The weekly review, in 45 minutes.
The weekly review is a fixed appointment with yourself, once a week, in which you empty every inbox, check every project for a next action, look at what you are waiting for, and read the calendar two weeks back and two weeks ahead. David Allen calls it the critical success factor of GTD®. It takes 45 to 90 minutes.
- Get clear15 minSteps 1–3
- Get current25 minSteps 4–8
- Get creative5 minStep 9
You know you should do a weekly review. You have done four this year.
Every time, it started with finding the projects that had quietly stopped, which took half the hour before the review itself began.
The review fails at the setup, not at the thinking.
The GTD® weekly review checklist
Collect loose paper and notes
Receipts, business cards, meeting notes. Everything goes into the inbox, unsorted. 5 minutes.Empty the inbox to zero
One question per item: what is the next physical action, and which list does it belong to? 10 minutes.Empty your head
Write down every open loop you are carrying, without judging it. 5 minutes.Review next actions
Cross off what is done. Mark what has gone stale. 5 minutes.Review the calendar
Two weeks back for loose ends, two weeks ahead for preparation. 5 minutes.Review waiting for
Follow up on anything older than 14 days. 5 minutes.Review projects
Each one has a next action, or it is not a project. 5 minutes.Review someday / maybe
Promote, delete, or keep. 3 minutes.Be creative
What is new? What would be bold? 2 minutes, or as long as it takes.
The proof
Set up my weekly review.
review_week()
Inbox 6 items Projects, stalled 2 · “Office move” (no next action), “Tax 2025” (waiting 18 days) Waiting for > 14 d 1 · Elena, Q3 budget figures Scheduled, 14 days 4 · 1 conflict on Thursday Someday 9 · 2 untouched for 90 daysSuggested order: inbox first, then the two stalled projects. Estimated 38 minutes.
What is actually there
Questions
How long should a weekly review take?
Between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on how much collected during the week. If it regularly takes longer than 90 minutes, the daily capture-and-clarify habit is too thin and the review is doing the daily work. tidemind shows the estimated duration before you start, based on the current counts.
When is the best time for the weekly review?
Friday afternoon, when the week is fresh and the next one has not started. David Allen recommends Friday because the office is quiet and the calendar is visible in both directions. If Friday fails, Sunday evening or Monday morning work; the fixed slot matters more than the day.
What are the three phases of the GTD weekly review?
Get clear: collect loose material, empty every inbox to zero, write down what is in your head. Get current: review next actions, calendar, waiting-for, projects and checklists. Get creative: look at someday/maybe and ask what is new or bold. In tidemind the phases are steps 1 to 3, 4 to 8, and 9.
Do I need an app for the weekly review?
No. Paper works, and David Allen’s original description assumes folders and lists. An app helps with the two steps that take longest on paper: finding projects with no next action and finding waiting-for items that have gone stale. tidemind computes both before the review starts.
Is there a printable GTD weekly review checklist?
Yes. The nine steps on this page are the checklist: three phases, a time budget for each step, 45 minutes in total. “Print the checklist” prints them on one page with a box to tick per step, or saves them as a PDF from the print dialog. Free, no sign-up.
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The weekly review, in 45 minutes.
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