Weekly Planning for Productivity

Productivity is a goal for many of us, whether at work or in our personal lives. One of the most effective ways to stay productive is to plan ahead and leverage weekly planning. I first landed on the concept of weekly planning when I read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a book that has had the most impact on my life thus far. In this book, Stephen Covey looks at a week as the perfect middle ground between short-sighted daily planning and far-sighted planning. Daily planning has the danger of making us focus on the urgent and seemingly important tasks which is dangerous, while far-sighted planning could lead to idealistic tendencies if not followed by structured execution. Weekly planning enables us to stay focused day-to-day without losing sight of the big picture.

The week represents a complete patch in the fabric of life. There are workdays, evenings, the weekend. It’s close enough to be highly relevant, but distant enough to provide context and perspective. What you can’t do in one day, you might be able to do in another, and over the course of the week, you can balance your life.
STEPHEN R COVEY

Weekly planning also helps us to become more effective, as opposed to just trying to become more efficient. Doing a lot of work efficiently is a good thing, but doing our most important work is the goal of effectiveness. Habit 3, “Put First Things First,” talks about effective time management and prioritizing tasks. This is key for weekly planning, as it helps individuals focus on the most important tasks and ensure that they are completed before less important ones.

The main idea behind weekly planning is that it sets up a structure and a system that allows us to focus on the important things in life and prioritize them accordingly. This means that instead of trying to cram more activities into our days, we should instead focus on doing the most important activities that will have the greatest impact on our lives. By focusing on the most important things and taking the time to do them well, we can ensure that we are making the most of our time and creating the life we want.

We don’t build the lives we want by saving time, we build the lives we want and time saves itself.
LAURA VANDERKAM

Tools and Techniques

With the right tools and techniques, it is easier to remain in control of your time and collaborate with others and work together more effectively. Here are some tools and techniques for weekly planning that can help you stay organized and on track:

1. Calendars and Planners: Physical or digital, calendars and planners can be a great way to visualize your week and plan out your tasks and responsibilities. Choose one that works best for you, whether it's a traditional paper planner, a digital calendar, or a hybrid of both.
2. To-Do Lists: Writing down your tasks and responsibilities in a to-do list can help you prioritize and keep track of what needs to be done. Consider using apps like Todoist, Asana, Google Tasks, Microsoft To do, Things 3, Any.do or Notion to manage your tasks, or simply use a notepad or notebook. I personally use Notion for this.
3. Time blocking: This technique involves breaking your day into specific time blocks and allocating a specific task or activity to each block. This can help you manage your time more effectively and ensure that you're making the most of each day.
4. Pomodoro technique: This technique involves breaking your workday into 25-minute intervals, with five-minute breaks in between. After four intervals, take a longer break of 15–30 minutes. This can help you stay focused and avoid burnout. Here are some more insights on the Pomodoro technique.
5. Prioritization matrix: This tool helps you prioritize tasks by categorizing them based on their level of urgency and importance. This can help you focus on the most important tasks and ensure that you're not spending too much time on low-priority tasks.
6. Mind mapping: This technique involves creating a visual representation of your tasks, goals, and ideas. This can help you see the big picture and make connections between different aspects of your life and work.
7. Review and reflection: Set aside some time each week to reflect on what you've accomplished and what still needs to be done. This can help you stay motivated and focused, and it will also give you a sense of satisfaction as you see all the progress you've made.

These are just a few of the many tools and techniques that can help you with weekly planning. Experiment with different methods to find what works best for you, and don't be afraid to try something new if what you're currently doing isn't working. I personally use a combination of different tools and techniques including some of the ones highlighted above.

I heavily rely on systems and technology to streamline my work and remain productive. For weekly planning specifically, I built a custom weekly planner that I use to primarily plan, track and evaluate my work and personal engagements. Look out for a step-by-step guide on how I plan my week and the structure of my weekly planner.

Weekly planning is an essential tool for achieving success and increasing productivity. By incorporating the concepts shared by Stephen Covey in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” and applying the right tools and techniques, you can develop a powerful framework for effective planning to help you achieve your goals and reach your full potential by taking control of your time, prioritizing your tasks, and working effectively with others.

When we focus on what matters, we can build the life we want in the time we’ve got.
LAURA VANDERKAM