A 20-minute weekly review checklist for your calendar and tasks

A short weekly review: clear your inbox, check last week, plan the next one and choose three priorities, with a printable checklist.

A weekly review stops small tasks from piling up. Use this checklist and keep it short.

Checklist

Clear inboxes. Empty your notes, messages and email to one list.
Look back. Open last week’s calendar. What happened? What slipped, and why?
Check commitments. Scan the next two weeks for events and deadlines.
Choose three priorities for the coming week. Everything else is secondary.
Block time for those three in your calendar. See time blocking.
Set reminders for deadlines and appointments with lead time. See reminders that work.
Tidy. Delete or reschedule stale tasks.

A planner app helps if it shows week view, repeating events and reliable reminders. Browse the planning apps.

How long should a weekly review take?

Fifteen to thirty minutes. Longer reviews tend to be skipped.

When is the best time?

Pick a fixed slot, such as Friday afternoon or Sunday evening, and put it in your calendar.

What if I miss a week?

Do a shorter review the next day. Consistency matters more than perfection.