Steps for Weekly Planning

Not sure if you have heard, but Friday Planning is life-changing! Before my surgery, I had terrible bouts of the Sunday Scaries. Instead of enjoying the remnants of my weekend, I would experience crushing anxiety. Perhaps you can relate. Now, I take time every Friday to plan for the week ahead and no longer stress on Sundays.

Friday planning is the best way to wrap up the week you are in and prepare for the next. It really is as easy as 1-2-3. So check out the steps below, grab your folding weekly planning sheet, and give it a try!

Steps for Weekly Planning:

1. Start with what you know will happen. This is the time you have already given away with things like appointments, meetings, calls, commitments, etc., that are set to occur at a specific time. Plot those on your folding Weekly Planning Sheet first. Some examples might be: conference calls, doctor appointments, presentations, picking up a child from school, catching a flight, workout class, etc.
2. Then, add what you hope will happen. This tends to be tasks or to-do list items that don’t necessarily have a firm time. Find the space between your set commitments and plot these items there, as this is likely when they will happen. Some examples might be: swinging by the bank, reviewing a presentation, going to the grocery store, sending a follow-up email, scheduling a doctor appointment, making traction on a work project, calling grandma, etc.
3. Finally, use digital reinforcement. Digital reinforcement is applying digital tools to support paper planning. Once your plan is in place, digital reinforcement might be sending an email or a digital calendar invite to share details with another person or to access additional information for your own use quickly. This can also be sending a text message, sharing a file, logging something in an app, or using another digital tool to support your plan.
   

The steps above are a great starting point for creating days of peace and productivity.  Happy Planning!