📅 Weekly Review Wizard

Both work, but for different reasons—choose based on your weekly rhythm:

Sunday Evening (6-8 PM) - Most Popular Choice:

• Pros:
• Closes mental loops before week ends (reduces "Sunday anxiety")
• Monday morning starts with clear action plan already written
• Week's events fresh in memory (easier to recall accomplishments)
• Creates boundary between work week and rest (closure)
• Cons:
• May feel like "work" encroaching on personal time
• If you're exhausted Sunday evening, quality drops
• Best For: People who struggle with Monday morning overwhelm, planners who like to "close books" on weekends

Monday Morning (First Thing, 8-9 AM) - Productivity-Focused:

• Pros:
• Starts week with strategic mindset (planning mode activated)
• Fresh energy after weekend rest (better insights)
• Can incorporate weekend reflections too (full 7-day view)
• Protects Sunday evening for personal time
• Cons:
• Monday morning meetings may interrupt
• Previous week feels "distant" already (harder recall)
• Immediate work fires may derail review time
• Best For: Morning people, those who want clear work-life separation, people with flexible Monday mornings

Optimal Timing Research Findings:

• David Allen (Getting Things Done): Recommends Friday afternoon (3-5 PM) to close week with wins fresh
• Cal Newport (Deep Work): Suggests Sunday evening to prevent Monday planning anxiety
• Productivity Studies: Consistency matters more than specific time—same time weekly = 2x adherence

Hybrid Approach (Best of Both):

• Friday 4-5 PM: Quick 10-min "data dump" — list wins/challenges while fresh (saves in notes app)
• Sunday 7-8 PM: Spend 20-30 min expanding notes into full review using this tool
• Monday 8 AM: Review exported PDF, finalize top 3 priorities for week

How to Decide (Personal Test):

1. Week 1: Do review Sunday evening → rate energy level (1-10) and insight quality
2. Week 2: Do review Monday morning → rate same metrics
3. Week 3: Do review Friday afternoon → compare all three
4. Choose: Whichever timing had highest energy + best insights = your optimal time

Scheduling Tips:

• 📅 Block 30-60 min recurring calendar event (treat like important meeting)
• 🔕 Silence phone, close email, use Focus Dashboard to block distracting sites
• ☕ Create ritual (coffee/tea, specific music playlist, favorite location)
• 📝 Have tools ready: This tool open, Reflection Journal for past entries, Focus Dashboard for time data

Bottom Line: Sunday 7 PM = most popular and effective for 60% of people. Try it first!

Ideal Duration: 30-60 minutes for comprehensive review

Time Breakdown by Depth:

Quick Review (15-20 minutes) - Minimum Viable:

• 5 min: List 3-5 wins from week (bullet points OK)
• 5 min: List 2-3 areas to improve
• 5 min: Generate insights, skim results
• 5 min: Write top 3 priorities for next week
• When to use: Busy weeks, consistent routine (not much changed), maintenance mode

Standard Review (30-45 minutes) - Recommended:

• 10 min: Write paragraph on wins (context + details)
• 10 min: Write paragraph on challenges (root causes + patterns)
• 10 min: Review AI insights, add personal reflections
• 10 min: Set 3 priorities + action steps for each
• 5 min: Export PDF, review past week's goals (did I accomplish them?)
• When to use: Most weeks, balanced workload, steady progress

Deep Review (60-90 minutes) - Monthly or Quarterly:

• 15 min: Detailed accomplishment review (celebrate all wins)
• 15 min: Honest challenge analysis (why did X fail?)
• 15 min: Read past 4 weekly PDFs, identify trends
• 20 min: Strategic planning (are weekly goals aligned with yearly goals?)
• 15 min: Adjust systems/habits based on insights
• When to use: End of month, after major project, during transition periods

What If You Feel Like "Nothing Happened This Week"?

