Weekly Review

It is apparently recommended to review past and future events in one's calendar during the weekly review to help capture action-items, project ideas, etc. Does anyone have a recommendation for how many days/weeks one should go forward and backward in reviewing one's calendar?

I just sweep backwards far enough to catch any old appointments that need to be brought forward. At first, you will find things a ways back, but after a while you won't have to look back more than 1 week.

For sweeping it forward, I look at everything within 4 weeks closely, then just give the next 6 months a quick sweep as a reminder.

Instead of using a monthly calendar view to do this, what I've found helps, is to use a printout of linear calendar view (just a list of appointments printed in date order) to do this. That's quicker. In Ecco you can do a 1-year calendar sweep 60 seconds or less, just by dropping the "Appointments" calendar into a view, then sorting on the date column.

-Steve

I tend to review in detail two weeks back, and two weeks forward. I find that by default I generally scan more than that, but those two views will keep me current. I have caught things before ("Wow, I need TICKETS for that trip!").

I have a real bias, though, about keeping my Projects list current. Invariably, the items on my calendar are "connected" in some way to the projects, and the faithful review of that inventory does keep me clean.

Raise your hand if you were able to do a weekly review on Friday (or anytime last week!).

How was it?

How did it feel?

Did you "catch" anything?

Would you suggest doing that each week?

I was able to do my review on a long(er) plane ride across the country. I remember when I landed, and walked toward the taxi. On the way into the city from the airport, I was struck by how much I "noticed" on the way in. With a clear mind, so much more opens up to me! I even got an idea for my next article...

Jason
jason@davidco.com

I guess I'm not getting things done well enough to get a weekly review done!

Raising hand

I got my weekly review done on Friday. It was a critical one too, because this is my last week at work before a long vacation. Focus is really important, and I did catch things that had to be attended to this week. So, I probably won't do a weekly review this Friday before leaving. Instead, I will do a re-focus session when I get back. For me, the weekly review is still what makes the whole system work.

I'm intending to have my very first one in years this coming friday. I was at the seminar in Dallas last week and gave myself the weekend off.