What doesn’t get measured doesn’t get improved.  One of the most effective ways to assess and tweak your time management system and skills is to add a weekly review to your schedule.  Today, I’m sharing 4 ways a weekly review can be beneficial.

4 reasons to add a weekly review to your schedule:  Introduction

It makes sense to do more of what’s working, and address what isn’t.  In the context of time management, adding a weekly review can provide tons of insights into your:

• Scheduling practices
• Energy management
• Work/life mix
• Commitments
• Hidden mindset issues
• Mental & emotional wellbeing

In short, a weekly review allows you to gain insights into a wide array factors to assess what’s working, as well as identify areas of opportunity.

A weekly review doesn’t have to take a ton of time or energy, either.  It can be as easy as taking 5 minutes to review your week and answer a few questions.  My comprehensive time management guide includes four simple questions to ask during your weekly review.  Sign up for your free copy here.

Let’s dive in to 4 reasons to add a weekly review to your schedule.

Prevents tasks from slipping through the cracks

One of the most important functions of a weekly review is to prevent unfinished tasks from becoming lost in the shuffle.

I always recommend that unfinished tasks be rescheduled on the calendar as soon as you know you won’t be able to complete them.  However, that’s not always possible.  The day might be incredibly hectic, you may be dealing with an emergency or urgent issue, or you may simply forget.

A weekly review can serve as a failsafe against losing track of those tasks that were on your calendar, but that you didn’t ultimately complete.  By comparing what was scheduled versus what you completed, you can quickly and easily inventory tasks that need to be rescheduled or moved back to your to-do list.  (By the way, there is no “right” answer on which is better – do what works best for you and your goals in each situation.)

Allows you to recognize and celebrate progress toward goals

While it’s normal for the human brain to skim over accomplishments and shift focus to “the next thing on the list,” that natural tendency is not always helpful.

When you’re running a business and hammering toward a goal, it can be easy to focus on all the work that’s left to be done.  That can lead to frustration, overwhelm, and reduced motivation.

Incorporating a weekly review can provide the opportunity to celebrate small wins and progress toward goals.  Taking that intentional pause to highlight the positives can have some big benefits.  First, it can release dopamine or even serotonin in the brain.  Second, it can promote positive thinking, and foster helpful emotions like resilience, motivation, commitment, self-confidence, and focus.

Provides an opportunity to analyze, assess, and make adjustments

One of my favorite things about the weekly review is that it can help you do more of what’s working, and address what isn’t working.  Taking the time to review your week, assess how it went, and make simple tweaks (or big corrections) is an invaluable practice.

Here are just a few adjustments I’ve made to my planning and scheduling practices as a result of weekly reviews:

• Changed up the buffer time before/after coaching calls and consult calls
• Made Tuesdays my preferred day for networking/coffee meet-ups
• Started scheduling out prep sessions for big events as soon as I book them
• Got super intentional about creating an appropriate balance between client work, business development, and admin tasks
• Dropped commitments that I dreaded and that were sapping my time and energy

All of those changes have helped me manage my energy more holistically, get more done, and avoid burnout.  And, they all resulted from a quick, 5-10 minute weekly review process.

The best part is, the data is already there – on your schedule, and in your mind.  So, why not take advantage of it?  Why not dig in a little to figure out what’s working and what isn’t, and create solutions?

Here are just a few categories to consider when you’re analyzing what’s going well and what could be changed:

• How, when, and why you’re getting distracted
• Energy levels throughout the day vs. tasks scheduled (Morning person?  Try doing important work first!)
• The mix of time working in your workspace vs. onsite at events, client meetings, etc.
• Length and frequency of work time blocks
• Length and frequency of breaks and personal time
• When, why, and how you’re scheduling admin work vs. creative work
• Intervals between calls, appointments, etc.

I could go on forever, but I’ll stop there.

Helps you gain awareness around thought/behavioral patterns

Finally, a weekly review can help you uncover hidden mindset issues that may be holding you back (or ones that are driving you forward).

Real-life example:  My love/hate relationship with sending speaking pitches

For example, I had a recurring item on my calendar to spend a few hours each week pitching to be a guest on 3-5 podcasts or other speaking engagements.  I almost always found an excuse not to do it.  Instead of taking it off of my calendar, I decided to get curious.

To be honest, I don’t love pitching.  But, a good portion of my new clients come to me as a result of hearing me speak – on podcasts, at conferences and events, etc.  So, while I don’t love it, pitching does help my business grow.

Here’s where the curiosity became so valuable.  I asked myself, “What don’t I like about that item being on my calendar?”

I discovered that I thought it sounded like a lot of taxing work that I didn’t enjoy.  Also, it was scheduled right after a weekly luncheon on Thursday afternoons, where I’d often come home a bit late after talking with friends.  And, as a morning person, my energy tends to lull in the afternoons.  As a result, I felt unmotivated and resistant to doing those pitches each week.

So, I decided to switch things up.  First, I adjusted the expectation from 3-5 pitches to just 1.  I cut the amount of time in half.  And, I moved the time block to mid-morning, after I’ve typically had a few wins for the day and my energy is still high.

Now, I’m getting more pitches done (which means more opportunities).  This change also freed up space for an additional client coaching call on Thursday afternoons.  I enjoy coaching so much, I can do it well even when my energy level isn’t super high – something else I noticed as a result of my weekly reviews.

How to uncover hidden mindset issues during your weekly review

Here are a few simple ways to uncover hidden mindset issues (or areas of strength!) during your weekly review:

• Look for tasks that you tend to skip over or avoid (or ones that you gravitate toward heavily)
• Ask yourself what you were thinking and feeling in the moments before you decided to skip the task (or before you dove in enthusiastically, for things you enjoy doing)
• Ask yourself why this task is important, how it helps, and whether you want to continue doing it
• Decide how you want to think and feel about the task
• If you want to continue, what adjustments will make it easier for you to get it done?

Answering these few questions only takes a bit of time, but can result in some major shifts in your mindset and productivity.

4 reasons to add a weekly review to your schedule:  Conclusion

As I said earlier, things that don’t get measured can’t be improved.  Adding a quick, 5-10 minute weekly review to the end of your week can be an invaluable source of insights into your planning, scheduling, and mindset.  Here’s a quick recap of 4 reasons why conducting a weekly review is beneficial:

• Prevents tasks from slipping through the cracks
• Allows you to recognize and celebrate progress toward goals
• Provides an opportunity to analyze, assess, and make adjustments
• Helps you gain awareness around thought/behavioral patterns that are helping or holding you back

Conducting a weekly review is a great step, but it can feel overwhelming to decide what to do with the information you glean as a result.  Part of my work with clients includes helping them analyze and assess their week, and determine how to move forward. If that kind of support sounds great to you, schedule a free Productivity Power Call with me.  We’ll talk about how you’re doing now, and how you can adjust your time management strategies and mindset to propel you forward, in your business and your personal life.