Looking Back To Get Ahead
Let me be completely honest with you. none of my weeks EVER go as planned.
And I’m ok with that.
As I’m sure you already know there is LITERALLY ALWAYS SOMETHING that comes up to derail our plans of accomplishing all that we’ve set out to do for the week.
Getting 100% of what we planned accomplished is just not realistic. We’re human. We make mistakes. We forget. We over extend ourselves. We underestimate how long things will take. And that’s ok.
It’s all part of the process of learning, and, as we learn, week by week we get better at rising to the challenge of meeting the goals we set for ourselves.
But before any next-level learning can happen we have to take the time to think about our actions and how we feel about the way we are approaching getting the things we want out of life.
Which is why I recommend keeping a weekly review journal. It’s a super simple practice with a massive upside and it takes almost no time at all.
Without going into some long-winded speech about how journaling can improve your intellect, mental health, and physical health, I’ll say this. Keeping a weekly journal allows you to check in how you envisioned your life going and acknowledge how it’s actually going, and then take the time to think about what you feel like changing.
Here’s how you can get started with your own journaling practice today:
Step 1. Pick a day for your weekly review.
Ideally you’ll want to pick a day towards the end of the week.
Set aside at least 10 to 20 minutes to review what’s happened during the past week so that you can think about how things have played out and if there’s anything you want to celebrate, remember, or change.
Step 2. Decide how you want to keep your journal.
I recommend using either a Google Doc or the Day One app. I use the Day One app because I like the idea of having a specific app for journaling, and I like that it allows you to password protect your journal so you have some privacy.
For all you old school folks, I’m sure you can find a pen and paper lying around somewhere and that will work fine, too.
Step 3. Answer these four questions on a weekly basis:
What was the highlight of my week?
What am I most proud of this week?
How do I feel the week went this week?
What do I want to improve upon next week?
You can, of course, modify or add to these questions. The important thing is that you find a way to reflect on your past and decide what you want from the future.
Step 4. Stick to it!
The key here is consistency. If you can consistently take the time to observe and reflect what’s going on in your life from week to week you’ll learn a great deal about what motivates you, what areas of your life you want to change, and how you can make better decisions on what to spend your time and energy on.
Pro Tip: You can also use this process to realign your plans for the next week and break out your productivity matrix and start calendaring your upcoming week while you are in this reflective mindset.
As always, if you need an online tutor for just about anything - including getting organized and being productive with your time - let us know!
DID YOU MISS THE PREVIOUS PARTS OF OUR PRODUCTIVITY SERIES? YOU CAN STILL READ THEM!
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