Every Sunday I spend some time reflecting on the week that just passed.
I write down what worked and why.
What didn’t work and why.
What I need to do more of to build momentum toward my goals.
What I need to put in place to prevent future setbacks.
I also look at what strengths, call them superpowers, I already have that can help me move forward.
And I ask, what patterns or character traits do I need to watch out for, and how can I build systems around them to stop tripping over my own feet.
One thing though.
None of that really matters unless it’s part of a bigger story. Your bigger why and where.
What’s it all for?
All the building, striving, optimizing, toward what, exactly?
As Lewis Carroll said:
“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”
So I make sure to check in with the bigger picture as well.
Is what I’m doing, today, this week, leading to something I actually care about?
Am I climbing a ladder leaned against the right wall?
That bigger picture isn’t just motivational.
It’s practical.
It helps me say no.
You can’t say yes to everything you want.
Time is limited.
Demands on your time? Not so much.
When the overwhelm starts creeping in, when everything feels urgent and important and endless, I know it's time I go back to one tool that always helps me clear the fog and unload my plate, clear the space for the right stuff: Horizon Planning.
From David Allen’s Getting Things Done:
“Horizon planning, within the context of David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology, is a framework for thinking about your work and life at different levels of perspective. It helps you prioritize your actions by focusing on the most important things first, aligning your goals and even discarding less important commitments. Essentially, it's about seeing the bigger picture while also managing your daily tasks effectively.”
It’s a zoom-out.
A wide-angle lens for your life and work.
It helps me realign my to-do list with what's meaningful and fulfilling, before it all becomes just a long list of noise.
I created a worksheet for my own Horizon Planning process, based on David Allen’s work.
You can make a copy and use it anytime your plate gets too full, and you’re not sure it’s full of the right stuff.