SUNDAY NIGHT, prepare to be the captain of the week to come! Here is my sunday night ritual: I take 15-20 min to look at the week to come.
1. White Paper Start: I am writing down the things I need and want to do this week, eg
– Todos from follow-up on files/projects (which I can anticipate)
– Work associated with preparation or follow-up from (fix) meetings/appointments
– People to contact or talk to
– Small bits on important but not urgent projects (e.g. time to plan project or a worshop, presentations)
– Delegation tasks
– Personal stuff
2. I sort and mark on the list:
– What I can delegate and what only can be done by me
– What is Urgent & Important
– What is Important but not Urgent
3. I take my calendar and check appointments and tasks that are already planned for the week; and give myself permission to cancel/rearrange appointments which do not fit my priorities.
4. I feed tasks from the white paper list into my weekly calendar, entering and blocking time for those tasks.
5. I step back, review, challenge…
– Realistic times of the day for certain tasks? Realistic length of task? Period of overbooking?
– Space for all the last-minute matters that show up?
Let us know your own tips in the comments below!