Success Tip: Take Time for Your Weekly Review and Plan the Week Ahead

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I got busy last weekend and didn't plan this week. I felt it all week long. I was rushed. I had to do some last minute work on things I almost forgot. I felt winded all week long.

Then, I sit down to plan this week and I realized that I hadn't prepared ahead of time for something on Sunday – that's tomorrow!

Spending time in a weekly review is not a nice to do but a MUST DO. Make a list. Know what you need to do. Review your calendar. Plan ahead. Make a checklist if you have to.

In all my years of being a Mom, I've never even once accidentally cooked dinner. I've never accidentally had a lesson plan ready to teach. I've never even accidentally remembered a birthday. The special things in life are often (not always) planned ahead.

A weekly review makes so much difference. In some ways, it will be until mid-week this week until I recover from the things I didn't plan ahead for last weekend.

So, today's post is short because I have to get working. We're all forgetful, that is why we plan. We all have to prepare, that's why we plan.

Planning ahead. Preparing. Setting the course for our lives and keeping promises. These are all big parts of being excellent.

When do you do your weekly review? Have you done it for the week ahead?

This post is day 54 of 80 days of excellence. I've created an email list below for those of you want to be emailed the full posts written as part of this series.

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Vicki Davis

Vicki Davis is a full-time classroom teacher and IT Director in Georgia, USA. She is Mom of three, wife of one, and loves talking about the wise, transformational use of technology for teaching and doing good in the world. She hosts the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast which interviews teachers around the world about remarkable classroom practices to inspire and help teachers. Vicki focuses on what unites us -- a quest for truly remarkable life-changing teaching and learning. The goal of her work is to provide actionable, encouraging, relevant ideas for teachers that are grounded in the truth and shared with love. Vicki has been teaching since 2002 and blogging since 2005. Vicki has spoken around the world to inspire and help teachers reach their students. She is passionate about helping every child find purpose, passion, and meaning in life with a lifelong commitment to the joy and responsibility of learning. If you talk to Vicki for very long, she will encourage you to "Relate to Educate" or "innovate like a turtle" or to be "a remarkable teacher." She loves to talk to teachers who love their students and are trying to do their best. Twitter is her favorite place to share and she loves to make homemade sourdough bread and cinnamon rolls and enjoys running half marathons with her sisters. You can usually find her laughing with her students or digging into a book.

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3 comments

Dr. Frank Buck March 7, 2018 - 7:47 am

Vicki,
As you might guess, this post resonated with me. When you have a system, put everything in the system, and then arrange the stuff in the right order, you have a formula for success. I do a daily review while watching TV or Netflix in the evening. That’s where I look at what’s remaining on the list for today that didn’t get done, rescheduling it, and looking at tomorrow to get it in the right order. I also look ahead at future tasks to see what I can knock off quickly or bring forward to tomorrow.

On the weekend, I look at my “Master List.” All of the stuff that has no particular date but I want to see again within the month has a due date of the last day of the month. I scroll down and see what I want to bring forward by changing the due date.

Vicki Davis March 8, 2018 - 11:57 am

You’re so organized! I think the weekly review is so important!

Purviben Trivedi-Ziemba March 16, 2018 - 11:06 pm

Vicky,

Your posts are on the mark, always.

We sit as a family and go over what after school activities or activities we are engaged in next week. I use different color pen for each person in my family. This way, we not only know the week ahead but also the chauffeuring duties and homework time. Everyone is aware of week ahead and we can save Chaos.

Keep on marching, keep on sharing.

Come, visit my blog and share your feedback.

Purviben
@TrivediZiemba
http://trivediziemba.edublogs.org