WEEKLY REVIEW AND PLANNING- with examples- if you want to use this please download the other attachment

GLOSSARY:
Task: to-do item that can’t be finished immediately as it arises, but may not involve more than one or two ‘stages’.
Project: to do item that will involve more than one or two ‘stages’ a.k.a. ‘Next Actions’ in GTD and therefore could need a bit or maybe a lot of planning.
Goals: are not to-do Projects or Tasks flowing in during course of regular work or home activities, but these are ‘desired’ for achieving improvement or
better condition in some area of my life.
Capture Tool: is the fulcrum of the system and records all Goals thought of or Projects /Tasks to be done. Consists of:
i) At work/home: Different colored sheets in my paper planner for each area of life such as Work, Home, Outside, Goal Thoughts (collectively
called “Bucket” by me) for recording all Projects/ Goals/ Tasks as they crop up, whether because of external stimulus such as mails, emails,
smss, phonecalls, ads,etc etc or because of an idea or thought cropping up in my head.
ii) On-the-go: This could be index cards/ cellphone, etc.
[I use my cellphone to quickly record Projects/ Goals/ Tasks. My phone is a pretty cheap touchscreen one where there is a facility for putting
'notepads' as tiles/ thumbnails on the wallpaper itself. If I have to 'capture' any Project/Goal/Task, I tap on the tile and type in the task. I find
this faster than carrying and pulling out index cards and writing on them since the tiles are on my wallpaper itself and I can use one hand to
type in. What I have done is to have three tiles on the wallpaper of different colors- blue @work, green for @outside and yellow for @home
tasks, so it keeps the tasks sorted automatically. I just have to look at my phone, tap on the right colored tile and type in. I also use this to
type in Calendar entries while on-the-go. It helps if I have reviewed my ‘notepads’ here and incorporated the Goals/Projects/Tasks in the
paper planner Capture Tool daily/midweek and deleted the items thereafter from the cell.]

PROCESS FLOW OF MY WEEKLY PLANNING (takes me 3 hours on a Sunday morning usually):

Snapshot of materials needed:
My cellphone, loose index cards which may have been used as Capture Tools on the go, my physical planner, the printed out Form which features below,
seven differently colored highlighters/ sketch pens, files containing my financial information, all loose papers (other than papers needing filing) at work including
support or research material for Work Projects1 and same at home and in the car, a punch for filing, scissors, a magnetic clipboard with notepad on fridge or, a
bulletin board and pins; chequebook, laptop and pens.

I. COLLATE ALL PROJECTS/TASKS:

A. Check cellphone: - Check notepads for Projects/ Tasks / Goals entered on-the-go and record them in Bucket along with items that have been added
@work or @home already. Check new smss also for Projects/ Tasks and record them in Bucket too.
B. Sync Calendar in paper planner with Calendar entries in cellphone for the week being planned. Highlight week’s events on Calendar in physical planner.
C. Check other on-the- go Capture Tools: Check index cards, etc if used as Capture Tools while on-the-go. For me, it’s usually only my cellphone.
D. Read through the Bucket. Delete or strike out completed Projects or Tasks from the Bucket.
E. Gather all loose papers at home, from work and from car:
- Check which ones are actually leading to Projects/ Tasks and record them in the Bucket.
- Check which loose papers are to be trashed and trash them.
- Check which loose papers are to be filed or are needed for financial review and keep them aside in a pile for now.
F. Review monthly habit tracker (features as a sheet in my planner) and see if anything in daily routine needs revision. Make such revision into a Task.
G. Review Bucket and mark as priority A all Projects/Tasks required to be done this week, and then the rest as B and C. [All Calendar items for this week are
deemed to be A and will be done this week itself. If they not important, then send such of the calendar entries to next week and make calls to postpone /
reschedule meetings or calls or trips if possible]. Some B items in the Bucket from last week will now become A. Last, all incomplete Projects/ Tasks from
last week which were otherwise scheduled for completion, must also now be marked as A. [If 20 items are important this week, and 5 remained
incomplete from last week, I do not mark 15 as priority A this week, and add to that 5 from last week. Instead, the total no. of items becomes 25- my
method of keeping the motivation on for completing as much as possible each week and not to consistently miss deadlines.]
After this, park this segment and move on to the next.

