How many of us can raise our hand and say we are victims of our daily to-do list? I think plenty of us, not excluding me. It can slaughter our plans and keep us on the treadmill, racing after impromptu emails and last-minute requests. The problem with letting our to-do list lead us, is that our priorities are often not seen to – in work, and in life. But there’s good news. We have a powerful weekly work plan that can help you hop off the treadmill for long enough to set your compass to north.
The Foundation: Understanding Priorities, Roles, and Goals
In the pursuit of success, effective planning and time management play pivotal roles. While daily planning is a popular approach, there’s a number of reasons why weekly planning is a more powerful framework. And it comes down to priorities, roles, and goals.
Priorities
Some of our priorities shift weekly, even daily. Others are deeply rooted and unwavering.
Priorities are not just the things we consider to be “urgent” – but also the things we consider to be “important”.
Some of our priorities will be both, such as a big presentation or a looming interview. Neither can necessarily be procrastinated on (urgent) and both may have a big impact on your future prospects (important).
Other priorities are only urgent; like the last-minute favour your colleague asks for. Whilst on the other hand, some are not urgent at all, but very important. Such as spending time with your growing kids, nurturing your wellbeing, or investing in your health. None of those need urgent attendance, but all of them are incredibly important in the long run.
Roles
We all wear many hats throughout the day, each coming along with their own set of responsibilities.
Here’s some examples:
– Parent
– Spouse
– Colleague
– Creative thinker
– Project coordinator
– Individual
– Sibling
– Volunteer worker
Here’s where priorities meet roles: you often have to choose which role you want to prioritise within your day. And that can be pretty hard. I can only think of countless moments where I’ve had to choose between a role in work and my role as a mother – always to be left with a stinging sense of guilt no matter which I choose.
What’s the best way to get past that? Incorporate your goals.
Goals
Ah, the unavoidable word: goal. The things that drive us, keep us in focus, and act as our compass. Goals can sometimes be overrated, but can never be underestimated.
When our goals or envisioned future outcomes are the force that drives our actions, then our roles and priorities can begin to collaborate.
For the purpose of this blog, we’re going to think of goals in a dual perspective of both future and “next step” achievements.
The future goals will drive our next steps, and short-term prospects, enabling us to make sure we are paying attention to that which is not only urgent, but important, too.
How to Form A Winning Weekly Work (And Life) Plan
I’ll take this moment to state that the following weekly work plan process is fully inspired by Stephen R. Covey and his book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”
When I heard his process, I felt myself nodding along with profuse realisation that I’d been doing it all wrong and in consequence, my to-do list owned me. I’ll be breaking his process down into a step-by-step guide so that you, too, can experience that joyous moment and start this incredible journey for yourself.
To make this process even more efficient, you can download a template spreadsheet for your weekly work plan here.
1. Define Your Key Roles
2. Define Your Goals for The Next 7 Days
Make sure your week is organised from a principle centred base. Think of the roles you will play that are most important, and write these down.
As I mentioned, we have many roles we play, so think of this in a sense of the bigger picture, but also in the sense of the key roles you know you’ll need to play in the coming week.
Here’s an example:
– Parent
– Spouse
– Home maker
– Writer
– Project manager
– Content creator
– Individual
3. Schedule Your Week Around Your Goals
Look at each role and select two or three results that are most important for you to accomplish in each role within the next 7 days. This will be context based and should revolve around the priorities you know you need to set for the week ahead, as well as supporting your future prospects.
Once again, here’s an example for you:
– Parent: quality time, behaviour building guidance with Resilience In A Box
– Spouse: Dinner date on Friday, reading a book together
– Homemaker: Reinforce a sturdy routine, Dinner at the table on weekdays
– Individual: yoga minimum 3 times this week, personal time minimum once this week
– Creative contributor: Write 2 blogs, all social media captions up to date
– Project manager: Create monthly reports for clients, communicate campaign strategies
– Content creator: Design upcoming poster, deliver well-polished content
Here’s the part where you look at each goal and physically schedule time in your week to achieve them. The intent of this is that your daily tasks that arise will fall around your prioritised goals and not keep you from them. Block out time and days in your diary and make them specific.
Examine your calendar for the week ahead:
- Identify available time slots and potential conflicts.
- Assign specific dates and times to dedicate towards each role-based goal.
- Prioritise important tasks that align with your long-term vision.
- Ensure a balanced distribution of time across roles to foster holistic development.
It’s important to Integrate your role-based goals and time allocations into your daily planning, and craft a daily task list that aligns with your overarching goals and priorities. Ensure that your daily tasks support your weekly goals and contribute to long-term success.
Things To Consider When Crafting A Weekly Work Plan
Unexpected events are inevitable. It’s important to remain flexible and adaptable when these arise, because there’s no way to avoid them. Just make the necessary adjustments to your daily tasks, while keeping a focus on your role-based goals.
There are so many benefits of weekly planning. You’ll find increased clarity, reduced anxiety around important tasks that should’ve been pre-planned for, and more focus on what truly matters. Your productivity will become optimised and you’ll feel a great sense of achievement in having more say over your week.
Not only that, but now you can proactively build your relationships and foster personal growth.
Incorporating Stephen Covey’s weekly planning tool into your routine is a transformative and empowering practice to elevate your success. By identifying your primary roles, setting role-based goals, and allocating time to focus on them, you empower yourself to achieve holistic growth and productivity. Effective weekly planning harmonizes your daily tasks with your priorities, propelling you towards long-term success.
Remember, success is not merely a destination, but a journey that requires conscious planning and intentional action. With effective weekly planning, you equip yourself with a roadmap to navigate the week ahead, making each day count towards your long-term aspirations. Embrace this powerful practice and unlock your full potential for success.