Memory Joggers (Review These):

• 📧 Email sent folder (work accomplished)
• 💬 Chat history (conversations, help given)
• ✅ Habit Tracker (streaks maintained)
• 🍅 Pomodoro/Focus Dashboard (hours of deep work)
• 📖 Reflection Journal entries (daily wins recorded)
• 📱 Phone calendar (meetings attended, events)

Reframe "Small" Accomplishments:

• ❌ "I just maintained my exercise habit" → ✅ "I exercised 6/7 days (86% consistency!)"
• ❌ "I only finished 2 tasks" → ✅ "I completed 2 challenging projects under deadline pressure"
• ❌ "Nothing new learned" → ✅ "I reinforced existing skills through daily practice"

Minimum Review Template (When Stuck):

• Wins: "This week I: 1) [smallest accomplishment], 2) [habit maintained], 3) [person helped/interaction]"
• Improve: "Next week I want to: 1) [one specific behavior change], 2) [time management tweak]"
• Priorities: "Top 3 for next week: 1) [work task], 2) [personal goal], 3) [relationship/health]"

Weekly Review Difficulty Progression:

• Week 1-4 (Learning): 45-60 min (building habit, learning what to track)
• Week 5-8 (Refinement): 30-45 min (faster pattern recognition)
• Week 9+ (Mastery): 20-30 min (efficient, know what matters)

Signs Your Review is Working (Even If Feels "Empty"):

• ✅ You complete review weekly (consistency beats perfection)
• ✅ Can recall 3+ wins when asked (memory improved)
• ✅ Next week's priorities feel clearer after review
• ✅ Notice repeating challenges (can now address systematically)

Remember: "Boring" weeks with slow progress are normal—weekly review helps you see cumulative growth over months!

Understanding AI-Generated Insights:

How AI Analysis Works:

• Keyword Extraction: AI identifies frequent words in your reflections (e.g., "coding," "exercise," "meetings")
• Pattern Recognition: Compares "went well" vs "to improve" keywords to spot strengths vs weaknesses
• Insight Generation: Creates 4-5 actionable recommendations based on keyword frequency and sentiment
• Example: If "coding" appears 5x in wins but "time management" appears 3x in challenges → insight suggests leveraging coding strength while improving time management

4 Types of AI Insights You'll See:

1. Strengths Recognition: "Your top strengths this week were X, Y, Z. Leverage these next week."
2. Growth Opportunities: "Areas for growth include A, B. Consider setting specific goals to address these."
3. Consistency Praise: "You demonstrated consistency in [keyword]. Building on this momentum will help next week."
4. Priority Guidance: "The biggest opportunity for next week is addressing [top challenge keyword]."

How to Turn Insights into Actionable Priorities:

Step 1: Categorize Insights (Do-Continue-Stop-Start Framework):

• Do More: Strengths identified by AI (e.g., "coding" = strength → allocate MORE time to coding next week)
• Continue: Habits/routines working well (e.g., "consistency in exercise" → maintain 6x/week)
• Stop: Challenges identified (e.g., "too many meetings" → decline non-essential meetings)
• Start: New behaviors to address gaps (e.g., "time management" issue → start time-blocking)

Step 2: Apply the "Rule of 3" for Priorities:

• Why 3? Brain can focus on max 3-5 priorities weekly without overwhelm
• Priority 1 (Work/Career): Based on biggest AI insight from "went well" section
• Priority 2 (Personal Growth): Based on top "to improve" challenge
• Priority 3 (Health/Relationships): Balance—don't neglect these for work

Example: From Insights to Priorities

Your Weekly Review Input:

• Went Well: "Finished React project ahead of schedule, exercised 6 days, helped teammate debug code"
• To Improve: "Got distracted during focus sessions, skipped meal prep Sunday, felt anxious about upcoming presentation"

AI-Generated Insights:

1. "Your top strengths were project, exercised, helped. Leverage these next week."
2. "Growth areas include distracted, sessions, anxious. Set specific goals."
3. "Consistency in exercised. Build momentum."
4. "Biggest opportunity: addressing distracted (focus sessions)."

