Weekly Review
The Weekly Review is the secret weapon of GTD. It keeps your system trusted and current.
"If you don't have a Weekly Review discipline, you simply won't trust your system past a couple of days." — David Allen
Between reviews, your lists and reality drift apart: work finishes, priorities move, new commitments arrive. The Weekly Review is where you close that gap, and it is what lets you stop rescanning everything in your head. Done well, it leaves you knowing both what to do next and what you can safely ignore.
Why Weekly Review?
Without regular review:
- Lists get stale
- Trust erodes
- Captured items pile up
- Projects stall
- Stress returns
With weekly review:
- System stays current
- Mind stays clear
- Nothing falls through cracks
- You engage with confidence
When to Review
Schedule: Same time, same day each week Popular times:
- Friday afternoon (end the work week clean)
- Saturday/Sunday morning (start fresh)
Duration: 30-90 minutes
Tip: You can set a recurring reminder for your Weekly Review in Settings → Notifications. Use this to protect your review time.
The Mindwtr Review Wizard
Mindwtr provides a guided weekly review. Access it from:
- Desktop: Weekly Review in sidebar
- Mobile: Review tab or drawer
Step 1: Process Inbox
Goal: Inbox Zero
Review each inbox item:
- Is it actionable?
- What's the next action?
- Clarify and organize
In Mindwtr:
- See your inbox count
- Process items using the clarify workflow
- Use the Process Inbox action from the review step, then return to the review when the inbox is clear
- If your inbox is empty but your head is not, use Mind Sweep from the review to capture loose thoughts before moving on
- Mobile weekly review also shows a Mind Sweep nudge in the review flow, so you can start a guided capture pass before leaving the Get Clear step
- Empty the inbox completely
Step 2: Stale Items
Catch what's drifting:
- Next actions and waiting-for items untouched for 14+ days
- Active projects with no recent activity
In Mindwtr:
- The review surfaces these for you, with no review dates required
- Items you deferred on purpose don't count as stale: a task or project with a future review date (or a task with a future start date) is left alone until that date arrives
- Update, complete, or let each one go (move to Someday, archive, or delete)
- The step is skipped when nothing has gone stale
- If AI review is enabled, AI suggestions appear in this step (see below)
Step 3: Review Calendar
Look back 14 days:
- Did you miss anything?
- Any completed appointments need follow-up?
- Capture new actions that arose
Look ahead 14 days:
- What's coming up?
- What preparation is needed?
- Capture any new tasks
In Mindwtr:
- Review the Calendar view
- Check past and upcoming events
- Add any needed actions
Step 4: Waiting For
Review delegated items:
- Have you received what you're waiting for?
- Do you need to send a reminder?
- Update notes with latest status
In Mindwtr:
- View all waiting tasks
- Follow up on stale items
- Move completed items to Done
- Items with a future review date sit in a collapsed "Not due yet" group. Set a review date on a long wait (bookings that open in the fall, a reply due next quarter) and it stays out of the way until then; if everything is deferred, the step is skipped
Step 5: Review Projects
For each active project:
- Does it have at least one next action?
- Is it still relevant?
- Has it been completed?
In Mindwtr:
- See projects with/without next actions
- Add next actions where missing. The Add task prompt accepts the full quick-add syntax (
@context,#tag,%person,/waiting,/due:…), and Save & edit creates the task and opens it in the editor without leaving the review - Mark completed projects as Done
Step 6: Someday/Maybe
Review incubated items:
- Do you want to activate any?
- Should any be deleted?
- Are any still relevant?
In Mindwtr:
- Browse Someday/Maybe list
- Promote items to Next Actions
- Archive or delete stale items
- Like Waiting For, items with a future review date wait in a collapsed "Not due yet" group until their date arrives
Complete
You're ready for the week ahead:
- All inboxes empty
- Calendar reviewed
- Projects have next actions
- Lists are current
The final screen shows a short summary of where the system stands: whether your Inbox is empty, whether every active project has a next action, and how many Waiting For items have sat untouched for more than two weeks. Each line reflects the same rules the review steps use, and lines with nothing to report stay hidden.
Optional AI Review
If enabled, Mindwtr can analyze the stale items from Step 2 and suggest:
- Move to Someday/Maybe
- Archive
- Break down
- Keep
You always choose which suggestions to apply.
Detailed Review Checklist
Get Clear
- [ ] Collect loose papers and materials
- [ ] Process physical inbox
- [ ] Process email inbox
- [ ] Process notes and voicemails
- [ ] Empty your head (capture any lingering thoughts)
Get Current
- [ ] Review action lists (mark completed, add new)
- [ ] Review previous calendar (capture follow-ups)
- [ ] Review upcoming calendar (prepare, capture actions)
- [ ] Review waiting-for list (follow up, update)
- [ ] Review projects (ensure each has next action)
- [ ] Review someday/maybe (activate or delete)
Get Creative
- [ ] Review goals and vision
- [ ] Any new ideas or initiatives?
- [ ] What would make next week great?
Splitting the Review
If 90 minutes feels too long, split into two sessions:
Session 1: Get Clear (Friday, 45-60 min)
- Collect everything
- Process inboxes to zero
Session 2: Get Current & Creative (Weekend, 45-60 min)
- Review all lists
- Update projects
- Look ahead
Tips for Consistent Reviews
Environment
- Same time each week
- Same location
- Minimize distractions
- Consider background music
Make It Ritual
- Start with tea or coffee
- Use a checklist
- Celebrate completion
When You Skip
If you miss a week:
- Don't beat yourself up
- Do a shorter review to catch up
- Get back on schedule
Common Review Mistakes
- Skipping the review: Systems fail quickly without it
- Just scanning lists: Actually process and update
- Rushing through: Give it proper time
- Not capturing: Write down new items discovered
- Ignoring stuck items: Address or delete stale tasks