| PERFECT FRIDAYS

Congratulations - you have made it through another busy week. You have gotten a lot done (I know you did). You have sat through more meetings than you would like. Now Friday has rolled around - time to drop the pencil and head off to the bar!

Or is it?

You can busy yourself the last hours of your Friday, or you can use technology to get a headstart on Monday.

Make your Fridays yours

Introducing a "Friday = Team day" mentality doesn't happen from one day to the other. Your actions can make a difference. Start moving your repeating meetings to other days and use “propose new time” to move the others.

If you haven't already, ask your boss and your direct reports for a 1:1, perhaps every second Friday, depending on the relationship. Set up 30 minutes per person and attach rolling meeting minutes. Anything that comes up with that person goes there. Both of you will be prepared and your 1:1s will be much more appreciated.

Block 60-90 minutes for yourself - perhaps after lunch. That’s what Focus Time events are for, which can now decline meetings and set your Chat to do not disturb.

When you’re ready to review your loose ends, retreat somewhere nice if you like. Put on headphones and start shutting down distractions, beginning with Chat. Keep on closing those browser tabs until you’re at zero. If you find you need something later, create a todo (“Read article on Duet AI”, “Select hotel for budget meeting”), but don’t slow down.

The 3 C’s of a Friday review

Get clear: Start by writing down everything that is on your mind, private and professional. This could include feelings or things that you need to do. Next, empty your inboxes: email, Google Tasks,  action items in Drive and anything paper-based. Tip: As you breeze through your items, repeat the mantra 'review, not react'. Don't respond to emails, don't look up things. If something needs a response, make it a todo.

Get current: Is your to-do list up to date? How about your calendar - when you look at last week, are there any actions to take care of? Are there any things that you need to do to prepare for next week?

Get creative: Once everything is in order, if you still have gas in the tank juice in the battery, think about what you would like to be real. What are the next steps to make it happen?

The weekly review is a cornerstone habit of  the Getting Things Done methodology. How about adapting it in 2024? All it takes is an hour. When you make decisions based on complete information, you master your attention and see results in all areas of your life. Thank you for reading!