Your 3 Priorities for Next Week:

1. Priority 1 (Work): Prepare presentation (address anxiety) | Action: Practice 30 min daily Mon-Wed
2. Priority 2 (Productivity): Improve focus sessions (address distracted) | Action: Block calendar 9-11 AM, use Focus Dashboard site blocker
3. Priority 3 (Health): Maintain exercise + add meal prep | Action: Continue 6x/week exercise, meal prep Sunday 2 PM

Making Priorities SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound):

• Vague: "Improve focus" ❌
• SMART: "Complete 8 uninterrupted Pomodoro sessions (25 min each) by blocking calendar 9-11 AM Mon-Fri using Focus Dashboard" ✅

Weekly Priorities Template (Fill After Insights):

• Priority 1: [Work/Career Goal] | Action: [Specific steps] | Measure: [How to know it's done]
• Priority 2: [Personal Growth] | Action: [Specific steps] | Measure: [Success criteria]
• Priority 3: [Health/Relationship] | Action: [Specific steps] | Measure: [Completion check]

Accountability Loop (Use Next Week):

• Next Sunday's Review: Check last week's 3 priorities → Did I accomplish them? (Yes/No for each)
• Insight: If 0/3 priorities met → they were too ambitious OR unforeseen events (adjust next time)
• Goal: Hit 2/3 priorities weekly = 86% success rate over time!

Pro Tip: Save all exported PDFs in Google Drive folder "Weekly Reviews 2025"—review quarterly to see 12-week transformation!

Yes! Weekly Review is the "strategy layer" that connects all tactical productivity tools:

Complete Productivity System Integration:

Weekly Review + Focus Dashboard:

• During Review: Check Focus Dashboard stats—"Total Sessions: 45 this week (avg 6.4/day), Focus Time: 22.5 hours"
• Reflection Questions: Did I meet my 8 sessions/day goal? Which projects got most time? Is allocation right?
• Next Week Action: If priority is "Finish Project A," block 15 Focus sessions specifically for Project A
• Tool Flow: Weekly Review sets goals → Focus Dashboard tracks execution → Next Weekly Review evaluates results

Weekly Review + Habit Tracker:

• During Review: Check Habit Tracker—"Exercise: 6/7 days ✅, Reading: 4/7 days ⚠️, Journaling: 7/7 days 🔥"
• Reflection: "Went well: Maintained 7-day journal streak. To improve: Only read 4 days (below 6-day goal)"
• Next Week Action: Priority 3 = "Read 20 pages daily (6/7 days target), set 9 PM phone reminder"
• Accountability: Every weekly review checks if last week's habit goals were met

Weekly Review + Reflection Journal:

• During Review: Read past 7 days of journal entries—"Most frequent mood: Anxious (4x), main theme: work stress"
• Insight: "To improve: High anxiety this week due to 3 tight deadlines. Need better workload management."
• Next Week Action: Priority = "Negotiate deadline extensions, delegate 2 tasks, practice 10-min morning meditation"
• Data Source: Daily journal = raw emotional data | Weekly Review = strategic analysis

Weekly Review + Pomodoro Timer:

• During Review: "Completed 48 Pomodoros (20 hours) but felt rushed on Thursday/Friday"
• Reflection: "Went well: Strong Mon-Wed (8-9 sessions/day). To improve: Only 3 sessions Thu-Fri (meetings interrupted)"
• Next Week Action: "Block Thu-Fri mornings 9-12 PM as 'No Meeting Zone' for 6 uninterrupted Pomodoros"

Integrated Weekly Workflow Example (Student):

Monday-Friday (Execution):

• Use Focus Dashboard for study sessions (track time per subject)
• Use Pomodoro Timer for deep work blocks
• Check off Habit Tracker (study 6+ hours/day, exercise, read)
• Write Reflection Journal each evening (mood + daily highlights)

Sunday 7 PM (Strategy):

• Gather Data (10 min):
• Focus Dashboard: Math 12 hrs ✅, Physics 8 hrs ⚠️, Chemistry 5 hrs ❌
• Habit Tracker: Studied 6 days, exercised 5 days, read 4 days
• Journal: Mood = Stressed 3x, Grateful 2x, Calm 2x
• Weekly Review (20 min):
• Went well: "Strong Math focus (12 hrs), maintained study streak"
• To improve: "Chemistry neglected (only 5 hrs vs 10 target), stress high midweek"
• AI Insights + Priorities:
• Priority 1: Chemistry catch-up (allocate 12 Focus sessions next week)
• Priority 2: Maintain Math momentum (8-10 sessions weekly)
• Priority 3: Stress management (add meditation habit, reduce caffeine)

Monday 8 AM (Implementation):

• Open exported PDF, review 3 priorities
• Update Habit Tracker with "Meditation 10 min" new habit
• Schedule Focus Dashboard sessions: Mon-Fri 9-11 AM = Chemistry (2 sessions/day × 5 days = 10 sessions)
• Start week aligned with strategy!

