until my next review. The YUCK factor around getting back on the wagon is mostly resolved. Thanks!
WR#4 JULY 2014
Completed a good WR yesterday, focusing on Projects has made a difference (in the past I focused too much on the Actions lists). I was able to go through my SD lists and at least know what is in there. But am planning to spend time in August to get the SD and Maybe lists updated.
Completed a good WR yesterday, focusing on Projects has made a difference (in the past I focused too much on the Actions lists). I was able to go through my SD lists and at least know what is in there. But am planning to spend time in August to get the SD and Maybe lists updated.
This month I used a paper-based method for drawing a winner, and two slips of paper stuck together. So we have two winners. Congratulations to mwinn and ArcCaster! You each get a one-month extension on your GTD Connect membership.
