GNT #44: 7 Crazy Simple Questions to Transform Your Week

read time: 3.5 minutes
 

Your calendar is a constant battleground where you and your priorities fight for time. 

In the chaos of back-to-back calls, endless unread email, and competing asks, it's easy to lose sight of what truly matters.

Your life.

I've found a weekly Friday ritual I learned from Eric Partaker called the "Weekly Shutdown."

And I've re-engineered it to work for me. It involves my weekly shutdown to-dos and a thoughtful introspection focused on these 7 questions.

This magic time helps me stay laser focused on priorities, make the best use of my upcoming week, and separate from work so I can enjoy the weekend ahead.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, juggling endless tasks, or living in the dreaded back-to-back call marathon...

🫣

...I hear you. This ritual is for you.

Copy, adapt, and use this to create your own Weekly Shutdown.

1. What is my TOP priority this week? 

It might sound so simple, but taking the time to identify this could change the trajectory of your week.

It's a priority shift from reactive to proactive.

What's one task or one goal that, if achieved, would make the biggest impact in your world?

Write down your top priority and keep it visible. If it's a large project, can you break it down into smaller tasks and schedule these throughout your week?

If you use a digital planner to manage projects and to-dos, add this to the top.

2. Which task can I delegate or automate?

Is there something on your plate that doesn't require your unique skillset, or perhaps a system or tool could take over?

Delegating or automating frees up valuable time for your top priority task you just identified.

Even something as simple as a calendaring tool or automating billing can make the world of difference in avoiding the back and forth.

3. What commitment can I remove?

We often overcommit. It happens to us all.

Sometimes I realize my schedule has gotten crammed with tasks or items that, when I reflect, don't serve my overall goals.

Yes, there might be some things we can't remove, but there may be at least one meeting or activity that isn't essential.

Look at your calendar and ask yourself what isn't a priority. Can you politely decline or propose to reschedule?

4. How will I take care of my health and well-being?

Mental and physical health are the foundations of my productivity and happiness.

Plan at least one activity that prioritizes your well-being, whether it is exercise, meditation, or just quiet time.

Treat these as non-negotiable appointments with yourself.

5. What can I do to foster a key relationship?

Whether personal or professional, relationships need nurturing. Identify a relationship to invest in this week and plan an action to strengthen it.

It might be a coffee meetup, a phone call, or even writing a "just thinking of you" letter.

Schedule it. It makes it more likely to happen.

6. What am I learning this week?

Growth is a continuous process.

This may be part of your overall goal or simply investing time in something that sparks your interest like starting a new book, watching a relevant video, reading an article, or taking an online course.

Set aside time in your week, even if it's just 15 minutes, dedicated to this learning.

7. Am I prioritizing FUN?

Don't let the grind swallow your downtime.

My favorite parts of my week are spending fun time with my hubs, kiddos, and our extended family.

It's so easy to forget that fun times need prioritizing and planning too.

Get-togethers, movie nights, holiday parades, lunches with friends, date night, travel - how are you prioritizing and planning your fun and memorable moments in life?

TL;DR 

1. Pinpoint your priority: Determine your week's most important goal.
2. Optimize tasks: Delegate or automate where possible.
3. Trim excess: Cut unnecessary commitments.
4. Prioritize mental and physical health: Schedule time for self-care.
5. Nurture relationships: Choose a relationship to strengthen this week.
6. Continuous learning: Allocate time for educational growth.
7. Prioritize and plan the fun: Plan for laughs, family time, and the things that fill your cup!

Add your Weekly Shutdown meeting to your schedule now. And add these questions and any other weekly shutdown tasks in the body of the meeting.

This has become an essential meeting of my week.

See if it works for you!

Maybe you'll tweak these questions and make them your own.

Whatever you do, put a system in place to make sure you're living your life (and your week) by your design.

Good luck my friends. 

I'm rooting for you!

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