II. GOALS IDENTIFICATION:

A. Look at Vision Statement (features on a sheet inside my physical planner)
B. Look at 3 year goals and six monthly targets for achieving those goals (features already on a sheet inside my physical planner). Otherwise good idea to
make and keep this in the physical planner since it maintains the focus. Look at 1 year mid-term Goals.
C. Mindsweep and see if 3 year goals and six monthly targets set earlier and 1 year mid-term Goals are in sync with Vision Statement or need tweaking
because of any new information during bygone week. Tweak them, if required.
D. Check Thoughts section of Bucket to add new goals to 3 year Goals or 1 year Goals, if and as may be deemed fit.
E. Also add to Goals, all life problems which have cropped up that need solving. In my experience, unless life problems are solved first, it becomes nearly
impossible to focus with clarity on ‘desired’ goals, but will leave that to individual preference.
F. Delete/ strike out completed Goals / six monthly targets.
G. Select one 3 yr- Goal and 1 six monthly-target from within that Goal and one 1 yr Goal – this is a must for me to accomplish Vision.
Park this segment for now and move on to III.

III. STRATEGIZE:
A. Check which Goal/ Project has been avoided consistently in the last couple of weeks or is super-urgent. Think through and see if Goal/ Project is seeming
too complex, taking up too much energy or has some sort of mental block/phobia associated with it that has caused a delay.
B. Think through (including doing lateral thinking, developing motivation/courage or breaking down the Goal or Project to steps to see if mental blocks break
down) But don’t give up and delete the Goal/Project! If it was a goal to begin with, it must have been significant enough. Tap all mental resources to
brainstorm or keep yourself motivated and brave. Take as long as necessary. 2 Write the solution down in the Bucket if the solution is complex or is in the
nature of a Project itself/ Next Action for the Project.
Now move on to IV.

1
This could be a problem for some. In which case would recommend that the weekly review be done in two stages- first at work and then completed at home.
2
I do not mean to sound preachy but this is essentially a note to myself and to remind myself that this is very important.
 IV. FINANCE REVIEW
A. Collect receipts/ financial information of the last week from the pile kept aside in I(G).
B. Update weekly expense tracker (I have a sheet in my physical planner for this as well as an online personal finance manager. Usually I update both-
though it is totally unnecessary to replicate but the additional physical tracker personally gives me some psychological comfort)
C. Refer to budget checklist and make budget for the month, if budget not present already (I have a budget checklist where methodology to be followed for
allocating expenses is written)
D. If budget for the month has been made already, check adherence to budget during last week. If budget has been overshot last week, write down steps to
compensate and decrease from available fund for this week’s expenses. Make a mental or physical note as to how similar overshooting propensity will be
dealt with in the future. If a physical note is made, place it at a visible place at home so that it serves as a daily reminder.
E. Check all emergency expenses expected during the week and month and how that affects planned budget. Adjust accordingly.
F. File all receipts for heavy purchase, all warranties, investment folios received during the week, etc. Update Financial Information file/ online personal
finance manager with details about new bank/demat/ trading accounts and/or new investments/ insurances etc.
G. Plan investments, if any, for the week. If this is instead expected to happen in the next few weeks to months instead, post it in the Bucket and mark it B. If
any steps should be taken this week for making the investment, post it in the Bucket in physical planner and mark it A.
H. Check bill/ insurance premium/maid, cook & chauffeur salary payment dates. Draw cheques or leave instructions accordingly. Record all these payments
now itself.
I. Check cheques, funds received during the week from the day planning sheets and update all information accordingly in online personal fin manager or
physical files.
J. Plan splurge expenses (does not include mundane expenses already covered by 4,7, 8) for this week. Check Wishlist in physical planner (yes I have a
sheet for this, though it could be a bit of an overkill of organization for some others!!). Other than these planned expenses, any new items eyed during the
week and seeming tempting should be noted in Wishlist and definitely not bought during the week- that’s the only rule I follow to avoid impulse buys.

