Know Where You Are to Get Where You Want to Go
The Planning Process Collection, Part 1: Reviewing
We talk a lot about planning around here, but something we don’t talk enough about is that planning isn’t a singular activity. It’s actually a continuous process of four distinct phases: Reviewing, Visioning, Planning, and Executing.
This post is the first in a series exploring each phase of the planning process. We’re starting with the one that’s most often skipped: Reviewing.
It may seem counterintuitive to start with a review since we typically think of that as something you do at the end. And that’s true. But a review of a past project or time period provides the starting point for what comes next.
Below, we’ll explore why reviews matter and the basic structure of a good review. Then you’ll find a curated collection of our best resources organized by when you might need them, whether you’re looking to review your day, your quarter, a specific project, or your entire business.
The Often-Overlooked First Step
Contrary to what you might think, the first step in reaching your goals isn’t figuring out where you want to go. The most essential step is figuring out where you’re starting from.
Skip the review step, and you’ll struggle with the other three:
Visioning: You might set goals that are unreachable from where you actually are, or set your expectations so low you won’t even bother trying
Planning: How can you chart a course if you don’t know your real starting point?
Executing: It’s hard to gauge progress if you don’t have an accurate assessment of where you began
The problem? We’re not always great at accurately perceiving where we actually are. Our real starting line might be further ahead than we think. Or we’ve placed ourselves at someone else’s start line. Or we’re in the right place but making it harder than it needs to be.
What Reviews Actually Do
Reviews help us see the patterns at play in our world and how those patterns are helping or hindering our progress. And we can approach them in two ways:
By time horizon (day, week, month, quarter, year): This lets you zoom out for a holistic view across all projects and areas of life.
By project: This provides a more specific lens to see how particular actions (or inactions) contributed to a project’s success or failure.
Both approaches are valuable. Both help us see what steps we’ve taken to get here and what resources are available to us right where we are. And that clarity is what helps us plot a better path toward the future we’re building.
The Basic Structure
Whether you’re reviewing by time horizon or by project, a good review contains three main parts:
Celebrating the accomplishments and wins
Acknowledging the challenges and setbacks
Capturing the lessons learned and how you’ll carry them forward
That last part is what bridges you to the next phase: Visioning. (More on this next phase coming soon.)
Reviewing Resources
Below you’ll find a collection of our posts on reviews organized by when you might need them:
When you need perspective on where you are
When you need to review by time horizon
When you need to review your year
When you need to bring review into your process
When you need to review a project or process
When you need a holistic review of your business
Up Next in This Series
Now that you know where you are, it’s time to figure out where you want to go. Read Part 2: Visioning to learn how to clarify your direction and choose your priorities.
Struggling to see where you actually are or recognize the progress you've made? Our Productivity Coaching can help you identify patterns, celebrate wins you've overlooked, and create review practices that actually work for you. Learn more about Productivity Coaching.
As much as this series is appreciated ...
I wonder about how much consideration it gives to folks' time constraints -- particularly when folks are constricted by relationships to which they (we) are somehow obligated and in which our time, in contrast to other folks' time, is not equitably respected
?
(Also not quite sure "we teach people how to treat us" or similar is so instructive in a hierarchical system where some are actively encouraged to encroach on the time & resources of others ... so really hoping for some new & expanded suggestions)