Automate Your Weekly Planning Ritual

1. Open Claude and start a new chat. 2. Paste this prompt and fill the bracketed parts in short phrases (no paragraphs): Last week I focused on: [1–2 lines]. Help me do a 10-minute weekly review. Output exactly these sections as bullets only: - Wins: 3 bullets (specific outcomes) - Slipped: 2 bullets (what didn't happen + one likely reason each) - Open loops: bullets for anything I'm waiting on, need to decide, or promised and didn't finish (or write "None—clean slate") - Energy: 2 bullets on what felt draining vs energizing 3. Answer Claude's follow-up questions briefly. 4. Keep the final review where you can paste it into your weekly template (Step 4).

1. In the same Claude chat, add your monthly or quarterly focus in one sentence (or say you're in reactive mode and ask Claude to help you pick a focus). 2. Paste the review bullets from Step 1. 3. Ask Claude: Given my review and focus, write ONE sentence that completes: "If this week is a success, ___ is true." Constraints: (a) achievable in about five hours of deep work unless I say otherwise, (b) implies what I will NOT optimize this week, (c) under 35 words. 4. Edit with Claude until the sentence feels slightly uncomfortable but doable—smaller scope is better.

1. Paste your weekly outcome sentence from Step 2. 2. Ask Claude: List exactly THREE Most Important Tasks (MITs) aligned to that outcome. For each MIT output: - Title (6 words max) - Definition of done (observable; someone else could verify it) - First physical action I can do in under 15 minutes If I have more than three candidates, merge duplicates and move the rest to a "Parked" list with one line each. 3. Rename anything jargon-heavy until a stranger could understand each MIT. 4. Keep the Parked list—you'll add it to your template.

1. Create a new Google Doc titled "Weekly plan — [ISO week number or date range]". 2. Add these section headings in order: - Review (paste bullets from Step 1) - Weekly outcome (paste sentence from Step 2) - MITs (paste table or bullets from Step 3) - Calendar reality check (leave blank for Step 5) - Parked / later (paste Parked list from Step 3) 3. Pin or bookmark this doc. Next week, use File → Make a copy so you never start from zero.

1. Open Google Calendar and scan fixed commitments (meetings, childcare, immovable deadlines). 2. For each MIT from Step 3, create 2–4 focus blocks this week. Make each block long enough to reach "definition of done" or a meaningful milestone. 3. Add one "Admin / inbox" buffer block (60–90 minutes) for small tasks so they don't eat MIT time. 4. Optional: paste your week's constraints into Claude and ask: "Suggest where to place the three MIT blocks. Output a proposed schedule table by day with start times; I will manually create the blocks." 5. If you use Apple Calendar or Outlook instead, follow the same rule: MIT blocks before optional work.

1. Create a new calendar event titled "Weekly planning — 25 min". 2. Set it to repeat weekly on the day and time you'll actually do this (Sunday evening or Monday morning works for many people). 3. In the event description, paste: - Link to your Google Doc template from Step 4 - Checklist: (1) Run review prompt (2) Lock outcome + MITs (3) Calendar pass + adjust blocks 4. Optional: add a second recurring 15-minute event Friday labeled "Week preview" to shift blocks if the week changed. 5. Turn on notifications for that event (email or phone alert 10 minutes before).