V. FILL FORM:
After completion of Sections I, II and III above, I have all the Goals and Projects comprehensively. So I fill up the Form below to have the Goals and Projects
that I would be working on during the week and the rough weekly schedule. Instructions for filling up the Form feature there itself.

VI. MISCELLANEOUS:
A. Select all loose papers needing archiving from the pile made during I(G) and file them in relevant files.
B. Move to relevant Project folders all other papers that are relevant to active Projects.
C. Dispose/ delete all other loose sheets, index cards, smss, emails, previous week’s daily sheets and weekly review form, etc
D. Put cut-outs of daily home chores and weekly menu on the fridge.
E. Keep the marked out shopping list in the purse.
F. Fill out colored index card for ‘Trip Agenda’ for any upcoming trip during the week and put in a slot in the physical planner.
G. Then I do one or two of the following by rotation each week:
i. Update new contact info and backup cell info on comp.
ii. Backup new info on comp to independent hard drive.
iii. Call/ mail to remind anyone about return of any item if more than three months have lapsed.(Refer to the ‘on loan’ sheet in planner).
iv. Organize files/folders in laptop
v. Update any IT installations required/ block spammers, etc.

And then I am done and ready for some indulgence!!

FORM
A. I cut/tear out this section on Home Chores out and put it up on the bulletin board/fridge. The Daily section is typed. Please modify as per your need if you plan to use this form at all.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
HOME CHORES Daily: Weekend:
Self Instruct Maid to: Instruct Cook to:
Make bed Dust/ Vacuum Cook as per
menu
Wash dishes Clean
microwave
Water plants Clean cooking
hobs
Wash clothes Clean kitchen
counter
Mop floors Fill jugs with
water
Iron clothes Dispose trash
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. All italicized text & arrows are there only as examples/comments. Have also posted another blank form without them. I FILL THIS TABLE B BY HAND.
Obviously since this is a Word doc, you can reformat or lengthen the table as you wish.
 To fill up the Goal Focus and Goal Projects, I refer to the Goal and Target selected from II(G) step in the Process flow;
 To fill up the Calendar Items, I check the calendar items from the physical planner as worked on during I(F) of Process Flow; and I highlight them here.
 All priority A Tasks & Projects marked in Bucket during step I(H) of Process Flow goes into the extreme left column; And I highlight all Must-do items
 Then I fill up the full column of all Next Action Outline for all Projects;
 Projects for Recreation section in this Table do not normally feature in Bucket. I think them up while filling up the section.
 Lastly, I proceed to allocate a Day to the Projects/ Next Actions. Though it is contra GTD to assign a day, I think it helps me maintain some focus.
 Then I highlight different days of the week with a different color (if I am not filling up Table C after this) since it helps quickly identify all Projects/ Tasks/ Actions associated with
each day while scheduling that day during the week e.g all Mondays may be highlighted pink, all Tuesdays blue etc
GOAL FOCUS THIS WEEK: e,g, Tone up! (1 yr Goal) and Become a Fabulous Painter (3 Yr Goal)
PROJECTS & TASKS NEXT ACTION OUTLINE – Review all Project research/support materials to fill this DAY
FOR GOAL ACHIEVEMENT Buy DVD; weights and mat Today on Sunday
E,g. Tracy Anderson Do workout All days
Total Mat Workout

Practise sketching Buy a A5 sketchbook; Buy drawing pencils; Brush up on lesson notes from earlier; Monday May 3
Practise everyday after work All days
WORK
Example: say a work My Next Action list for this Project can be:
project is
1. Opinion on negligence -Read facts; Make list of issues based on facts; read caselaw on all issues; Monday May 3
case - Draft outline; Draft full opinion Tuesday May 4

2.Research on money- Check moneylaundering statute; Draw mindmap on all possible angles of issue; Check Tuesday May 4
laundering blah blah other blah blah statutes for related impact on this issue; Read all caselaw on this issue,
issue Make note; Annex research matl.

