The Weekly Review For Creatives And Why You Need It

I’ve talked a lot on this blog about having a vision and submitting to your lead pastor and executing a discipleship strategy.

But too often these great ideas remain just that – ideas. We think about them, pray about them, even write them down. But we don’t actually do them.

I have found that a consistent Weekly Review has helped me achieve my goals and stay on track. I consider it a necessary appointment with yourself you can’t afford to miss.

The Creative’s Plight

Let’s be honest.

As creatives, we would rather do what we feel like doing everyday. That’s not always a bad thing, but when we have goals to accomplish, deadlines to meet, and projects to advance, we need to be more organized.

We find ourselves slaving away in necessary, but mundane tasks – forgetting why we are even doing the stuff we are doing.

Or we avoid doing the important work for the easier work of maintaining our social networks, listening to music, and scheduling meetings we’re not even sure are about.

We need space every week in order to zoom out and look at life from a higher perspective.

Creative, meet the Weekly Review. I think you’re really going to like each other.

I’ve learned from a couple books that I would suggest you pick up right away – “Getting Things Done” by David Allen and “Making Ideas Happen” by Scott Belsky (affiliate links). These are books you will revisit. Trust me.

Why is this important?

I find the Weekly Review is important for 3 reasons:

• For Vision – It helps you stay focused on what is truly important.
• For Leadership – Great leaders stay ahead of the people they lead. You can’t lead others if you don’t know where you’re going.
• For Productivity – Ideas are sexy. Execution is hard work. The Weekly Review is your productivity accountability partner.

How Do You Do This?

Here’s a snapshot of my Weekly Review:

1. Set aside a specific time

The same time every week is preferable. Make an appointment with yourself and keep it. I prefer to do my weekly review on Monday mornings. Many prefer Sunday evenings. Unlike the rest of the business world, pastors and worship leaders have a fairly busy weekend so a Sunday evening review isn’t always feasible. My weekly review usually takes about an hour.

2. Clean out your inbox(es)

I don’t know about you, but I hate the feeling of not responding to people promptly. It’s simply not good leadership to leave people hanging. Your weekly review is a great time to clean out your inbox and get it to zero, if you can. If there are action items in your inbox, whether physical papers, email, Twitter, Facebook, etc, utilize David Allen’s process here:

• Do it – if it can be done in 2 minutes or less.
• Delegate it – if it’s better that someone else handle the task.
• Defer it – to a specific calendar time if it will take longer than 2 minutes.

3. Review your lists

As a creative, it was a revolutionary practice to start keep lists in the first place. You want to review all the commitments you’ve made with yourself and others.

My “lists” include:

• To do this week – what I’m doing right now
• Someday/Maybe – what I’ve thought about doing but is not quite actionable
• Calendar – appointments I’ve made

4. Make new plans for the upcoming week

Now look at your week and review all that you need to do. Don’t be surprised. Skipping this step is how meetings are missed, projects delayed, and tasks not accomplished. Review your week and make sure all guns are firing (not literally, of course).

For example, planning this blog a week at a time has helped me release steady, focused content even when ministry is busy at my church. You’ll be surprised how much you can do when you plan strategically.

5. Review your vision

You should have a written description of your vision somewhere you can see it. The act of reviewing your vision will typically reveal weak areas in your leadership. Write these down and commit to change. Stay focused on the “why” behind your “what”.

Once you commit to this process and begin doing it, you’ll be surprised at how your vision becomes clearer, your leadership improves, and your productivity soars.

Creative…Weekly Review, I think I’m done introducing you two. Have a good time.

Question: Have you scheduled a weekly review as part of your week? If so, what does it look like? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

For further reading:

• Ron Edmondson – “10 Characteristics Of Good Leadership“
• Michael Hyatt – “The Importance Of the Weekly Review“
• Jeff Goins “How I Get Things Done: A Creative’s Perspective“