When you’re going after the life you want, it’s extremely important to measure your journey. From wins to coulda-been-betters, these things matter because they tell us whether we’re actually inching closer to our goals rather than just thinking a lot about them and hoping they happen.

This is why each Sunday evening, I take a few moments to slow down and reflect on the week that has come to a close. I use this time to check in with myself and ask the real questions:

‘What went well?’

‘What needs adjusting?’

‘What can I do to prepare for the week ahead?’

If you’re serious about tracking your progress and staying two steps ahead of the game, I thought I’d share what my weekly reflection routine looks like so that you can try it out. Borrow, steal and rework anything that seems to help.

MY WEEKLY REFLECTION ROUTINE

Goals Check-in

I like to write a couple notes to track the progress I’ve made on goals from last week. What things got done? What still needs to be caught up on? Use this step to see what you accomplished in the last 7 days, and see what still needs taken care of!

Reflect on previous appointments

Review your calendar for tasks and appointments from the week prior. How did they go? Anything to note? Take a moment to make a list of the tasks you need to complete based on the appointments you kept.

Call out wins for the week

Start a list of your wins from the week, no matter if they’re big or small! Celebrate with yourself and keep track of the progress you’ve been making. One of the best sources of motivation is seeing how you’ve grown in the time that’s passed.

Write down reflection tasks

Based on what happened and what you achieved last week, what do you need to do now? Is there an email you might need to follow up on? Should you write a thank you note to anybody? Make a list of these tasks and factor them into your agenda for the week.

Notice what’s not working

Now that you’ve celebrated your wins, take note of some things you want to improve on. Did you stay up with Netflix for a little too long one night? Any workouts that fell to the wayside? Don’t use this time to bring yourself down, but instead see how you can adjust to keep your important habits. What do you need to do to get things done?

Watch your wish list

Keep a list of things you wish you were doing. What’s keeping you from them? Are you too “busy”? Make note of where you want to be spending your time, who you want to be spending it with, and what you truly want to be doing.

Turn a wish to a reality

Try to find something on your calendar for the upcoming week that will help you turn one of your wishes into a reality! I like to use this step as a moment to get excited for the week ahead. Is “spend more time reading” on your wish list? Look for a few spare chunks of time in your weekly agenda and schedule an hour for yourself. Not for work, not for laundry, not for multitasking — just the thing from your wish list.

Prepare for upcoming appointments

Look at your appointments or tasks coming up in the week ahead. How can you best prepare for them? Is there any research you need to do, or any errands you might need to run? Write down anything you can do to get ahead and start penciling the tasks into your calendar.

Verify time batching patterns

Make sure your tasks are scheduled for the times you’ll be most effective. Are all your calls scheduled in the afternoon when you’re in “conference call mode”? Look for similar tasks in your upcoming schedule and batch them together when possible!

Define tomorrow’s priorities

Finally, create a list of the most important tasks you need to complete the next day. Check in with your schedule to see where they align, and write them down. Repeat this step every evening, or add it into your morning routine!

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I did a video on AmyTV recapping this experience as well. Check it out!

Tune in to AmyTV for more details about my Sunday reflection routine!

Q: What do you do every Sunday to help prepare you for the week to come? Leave a comment below!