[While actually working on a Project, I may keep a separate sheet and break down a Next Action
further or add new ones. Although this outline of Next Action is not exhaustive, it helps me
allocate a day to the Project, which personally for me is important to have an idea about how the
week is going to shape up.

If you can envisage all Next Actions, you may either want to:
-skip/delete this column and just put in all Next Actions separately on a sheet for that Project OR
-record all Next Actions here itself, but in that case you may have to reformat this section of the
form so that it elongates to a few pages.]

CALENDAR EVENTS
E.g, Meet KSS Discuss appraisal; salary hike; resource allocation; provisioning of claim by MS Shops Mon May 3 12 pm
Call Neil Mon May 3 1 pm
Wish him on his birthday

Nephew’s birthday party Wed May 5, 7 pm

Pick up gift; go to party

MONEY
HOME RELATED

ERRANDS OUTSIDE Pick up gift for nephew! Wed May 5

ORGANIZE Download tax forms Monday May 3

Track these daily habits on the Monthly tracker in planner: Workout/ 8 glasses of All days
water/ Follow ideal diet/ Daily review of cellphone capture tool for Projects/ Tasks &
record in Bucket

DELEGATE
Projects/ Tasks Team Member Instructions Day

RECREATION/ ENJOY
C. THIS TABLE IS OPTIONAL. Some weeks, if Table B gets very crowded, filling up this Table helps me see realistically what all Projects/Tasks I am assigning for each day of the week
and how viable such allocation is. I might then prune this Table C and postpone some stuff. Accordingly, some Projects/ Tasks will be struck out from here and from Table B.
MON TUE WED THURS FRI SAT SUN
Daily home Daily home chores Daily home Daily home chores Daily home Daily home Daily home
chores Workout chores Workout chores chores chores
Workout 8 glasses of water Workout 8 glasses of water Workout Workout Workout
8 glasses of water 8 glasses of water 8 glasses of water 8 glasses of water 8 glasses of water
Negligence opinion ……….. ………………. ………..
Negligence Moneylaundering ……………
opinion research ………………..
…..
………. …………… ………….
………….. ………………. …………… ……….. …………….

Nephew’s birthday
Meet KSS- 12 pm
party- 7 pm
Call Alan- 1 pm

……………...
Review cell capture
Review cell Review cell Review cell Weekly review
Review cell capture tool & record in
Download tax capture tool & capture tool & capture tool &
tool & record in Bucket
form record in Bucket record in Bucket record in Bucket
Bucket
Buy A5
sketchbook;
Drawing pencils;
Brush up on
lesson notes from
earlier;

Review cell
capture tool &
record in Bucket
I insert the filled in Table B (& Table C, if filled), in my physical paper planner and refer to them during day-planning everyday -slashes time for daily planning to max 10 mins.
D. MENU FOR THE WEEK:

NOTES FOR FORMULATING HEALTHY MENU THIS WEEK:

I fill up and then usually tear out this menu planning table below and put it on the fridge magnet/ bulletin board after filling up, for easy reference in kitchen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEEKLY MENU
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
BREAKFAST BREAKFAST BREAKFAST BREAKFAST BREAKFAST BREAKFAST BREAKFAST

LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH

DINNER DINNER DINNER DINNER DINNER DINNER DINNER

 SHOPPING LIST FOR THE WEEK (Tick off and ideally shop on Sunday itself)
FRUITS NON- VEGETARIAN OILS DAIRY ITALIAN Notes/ Others:
Fresh Apples Eggs Olive Oil Butter White sauce
Fresh Bananas Boneless Chicken Breast Vegetable Oil Cheese- Marinara sauce
Fresh Berries Boneless chicken Mustard Oil Blue cheese- Fusilli
Fresh Grapes Sausage Cooking spray Cottage Cheese Other pasta
Fresh Lemons Smoked Bacon Cream Cheese Pesto
Fresh Lime Bacon DRESSINGS Creamer Olives
Fresh Melons Crabmeat Blue Cheese Dressing Milk Jalapenos
Fresh Oranges Shrimp French Dressing Soy Milk Parmesan
Fresh Peaches Canned Salmon Italian Dressing Sour Cream
Fresh Pears Canned Tuna Ranch Dressing Double cream BAKING
Fresh Strawberries Vienna Sausage Thousand Island Dressing Yogurt Baking Powder
Fresh Watermelon Baking Soda
Fresh Cherries FROZEN SNACKS Brown Sugar
Fresh Chikku Frozen Dinners Cookies MEDICINES Cake Mix
Fresh Pineapple Frozen Ice Cream Potato Chips Antiacid Cocoa
Frozen Mixed Veg. Walnuts Bandaids Cornstarch
VEGETABLES Frozen Peas Raisins Cough Drops Self raising Flour
Fresh Asparagus Cashew First Aid Cream Oatmeal
Fresh Broccoli SEASONINGS Apricots Pain-Reliever Pancake Mix
Fresh Cabbage Cinnamon Other nuts Vitamins Vanilla Extract
Fresh Carrots Nutmeg Sultanas Crocin Icing sugar
Fresh Cauliflower Paprika Prunes Castor sugar
Fresh Celery Parsley Granola bar TOILETRIES Cooking chocolate
Fresh Corn Pepper Namkeens Handwash
Fresh Garlic Salt Chocolates Deodorant CEREALS
Fresh Lettuce Ginger/ Garlic paste Cream of Chicken Soup Body Lotion Muesli
Fresh Mushrooms Coriander powder Cream of Mushroom Soup Mouthwash Dalia
Fresh Onions Red chilly powder Slim soup Razors Froot Loops
Fresh Peppers Jeera powder Biscuits Shampoo Cornflakes
Fresh Potato Elaichi Buns Conditioner
Fresh Squash Garam masala Hot cross buns Hair mask
Fresh Sweet Potato Other masalas Pastries Hair serum HOME
Fresh Tomatoes Comb Air Freshener
Fresh Zucchini CONDIMENTS STAPLES Slides Bleach
Fresh Peas Honey Dinner Rolls Safety-pins Broom
Fresh Okra Jelly White Bread Shaving Cream Dishwasher
Fresh Spinach Jam Brown Bread Soap Detergent
Fresh Fenugreek Tomato Ketchup Wheat Atta Toothbrush Dishwashing Soap
Fresh Mint Mayonnaise Flour Toothpaste Furniture Polish
Fresh Coriander Mustard White Rice Face Creams Glass Cleaner
Other Fresh Herbs Peanut Butter Brown rice Color cosmetics Laundry Detergent
Fresh Green Chillies Soy Sauce Soya atta Body scrubs Mop
Fresh Garlic Salsa Soya chunks/ granules Facewash Scrub Brush
Fresh Ginger Syrup Sugar Sunblock Sponges
Worcestershire sauce Salt Whisper Toilet Bowl Cleaners
CANNED Teriyaki sauce Hair Oil Towels
Canned Cherries Green chilly sauce BEVERAGES Face Mask Special cleaner
Canned Mixed Fruit Red chilly sauce Coffee Cloth wipes
Canned Peaches Peri peri sauce Fruit Juice PAPER/ PLASTIC Lint remover
Canned Asparagus Oyster sauce Veg juice Freezer Bags Shoeshine
Canned Baked Beans BBQ Sauce Milk Paper Towels Insecticide
Wasabi Tea Plastic Wrap Drain unclogger
BEANS/ LENTILS Bottled Water Foil Wrap Clips for clothes
Butter Beans MISCELLANEOUS Red Bull Storage Bags Starch
Green Beans Batteries Diet Coke Tissue
Kidney Beans- Rajma Light Bulbs Yakult Toilet Paper
Dal CD/ Pen drive Red Wine Trash Bags
Digital storage media White Wine Kitchen towels
Rose Wine Notepads
Brandy Notebooks
Vodka Paper loose
Gin Colored Paper
Tonic Envelopes
Whisky Pens
Bloody Mary Mix