Benefits of Integrated System:

• Data-Driven: Decisions based on real numbers (not feelings)
• Closed Loop: Plan → Execute → Review → Adjust → Repeat
• Accountability: Can't hide from data—forces honesty
• Continuous Improvement: Each week 1-2% better adds up to 50%+ improvement in 6 months

Golden Rule: Use daily tools (Pomodoro, Habits, Journal) for execution → Use Weekly Review for strategy → Use all together for transformation!

Long-term tracking multiplies weekly review value by revealing trends invisible week-to-week!

Monthly Review (Every 4 Weeks) - 60 Minutes:

Step 1: Gather 4 Weekly PDFs

• Download all 4 weekly review PDFs from past month
• Print or view side-by-side on screen

Step 2: Trend Analysis Questions

• Consistency: Did the same wins appear 3-4 times? (These are your superpowers!)
• Recurring Challenges: Did the same "to improve" items repeat? (Systemic problem needing solution)
• Priority Completion: How many of 12 total priorities (3/week × 4 weeks) were accomplished? (Aim for 8/12 = 67%)
• Productivity Trends: Focus Dashboard hours: Week 1 = 20 hrs → Week 4 = 25 hrs? (Upward trend = growth!)

Step 3: Monthly Insights Template

• Biggest Wins: "This month I: 1) Launched Project X, 2) Built 30-day exercise streak, 3) Learned React hooks"
• Patterns Identified: "I notice I'm most productive Mon-Wed, struggle Thu-Fri (meeting overload)"
• Systems to Improve: "Need better project estimation—missed 3/4 deadlines this month"
• Next Month Goals: "1) Finish Project Y, 2) Read 4 books, 3) Fix Thu-Fri calendar"

Quarterly Review (Every 12 Weeks) - 90 Minutes:

The "3-Month Transformation" Checkpoint:

• Compare Week 1 vs Week 12 PDFs:
• How have your strengths evolved? (Coding beginner → shipped 3 projects?)
• Which challenges from Week 1 are now solved?
• What new skills appear in Week 12 that didn't exist in Week 1?

Quarterly Metrics to Calculate:

• Total Focus Time: Sum all weekly focus hours (Goal: 200-300 hours/quarter deep work)
• Habit Consistency: Check Habit Tracker—which habits sustained 90-day streaks?
• Goal Completion Rate: (Achieved priorities / Total priorities set) × 100 (Target: 65-75%)
• Journal Mood Trends: Compare Q1 mood distribution to current—less anxious? More grateful?

Visual Progress Tracking (Create This Manually):

Excel/Google Sheets Template:

Week	Focus Hours	Habits (6/7)	Mood (Positive %)	Priorities Met
1	18	50%	60%	2/3
12	26	85%	75%	2/3

• Charts: Line graph showing Focus Hours trending up = visual proof of growth!

Quarterly Reflection Prompts:

• "What did I accomplish this quarter that seemed impossible 3 months ago?"
• "Which habit/system change had the biggest ROI?"
• "If I could only keep 3 priorities for next quarter, what would they be?"
• "What skill do I want to master in next 90 days?"

Yearly Review (Every 52 Weeks) - Half Day:

• Read ALL 52 PDFs (Or Summary): Create folder "2025 Weekly Reviews" → export all PDFs there
• Year-End Questions:
• "January Me vs December Me: How did I grow?"
• "What were my top 10 accomplishments this year?"
• "Which 3 habits transformed my life?"
• "What will I stop/start/continue in 2026?"
• Celebration: You did 52 weekly reviews! That alone puts you in top 5% of goal-setters!

Tool Stack for Long-Term Tracking:

• Weekly Reviews: Export PDFs, save in Google Drive "Weekly Reviews/2025" folder
• Monthly Summary: Create Google Doc "Monthly Review - March 2025" with trends analysis
• Quarterly Dashboard: Google Sheets with 12-week metrics chart
• Yearly Retrospective: Notion page with highlights, lessons, 2026 vision

Success Story: Users who track 12+ weeks report 3x higher goal achievement vs those who skip review entirely!