What Is a Weekly Review?
A weekly review is a recurring session — typically 30 to 60 minutes — where you step back from the day-to-day grind to assess the past week and prepare for the next one. It's a practice popularized by productivity author David Allen in Getting Things Done, but you don't need to follow any specific system to benefit from it.
Think of it as a brief maintenance routine for your work and life: clearing the backlog, resetting your intentions, and making sure nothing important slips through the cracks.
Why Bother With a Weekly Review?
- It prevents tasks and commitments from piling up invisibly.
- It keeps your long-term goals from getting buried by short-term urgency.
- It gives you a sense of closure at the end of the week.
- It reduces the Sunday anxiety of walking into Monday unprepared.
When to Do It
Most people find Friday afternoon or Sunday evening works best. Friday allows you to close out the work week with intention; Sunday gives you time to prepare for Monday. Experiment and pick whichever slot you'll actually stick to. Consistency matters more than timing.
Step-by-Step: How to Run Your Weekly Review
Step 1: Clear the Decks (5–10 minutes)
Before reviewing anything, clear the obvious clutter. Process your inbox (email, physical mail, notes app, voice memos), capture any loose thoughts or open loops into your task list, and make sure everything has a home. You can't think clearly if your inputs are scattered.
Step 2: Review Last Week (10 minutes)
Look back at your calendar and task list for the past week. Ask yourself:
- What did I complete? (Take a moment to acknowledge this.)
- What didn't get done, and why?
- Were there any recurring friction points or bottlenecks?
- Did I spend time on what actually matters, or did I get pulled off track?
You're not looking to judge yourself — you're gathering information to make next week better.
Step 3: Review Your Projects and Goals (10 minutes)
Go through your active projects and longer-term goals. For each one, ask: what's the next action? Is this still a priority? Is anything stalled or overdue? This step keeps big-picture goals from quietly dying due to neglect.
Step 4: Plan Next Week (10–15 minutes)
Look at your upcoming calendar. Identify any deadlines, events, or appointments already scheduled. Then ask: given what's coming up, what are the three to five most important things I want to accomplish next week? Block time for these if you use time blocking.
Step 5: Close Out (5 minutes)
Tidy your workspace (physical and digital), make any final notes, and formally end the review. Some people find it helpful to write a single sentence capturing their intention for the coming week.
Keeping It Simple
Your weekly review doesn't need to be elaborate. A checklist of five questions on a notepad works just as well as a sophisticated digital template. The value comes from the consistency of doing it, not the complexity of the system.
| Phase | Duration | Key Question |
|---|---|---|
| Clear the Decks | 5–10 min | Is everything captured and organized? |
| Review Last Week | 10 min | What happened, and what can I learn from it? |
| Review Projects & Goals | 10 min | Is everything moving forward? |
| Plan Next Week | 10–15 min | What are my top priorities? |
| Close Out | 5 min | Am I ready for Monday? |
Start This Week
Block 45 minutes on your calendar right now for your first weekly review. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just start — and notice how much clearer and more in-control you feel walking into the following week.