I hate to be unorganized…but it seems to be my natural state of being…so I have to actively beat back the dragon of disorganization. Since the complexity of my life is about to increase considerably (read about that here), I decided it was time to update a weekly task list I like to use.

In the past, I’ve really liked the stuff that David Seah creates (whichyou can find here: http://davidseah.com/productivity-tools/)

Earlier this week, I created my own weekly planner, which is based on his designs. I’m not nearly as fancy, but perhaps you will find them helpful. You can download the PDF here: weekly planner (PDF). If you want to make edits: weekly planner (Adobe Illustrator) (please don’t ask me to send you the fonts…that would be illegal!).

Typically, I spend a little bit of time at the beginning of the week deciding what’s important and I put that on this form. Who do I decide what’s important? I start with my long range goals and projects to determine What Must Happen This Week to move everything forward. I like the word “imperative,” because it doesn’t leave a lot of room for ambiguity. I want to spend my time on the stuff that absolutely must happen … not on stuff that should maybe happen…

I like to do my weekly planning before I read any emails or jump into any tasks. I’ll keep this sheet with me all week long and add to it after meetings, programs, etc.

This isn’t where I keep a list of EVERYTHING I’m working on or want to work on … I keep that digitally either in Outlook or Omni focus. This form is the focus just for this week.

I like having this easily accessible during my quiet times … nothing can derail me quicker than thinking about the needs of the ministry. I’ve found that if I can write it down, then it’s gone from my mind and I can leave the distraction behind.

It’s hard to be organized! (well, for me it is….)