The number one problem in life planning is that people stop reviewing their life plan. And those things that have been identified as most important fade into the noise of life and work.
Your life and work are not something that you plan once and then put away. They are far too important for that! To have maximum impact, your life plan and business vision should be reviewed regularly.
When I first wrote my life plan – and when I first drafted my business vision – I reviewed them every day for 90 days. Yes, this was time-consuming, but eventually I could review them quickly in 10-15 minutes. This practice solidified the purpose and the practice of reviewing them regularly.
After 90 days, I began reviewing them weekly. I found that monthly wasn’t often enough for me.
I noticed that I had some margin on Sunday during the early morning hours when the family is still sleeping. So I scheduled a weekly review of my life plan and business vision.
Over the years my weekly review has come to include more items which each help me 1) retain margin in my schedule, 2) maintain healthy relationships and connections, 3) be fulfilled in my work, and 4) be more productive and effective.
Today, I’m giving you access to my Weekly Review Template. I’ll share it with you in a moment, but first, here are four ways that my weekly review has helped me find greater fulfillment and effectiveness in my life and work…
1. Reconnect with the important
My life plan and business vision outline those things that I have identified as having the highest-value in my life and work. Let’s face it – life happens. We get off track. The urgent replaces the important.
If I’ve strayed off track or my progress has slowed, my weekly review allows me to refocus and reset. It helps me reconnect with my highest-payoff disciplines.
2. Review progress
I’m naturally more attune to areas that need improvement. It’s easy for me to be blind to progress. So it’s important for me to set a time to review where I’ve come from – and how far I’ve come.
All of us can benefit from celebrating progress more often – it provides energy and creates momentum to get to the next level.
3. Look ahead
It’s also critical for me to reconnect with where I’m headed – short-term and long-term. So I take a look at the next week or two in my calendar to see what’s coming. Reviewing my business plan helps me keep up with short-term projects and reviewing my business vision helps me keep 5, 10, 20 year goals in view.
4. Make updates
When I first wrote my life plan, business vision, business plans, Best Week, etc., they weren’t perfect. In fact, I found that there were a lot of things that just didn’t work in the early days. They were works in progress.
Michael Hyatt recommends that you view them as drafts which you will regularly revise as needed. I often make minor notes and updates on a weekly basis.
I schedule 1-2 days away for my quarterly review to make major improvements. I have also scheduled an annual review during the week between Christmas and New Years – another discipline I learned from Michael Hyatt.
During my annual review I complete my annual plan for the coming year. This helps me look ahead 1-2 years to ensure that I set aside substantial time for those areas that I have identified as most important in my life – God, Sarah, Madison, Family, Friends, etc.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m still learning and adjusting this process to work for me. Yet, I’ve seen dramatic improvements in my life and work – particularly in areas that are top priority for me.
So, click here to download the Weekly Review Guide and Template.
How often do you review your life and business planning? What have you found works best for you? Let us know in the comments below.
Great piece. I needed to read this. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Philip. I appreciate your encouragement.
Thanks for this Michael! I got 80% of my life plan done on Sunday and will finish the rest this weekend. But you’re right, it doesn’t stop there. I know I will be reviewing it on a daily basis because I’ve already learned so much about what I want out of life from doing it (for example, I put Education as one of my accounts. I never realized it was that important to me until I had to create an account and really think about it)
It’s good to know that you reviewed it so much. I know I’ll be doing the same.
I know there will be some humbling moments when I review progress and it will seem like very little has been made but if I’m constantly reconnecting, I know that won’t always be the scenario.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Jeff. Last week I went away for my quarterly review – the time was very productive. I’m going to write about it and provide my quarterly review template soon.
Michael,
I find that I have tried to do all those things and, for the most part, actually do them fairly effectively — note the hedging words! However, being consistent in these practices has been challenge. What have you found are the keys to your staying on task with these regular planning sessions?
Great question. There are two things that come to mind:
1. These disciplines are part of my life plan which I have written out. I explain more here – http://www.michaelnichols.org/your-life-matters. If you have not written out your life plan using Michael Hyatt’s eBook and life planning tool. You’ll want to start there. It will help you immensely. If you do have a written life plan, then the second discipline will help you see dramatic improvement…
2. I found that when I am not getting the results in any area of my life or work, I have to get more specific. I’ve written about this at http://www.michaelnichols.org/get-better-results, so I won’t go into great detail here. This principle can be applied to your weekly planning sessions.
a. Let’s assume you have set aside Sunday evening for your weekly review. And you skip the review two weeks in a row. The next week, get more specific – set a time – 5:00-6:00 pm.
b. If for some reason you miss it again – get more specific – set a time that will work better for you (maybe 7-8 pm) and ask a friend or spouse to call you 15 minutes before the schedule time to hold you accountable.
c. If you are still having trouble – get more specific – have someone meet with you at the scheduled time for a few weeks until you get the schedule tweaked to fit you.
A couple other things to keep in mind:
1. Attach the weekly review to something you enjoy doing – Starbucks if you like coffee, the library if you like books, a park if you like the outdoors. This will motivate you to look forward to the event rather than seeing it as an inconvenience to your already busy schedule.
2. You will probably have to experiment with times. I originally planned some other planning activities for Sunday evening – but it was too much. SO I moved some of it to Monday morning. It took me a few weeks to figure this out. I just experimented until I found a scenario that worked for me.
Let me know how it goes. Would love to talk more about. Feel free to email me or DM me on Twitter.
Thanks, Michael. I especially appreciated the reminder to connect the weekly planning with an experience I will look forward to. I use that in other areas, but hadn’t yet applied it here. Will keep you posted.
Great Bill. Let me know how it goes. I’d love to learn from your experience.
When I start to get overwhelmed it helps to review how are I have come- it puts the journey in perspective.
I also am a list maker- it is another way I can look back and see how much I have accomplished.
Good thoughts my friend – thanks!
I agree, David. The regular review allows me to “celebrate” progress and increase momentum. Thanks for sharing.