Have you had this feeling: Monday wake up, can't remember what to do this week.
Then days pass, looking back discover many things forgot to do, much time wasted, many plans not completed.
Weekly plan can solve this problem.
Why Weekly Plan More Important Than Daily Plan?
Daily plan suitable for managing each day's tasks, but easy to fall into "can't see forest for trees" trap.
You completed one day's tasks, but don't know this week's overall progress how. Some things need several days to complete, daily plan can only record what do today, can't see cross-day progress.
Weekly plan perspective more macro.
It lets you know this week how many things to do, which are priorities, time and energy should place where. At same time not as vague as monthly plan, specific enough to execute.
Useful Weekly Planner Templates
CanJournals' template center has several weekly plan templates, designed quite practically.
Basic Weekly Plan
Quite classic one.
Left side seven days, each day has few small grids to fill tasks. Right side one week priority goals area.
This template suits people with not complex task types, each day mainly "what to do." Open template, fill tasks, check checks, clear.
Time-Blocked Weekly Plan
If you need precise time management, this one more suitable.
Time axis from 8am to 10pm, one grid per hour. Put tasks in corresponding time slots, can see week's time allocation.
For example "Monday 10-12am meeting," "Wednesday 3-5pm gym." Time axis pulled, whole person clear about week's arrangements.
Tracking Style Weekly Plan
This template suits people who need habit tracking.
Seven days a week, each day has few small icons to mark habit completion. For example exercise, drink water, early sleep, reading. Light up little icons, week later can see how well you persisted.
I'm using this one. Watching little icons light up one by one, achievement sense strong.
How to Use Weekly Plan?
Template selected, next is how to use.
Sunday do weekly plan
Suggest Sunday night spend 15 minutes doing next week plan. Not long, just think this week what tasks, what are priorities, reasonably allocate time.
List this week's several big tasks to complete. Then break into each day's small tasks. Don't list too many big tasks, three to five enough. List many can't complete, strikes confidence.
Every morning glance
First thing morning up, glance at weekly plan. Today what tasks, in week's progress what position.
This avoids head down handling urgent small matters, ignoring important big matters.
Before day end check
Complete task then check. More checks, stronger achievement sense. Incomplete tasks see if delay or cancel, adjust plan.
Friday do weekly review
Weekend good time for review. This week completed how many? What not completed? Why? How improve?
Weekly review doesn't need write long, half hour enough. But this action can help you continuously optimize your planning method.
Several Principles of Weekly Planning
Leave 20% blank time
Week always has unexpected. Temporary meetings, sudden tasks, body uncomfortable need rest. Plan too full, unexpected comes all messy.
Suggest weekly leave about one day blank time, for handling unexpected situations.
Tasks must be specific
"Review Calculus" not good task, "Review Calculus Chapter 3 and complete after-class exercises" is good task.
Specific then know what to do, how counts as complete.
Distinguish "want to do" and "must do"
Some things you want to do, but not must do. For example learn new skill, read book.
Weekly plan first put "must do" things, after completing if still have time, then do "want to do."
Don't be perfectionist
Plan never keeps up with changes. Today not completed, don't think tomorrow must make up.
Can delay, but must actively delay, don't passively give up.
My Weekly Planning Practice
I myself use CanJournals for weekly planning about more than a year.
Quite big feeling: after finishing weekly plan, daily anxiety reduced much. Before always felt many things to do but didn't know where start, now every day know "what important things need handle today."
Functions used actually not many, just task list, checking, occasional weekly review. Templates also not very complex, just basic style plus bit of my own adjustment.
Tools truly don't need many, key lies in using.
Finally
Weekly planning is counter-intuitive thing.
We always feel "plan" is restriction, is constraint. Actually not, good plan is freedom.
Because it lets you know what to do today, what complete this week, where overall progress at. This clarity brought calm, much stronger than busy but confused.
Give it try. From this Sunday night start, take out fifteen minutes, make a next week plan.
Then see, this week will be different from before.