Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Annual Reviews

This is a key element of GTD, and people's failure to perform these reviews is one of the primary reasons most people's personal GTD practice languishes or fails.

Trying to do GTD without this is like trying to learn martial arts without practicing forms, it is an integral part of GTD.

It requires changing our habits, which is difficult but rewarding.

Please reach out to a GTD Coach if you're having resistance or trouble building these habits.

OMA's assumption is that you're committing to these practices unless you let the Coach know otherwise.

Daily:

Check out the Daily Review Video

• When: Once in the morning and another in the evening

• Length: 5-10 minutes

• Purpose: Clarify what's being done today and prepare to move forward with work

• Tasks:

  • What tasks are in upcoming and will be moved to today?

  • Look at calendar and think: Am I blocking off the time I need?

  • Choose projects if relevant or prioritized

  • Process Inbox - This is the Crucial Step - You're looking to do 5 things with each task:

    • Assign it to the appropriate project

    • Assign it to the appropriate role

    • Add any necessary context tags

    • Ensure the deliverable is clear and the resources are attached

    • Move it to today, upcoming or later

  • In Evening, what’s left on today that wasn’t done, does it stay there or move?

  • Are the items maximized from a 3D perspective?

Weekly:

Check out the Weekly Review Video

• When: At the beginning of each week, usually Monday morning or Sunday evening. Do this in conjunction with your daily review for that day.

• Length: 10-20 minutes - To be done in conjunction with the daily review for that day

• Purpose: Re-prioritizing projects and clearing all inboxes in preparation for the week

• Tasks:

  • Go through the later tasks, does anything need to shift to upcoming?

  • Go through every project. Update it under the progress tab. Also Ask yourself:

    • Is this still happening?

    • Did my or my Lead Link's priorities change?

    • Are there new strategies, metrics, or goals for the circle that would change my prioritization?

    • Is there anything missing?

    • Is it stalled? Empty? Am I still going ahead? Then put next action

  • Process all your inboxes (including Asana, email, voicemail, text, physical inboxes)

    • have a checklist that lists all of your different inboxes

  • Do a personal checkin, is there anyone on the team I need to clear with?

  • Think about the 3Ds of productivity. Am I getting the maximum ROI for my time and effort?

Monthly:

Check out the Monthly Review Video

• When: End of each month or first Monday of the month depending on your time and style

• Length: 30-60 minutes

• Purpose: Balancing attention and effort with roles and priorities, broader prioritization picture across circles and roles, and clarifying working relationships and processes

• Tasks:

  • Are there areas that are getting way too much attention?

  • Am I doing things that aren’t defined in my roles?

  • Do I need to let some roles go?

  • Role review:

    • Accountabilities

    • Purpose

    • Other roles I'm interacting with, are our relationships clear?

Annual:

• When: End of each year

• Length: 1-2 hours

• Purpose: Broad reflection on goals and purpose and life balance

• Tasks:

  • Goals for the year - How did I do last year and what do I want to focus on for the upcoming one?

  • Alignment with purpose - am I headed in the right direction?

  • Overall effort balance - Did I give enough time to the things that really matter to me?