If you are like me and most other higher education managers, you often have times during the academic year when you feel like your work life is a zoo. Crazy stuff coming at you from all directions. Students that need your attention. Projects that don’t get finished or even started. Senior administration throws new initiatives at you at every turn. It’s very easy to become overwhelmed when faced with the dynamic nature of our work. One tool that I swear by to help me step outside of the day-to-day hustle and bustle and regain focus is the Weekly Review.

What is the Weekly Review?

The Weekly Review is a process developed by David Allen as a cornerstone of his GTD methodology. GTD is short forGetting Things Done, which is the title of both his worldwide best-selling book and the productivity system outlined therein. David Allen has even said that if you only pick one part of this methodology to practice, it should be the Weekly Review.

The Weekly Review is a time that you set up regularly, ideally weekly, to collect, organize, process, and review everything in your life.

How the Weekly Review Can Help

The Weekly Review can help you stay on top of your work by setting aside time to regularly review what you’ve done and what you still need to do. You will also review how you’ve spent your time and what your future calendar looks like. These two practices may seem very simplistic, but by dedicating time to them each week, you can ensure that you are staying on top of your work and not getting behind, distracted, and overwhelmed.

How I Do My Weekly Review

Everyone will approach their weekly review differently. GTD gives us some basics that should be included in everyone’s weekly review. I’ve also added some of my own practices that I utilize during my weekly review. I have a checklist that I go through in a very specific order to help me stay focused during my weekly review and ensure that I don’t forget a piece of the process.

Here is what my process looks like:

1. Collect everything into your inboxes that are not already there.
   • include everything that you have physically, digitally, and mentally. I gather everything on my desk, in my briefcase, and mailbox, and place it in the INBOX on my desk. This includes loose documents, files, post-it notes, books/magazines/newspaers, and sometimes office supplies.
   • I also do a mind sweep exercise where I sit down with a blank sheet of paper and write down every task, project, appointment, or other responsibility that pops into my mind. That sheet(s)of paper with all of my brain droppings will go into my inbox.
2. Process your inboxes.
   • You need to start from the top of the pile with your physical inbox materials. Pick up each item in the pile and decide on each item.Add actionable items to a list of your projects and/or your tasks and to-do lists. Be sure that the language you use in your list is outcome and action-oriented. Don’t just write “Mom” down on your project list; be specific, such as “Plan and make arrangements for Mom’s 60th birthday party”.Add items to your agendas for your upcoming meetings.File reference/records material.
   • Recycle/Trash/Shred anything that isn’t going to be filed for future use. This includes any notes or reminders that were written down and put into your inbox. Once you add it to a project or task list, toss the note into recycling so you’re clearing the decks and only keeping things you need to remember in your lists.
3. Review your projects and task lists.
   • This action should spur you to add any next actions to your tasks or projects lists.The projects list is for anything you need to do that will take more than one task or action step. Each project you have will then have a list of tasks associated with completing the project.
   • You may also have a list of other tasks that aren’t associated with a project but still need to be done (such as stopping at the store to buy cat food on my way home from work).
4. Review your waiting-for list.
   • Create a list of things you have assigned, requested, or sought input on from others. This list serves as a reminder that you’ve put this ball in their court and to follow up when you have yet to receive what you have requested.
   • Any follow-up should be added to your tasks list, as the waiting-for list should serve only as a reminder and not another task list. This task should be specific around what action you need to take (such as, call Joe to ask about the status of the report you requested).
5. Review my current responsibilities.
   • This is specific to my role and what I am responsible for in this role. This can include your job description, position on a committee, or role in your life, such as parent. Keep a running list of these to help prompt you to think about each role you have ad the inherent responsibilities for each.
   • I assess where I am in relation to each area I have a responsibility for and if I have any actions that I need to take to fulfill this responsibility. This could be as simple as sending out the meeting agenda for a committee I chair or signing up for parent/teacher conferences at my kid’s school.
6. Review your calendars and agendas.
   • I always start my calendar review by looking back at the past week. Do I need to do any follow-ups from those meetings? Do I need to schedule or reschedule additional meetings? Were there any tasks or projects that resulted in those meetings I didn’t have on my projects and tasks lists that I just reviewed?
   • I next look at the upcoming week. What is coming up that I need to prepare for by adding it to my tasks list? What standing meetings do I have, and is there anything that I need to add to the agenda for those meetings? Do I have any appointments that I will need to prepare for? Do I have any events, travel, or out-of-the-ordinary things happening that will have tasks associated with them?
   • Finally, I look at the upcoming month and look for everything I just reviewed for the next week. I also see where I may have some open time blocks, particularly busy days or weeks, and use that information to think about how to prepare best. This might include more complex preparation such as arrangements that need to be made in advance (reservations, registrations, tickets, etc).
7. Reflect on the past week-What were my wins?
   • I don’t always do this, but when I do it feels great, especially after spending so much time adding to the list of things I need to do.
   • This will serve as your reminder that you did accomplish something over the past week and also motivation to have even more or better things to add to next week’s win list.
8. Goals/Mission/Purpose Review
   • I only do this occasionally as needed. Every once in a while, I like to check in on the big picture and see how I’m doing. How am I doing towards achieving my personal and professional goals? Am I doing the work that helps me fulfill my mission this year?
   • Do I understand my purpose in life and are my tasks, projects, goals, and mission aligned with this purpose?
9. Other Reviews
   • For me, this is a reminder to catch up on current events in higher education. I’ll skim the email newsletters I receive to see if there is anything of interest for me to read and visit websites, blogs, and other media sources for the latest news.

The goal of the weekly review and the entire Getting Things Done approach is “stress-free productivity.” That includes not getting stressed if you don’t complete your weekly review every week. Some weeks, I don’t get to it at all. That could be because I’m traveling, on vacation, spending the week focused entirely on one project, or managing a crisis. The beauty of the weekly review is that if you haven’t done it in a while, when you finally get around to it, it’s probably more valuable than if you did it every week. It can pull you out of reactive mode and get you focused and back on track. The only downside of not doing it every week is that it will take much longer to capture, clarify, and organize your backlog, or you won’t be as prepared for the things that come up between reviews. So don’t worry; the weekly review will always be there for you when you are ready, waiting with open arms to welcome you back into the realm of stress-free productivity.

If you still need convincing, here’s my last pitch. If you are a busy professional, you can’t afford not to set aside time to do your weekly review. The time you spend clearing your decks, organizing, purging, and reviewing your projects, tasks, and calendar will all provide you the clarity, focus, and control over your life and work that will allow you to be more effective than you could ever hope to be without it. When I do my weekly review I never forget a deadline and have to stay late or take work home to meet that deadline. When I do my weekly review, I go into meetings prepared and purposeful. When I do my weekly review, I remind myself of my priorities so I can stay focused on them and not get distracted by whatever is the latest and loudest. Ultimately, the time I spend on my weekly review is an investment in myself that pays off tenfold in organization, clarity, and focus- all of the things that make a truly effective professional. And maybe even feel like your life is a little more in control.

This post was written by Dr. Shane Long and originally appeared on The SA Manager Blog. It has been edited for correctness and clarity.