Checklist for a new week

1. Review and prioritize your tasks: Start by going through your list of tasks and assessing the tasks you need to complete during the week. Prioritize them based on urgency and importance.
2. Set specific goals: Break down your tasks into smaller, manageable goals. This will help you stay focused and motivated throughout the week.
3. Plan your schedule: I recommend you assign a specific day of the week to the task. Don’t just plan it for the week, but plan it for any particular day/days of the week. Allocate specific time slots for each task or goal. Also, consider your peak productivity hours, when you feel at your best and try to schedule more challenging or important tasks during those times.
4. Maximize your calendar: Make use of your calendar as much as possible. Schedule tasks, events, meetings and any form of engagement in your calendar. You don’t have to go “calendar-crazy” putting every little detail there. But any task or activity that a reminder would help you get the task done, should be added to your calendar. ?This is so that you have a clear visual representation of how your days and week should be. Also, your calendar; by way of reminders, can notify you of upcoming tasks/events so you don’t loose track of your objectives.
5. Gather resources: Make a note of all the resources, be it materials, information, people or the likes, that you may need for the completion of your tasks. Gather these in advance to avoid any pressure or last-minute rush on yourself or people you may need to collaborate with.
6. Communication and collaboration: Reach out to colleagues, team members, friends, associates or anyone you would need their input or assistance to get your tasks completed. Coordinate schedules or set up meetings early enough with them, if necessary. Communication and collaboration here also involve your being prepared for any meetings that would need to be held in relation to accomplishing your tasks.
7. Review, Reflect and make adjustments: Regularly review your progress throughout the week. I recommend the end of each day. Take some time to reflect on your completed tasks/goals, challenges and also importantly, the lessons learned. Use the insights from your reflection time to identify what worked, what didn’t and why it didn’t work. Lessons learned from this activity should then be incorporated into planning your following week and setting of new objectives.
8. Self-care and well-being: Don't forget to prioritize your well-being. Incorporate breaks, exercise, healthy meals, and enough sleep into your weekly plan. This would help to prevent burnout, which can often lead to depression in some extreme cases. Don’t spend every single weekend working. It’s not healthy. Make out time to spend with friends and family, even if it’s just weekends. We are social beings, and hence not built to thrive in isolation. Taking care of yourself (mental, physical, spiritual and social well-being) is very important, and will enhance your productivity and overall performance.

While going through this checklist, please realize that, in some sense, this is a general checklist. There are never any one-size fits all checklist, so feel free to customize it to fit your own specific use-cases and needs.

Cheers!

Your friend,

Onadebi