Optimization and Review: Sharpening Your Axe
A plan is only useful if it evolves. Your time management system is not a static document; it’s a living tool that needs regular maintenance. The weekly review is your process for sharpening the axe. Set aside 30 minutes every Friday afternoon or Sunday evening to look at your calendar from the past week and plan the week ahead.
During this review, ask yourself a few key questions. How many of my deep work blocks were protected? How many were interrupted? What was the source of the interruptions? How many times did I successfully say no or renegotiate a request? How did my energy levels feel throughout the week? Were there days I felt drained and overcommitted? The goal is not perfection, but awareness. If you see that your Tuesday deep work block was interrupted three weeks in a row by the same person, that’s a pattern you can now address proactively.
This is also a good time to re-evaluate your priorities using established productivity principles. One is the 80/20 Rule, or the Pareto Principle, which suggests that roughly 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. Look at your planned tasks for next week. Which ones are in that critical 20%? Ensure they get the best slots on your calendar—your high-energy, protected deep work blocks.
Another principle to consider is Parkinson’s Law, which states that work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion. When you review your blocks, ask yourself if they are the right size. If you gave yourself three hours to write a report and it only took two, maybe you can tighten that block next time. Conversely, if you consistently underestimate how long tasks take, you need to schedule longer, more realistic blocks. The weekly review is your feedback loop for creating a more accurate and resilient schedule, which in turn gives you more confidence when protecting your time and setting boundaries.
