What Should I Do During My Weekly Planning Time?
Just a quick note before you head into the blog post. Are you an academic who is trying to figure out your long term planning processes? My planning course, plan(it)*, can help support you as you figure that out. Check out the link for more info.
The first two posts in this series focused on the importance of weekly planning for academics along with some of the planning myths that are often floating around the academic world. This post delves into some of the key activities that faculty and grad students might engage in during their weekly planning sessions. Before I go into my list, remember that all the things that are written below won't necessarily work for you and your needs. You've got to find processes that work for you. Like I've mentioned before, experimentation is a really important part of the planning process. Try things out, see what works, leave behind what doesn't. On to the list...
Review and reflect on the previous week
Look over the past week (I look at my task list and calendar)... what happened? What did you check off your list? What's still there or what did you have to set aside? What were your wins? What was challenging? What could you adjust for the upcoming week? Not only is it important to plan things out, but it's also important to review where you've been so you can see your progress and sticking points.
Celebrate yourself
I'm definitely guilty of checking something off my list and just rolling right into the next thing. Instead, stop and acknowledge your hard work! If you want to celebrate, do it! It doesn't have to be a whole big thing. Could be as simple as reveling in the feeling of pride or telling a friend about your win or watching a guilty pleasure TV show, etc. Don't focus on the things that are still left on your list, now is the time to acknowledge that you are in fact doing hard work.
Add accomplishments to your CV (or to a running list of things to add to your CV at a later date!)
In the past, I've inevitably found myself trying to figure out what exactly I did over the past year when I get around to my yearly CV update (sometimes it happens more than once a year). To make CV updating less daunting, take a few minutes during your planning time to either quickly update your CV or add relevant accomplishments to a running list that you use to update your CV at a later date. I use the second option. I have a list for my CV/tenure packet where I add major accomplishments that should be included whenever I make my next update. For example, if I submit a paper during the week, I'll put the paper (along with the date it was submitted) on the list. Or if I participated in a training opportunity, I'd put that on the list too (along with the date). When I go to update my CV I don't have to spend time hunting down everything I did. Keeping this up weekly will make your life much easier when you do a big update.
Review your: task/project list, weekly plan for the term (if you have one), and calendar for the next week
Take a look at your task/project list (or whatever you use to organize the things you're working on). What are the things that you still need to do. Is there anything that's time sensitive and must be done during the upcoming week? What are the next steps you need to take to move you towards your goals? Identify the things that you'd like to do from this list and make a note. If you have a weekly plan for the term (I do this, but realize this process might not necessarily work for everyone), review what you said you'd be working on during the upcoming week, then identify the tasks that correspond to those projects. Finally, make sure you take a look at your calendar for the upcoming week. Are there meetings or appointments already in place? Important dates that are coming up? Make sure these are reflected in your plan for the upcoming week.
Brain dump
Get everything out of your head that you think needs to be done for the upcoming week. Inevitably, there are things that need to be done that I haven't added to my task list or calendar. Doing a brain dump helps identify these things. Generally, I like to do a quick brain dump before reviewing my projects/tasks. I'll also do one after reviewing my projects/tasks because that process usually jogs my memory and I have a few more things to add to the list. I'll also use my calendar to help jog my memory.
Identify your goals/priorities for the upcoming week
Once you have an idea of the things that you want to work on, decide what your goals/priorities are for the upcoming week and realistically think about what you'd like to get done. I find this is usually a back and forth process that involves putting things on a my calendar and readjusting when I realize there's not enough time in the day to work on all the things I'd like to.
Put everything on your calendar
Once you've identified your goals and your specific tasks for the week, give every task space on your calendar. If you're going to edit the intro section of a paper, block off time in your calendar. If you've got a 45 minute commute to meet with a community research partner, put that on your calendar too. If you're calling your 95 year old grandmother to wish her a happy birthday... put it on your calendar! Everything gets space!
In my experience, weekly planning isn't a linear process. I'm not following one step after the next. Instead I'm going back and forth between each of these different pieces, readjusting as needed. Also, do I do all of these things each and every week? Nope! But I thought I'd include my favorite weekly planning activities so you pick and choose what resonates with you!