Weekly Review clash with Natural Planning Model?

[DoingIt]

I suppose this must have been discussed in the past, but I haven't been able to find anything relevant by searching for it:

When you are doing your weekly review, how do you deal with the case of coming across projects that trigger you to start a planning session, thereby disrupting the flow of the weekly review? Do you succumb to the temptation and interrupt the weekly review, thus killing the spontaneity of brainstorming etc., or do you carry on with the weekly review regardless and come back to the project concerned at a later time?

[furashgf]

I've posted the very same question before, though in the format "when do you do your organizing." The advice I got then was NEVER to do it during the WR - it's what kills your review and takes it from 1-2 hours to neverending. It was suggested that I spawn off a task to "brainstorm ideas for project N" as the next action, rather than try to do the organizing then. I haven't fully implemented the latter but not doing the former has helped me get reviews completed.

[kewms]

I apply a two-minute-like rule.

Some planning is indistinguishable from Weekly Review tasks like determining the next action for a project. "I'm stalled on Project X. Why? What do I need to do to get moving again? Hmmmm..... I think I'm stalled because I don't have a clear idea what the client wants, so the next action is to set up a meeting to figure that out."

Some planning is a project in its own right. "The client wants me to convert Boston's elevated highway to a tunnel. Without shutting down Boston's business district for the duration. Hmmmm.... I need to think about this a little bit..." (For those not familiar with it, the Big Dig was a 10-plus year, $14 billion plus project. Not the sort of thing you can plan on a cocktail napkin.)

So, in the Weekly Review I do the amount of planning necessary to determine the Next Action. Sometimes, this means that the Next Action is "brainstorm project plan." And, I have my ubiquitous capture tool handy to jot down ideas that pop up of their own volition, which then get processed like any other Inbox item.

Katherine

[treelike]

D'oh I knew there was a reason I come back to read this forum. The number of times my weekly review has expanded into hours and hours because I was stuck at determining a next action for a project. It's so obvious- determining the next action is a next action in itself (if it's going to take more than two minutes to determine).

[DoingIt]

Thank you for sharing your views about this matter.

[dwayneneckles]

Wonderful work all of you!

Here is a question to ask that I think will take the ideas presented above FURTHER:

should I create a next action category called @NaturalPlanning.. to deal with projects that need to go through those stages..

and what that means is that I am physically at my desk with a blank paper and pen going through the natural planning model..

I think this may make sense, so I wil try it. its a major reason as to why I dont finish my Weekly Review... I'm glad to have this support...

Dwayne

[mephisto]

Wonderful work all of you!

Here is a question to ask that I think will take the ideas presented above FURTHER:

should I create a next action category called @NaturalPlanning.. to deal with projects that need to go through those stages..

and what that means is that I am physically at my desk with a blank paper and pen going through the natural planning model..

I think this may make sense, so I wil try it. its a major reason as to why I dont finish my Weekly Review... I'm glad to have this support...

Dwayne

If this natural planning context is one that physically occurs often enough, eg you find yourself at your desk with a blank paper and pen and not doing anything else, I think @NaturalPlanning seems like a good context. But to me this seems like a awkward category, since:

-it won't happen just by itself
-so you have to make it happen

The latter meaning you need to plan it, or think about it, or have a NA that makes you think about it.

Another thing is, in what context would you decide to look at the @NaturalPlanning context? When you're at work and checking and working on your @Work NA list?

If I need to create a project I just write down a general NA, because most projects can be planned on the back of an envelope so can be done anywhere. That's probably too simple though, as I have rather simple needs to meet.

[dwayneneckles]

If this natural planning context is one that physically occurs often enough, eg you find yourself at your desk with a blank paper and pen and not doing anything else, I think @NaturalPlanning seems like a good context.

yea i do.. my job is slow you know.. also im in bed daydreaming
with a pad and paper.. so its lulls like those

Another thing is, in what context would you decide to look at the @NaturalPlanning context? When you're at work and checking and working on your @Work NA list?

Good Question, i guess it can kinda be done anywhere... at work if there is some downtime but at home on the train ride...

u think it seems awkward huh..i didnt fully understand what you mean by ill have to make it happen ( thats fine, i think most next actions dont happen by themselves) ill try it out and see

[mephisto]

With it I meant that most people wont find themselves suddenly with free time and a pen and a blank paper. But seems like you do. So it might work for you.

[WebR0ver]

I think there are times when you deliberately put yourself into a context instead of letting it happen.
Examples:
You know you must put out minutes for a meeting, so you put yourself in an @computer context. Once you are there and the minutes are complete, you look again at your @computer NA list and identify anything else you can do while you're already on a roll.

You are in your office between meetings for a half hour. You can make calls, be on the computer or do a half hour of natural planning. You quickly scan these three NA lists for something that fits your energy level, amount of time and needs to be done soonest.