The Weekly Review Ritual — Own Your Week Before It Owns You

The idea

David Allen's Weekly Review from Getting Things Done is the habit that holds all other productivity systems together. It's a deliberate 20-minute pause to close the previous week, capture what's still open, and set clear intent for the next one. Without it, your task list grows, priorities blur, and you start every Monday reacting instead of choosing. People who do the Weekly Review consistently describe the same shift: they stop feeling behind and start feeling in control — even when the work volume doesn't change.

Who is this for?

What you'll get

Watch

GTD Methodology · beginner-friendly · ~10 min

Do the challenge

1. 1Close the previous week (5 min)

   Review what you completed. What didn't get done and why? One sentence each. Then clear your desk — physical and digital.

   💡 The close is as important as the plan. Acknowledging completion is what makes the brain "let go" of last week.

2. 2Capture open loops (5 min)

   Brain dump: what's still open, what you promised someone, what's been nagging you. Write it all down. Don't solve anything yet — just get it out.

   💡 Open loops are unfinished commitments — to yourself or others. Every one you miss is a small drain on attention until it's processed.

3. 3Set 3 intentions for the week (5 min)

   Not a to-do list — three outcomes. "Finish the deck" not "work on the deck." Be specific enough that you'd know on Friday whether you achieved them.

   💡 My 3 most important work outcomes this week are: 1. ___ 2. ___ 3. ___ For each one, what's the single most important action to take on Monday to make it happen? And what's the biggest risk that could derail it?

4. 4Block your calendar (5 min)

   Put the three outcomes into your calendar as events, not just tasks. Outcomes without time slots are wishes.

   💡 Block "Strategic Work" time for your top priority early in the week — Tuesday or Wednesday morning. Don't leave it to fill in around meetings.

Weekly Review — [Week of: ___]

CLOSE THE PREVIOUS WEEK (5 min):
3 things I completed: ___
1 thing I didn't finish and why: ___
Desk/inbox cleared: ✓ / ✗

OPEN LOOPS (5 min — brain dump everything pending):
1. ___
2. ___
3. ___
(keep going until nothing's left in your head)

For each open loop:
  → Do it now (under 2 min)
  → Schedule it (add to calendar with time)
  → Delegate it
  → Delete it (not actually needed)

3 INTENTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK:
(Outcomes, not tasks. Specific enough to know if you achieved them.)
1. ___
2. ___
3. ___

CALENDAR BLOCKS:
Monday priority: ___   Time: ___
Tuesday priority: ___  Time: ___

ONE QUESTION FOR REFLECTION:
"What would make this week feel like a success on Friday?"
Answer: ___