Weekly Planning & Retrospective
Module 5
Tools and habits for strategically planning your next week to align with your SMART goals. From scheduling your calendar to techniques to help ensure you are accountable to yourself.
Planning & Retrospective
The weekly retrospective was taken from the Agile software methodology where they review the last “sprint” (a sprint is 1-2 weeks of focused work on a project or goal). At the end of each sprint, you evaluate three things: What worked and pushed forward towards the goal; anything puzzling; and lastly what blocked or impeded progress. By examining the last short interval of time, it gives visibility into how you are tracking to accomplish the goal, and it brings clarity to any impediments earlier rather than later also providing the ability to pivot direction if needed based on data.
Being Accountable
Why do we have accountability partners? It is mentally harder to let someone else down than it is to let yourself down. That’s why athletes have workout partners. It is much easier to skip something if no one is counting on you. By asking someone to hold you accountable for your goals it significantly increases your probability of accomplishing them.
Budgeting Your Time
Time is one thing that you can’t buy more of. When today is over it’s gone forever. We all get the same 24 hours each day, what are you doing to do with your time? Instead of creating another ‘To Do’ list that won’t be completed, try scheduling yourself for success. If you leave you calendar empty, it is like a closet that eventually gets filled with useless crap. Rather than being reactive each day, be proactive to ensure that you are making progress towards your BHAG and 90 day goals.
Stoic Lessons
Stoicism was founded in Athens by Zeno in the early 3rd century BC and made famous by Epictetus, Seneca and Marcus Aurelius. Stoicism intends to achieve inner peace by mastering adversity, exercising self-control, and staying mindful of our impulses. Not only does stoicism teach us how to live well and become better individuals, but it can also assist in overcoming life’s trials and tribulations. A few lessons include:
- Acknowledge that all emotions come from within
- Live in the present moment
- Stop worrying about what others think about you
- Don’t be troubled by things that don’t matter