# Weekly Planning Ritual (WRAP) > [!tip] Your Most Important Weekly Practice > The Weekly Reflection And Planning (WRAP) ritual is your opportunity to step back, learn from the week, and set yourself up for success. ## What is WRAP? WRAP stands for **Weekly Reflection And Planning** - a structured ritual that helps you close out your week powerfully and prepare for the next one. It combines the best practices from Getting Things Done (GTD), time blocking, and reflective learning. ## When to Do WRAP **Best Time**: Friday afternoon (you'll see "It's Friday! Let's WRAP it up!") **Duration**: 30-60 minutes **Alternative**: Sunday evening for weekly planning ## The WRAP Checklist The ritual guides you through 9 essential steps organized into four sections: ### REFLECT **1. Reflect, Process & Learn** - Review what worked and what didn't - Capture lessons learned - Process any lingering thoughts or concerns - Essential step for continuous improvement ### CHECK **2. "Waiting For" Nudges** - Review items you're waiting on from others - Send quick nudges if needed - Clear blockers for next week - (Shows note if you have nothing waiting) **3. Pro-active Communications** - Send updates to stakeholders - Communicate weekend availability - Set expectations for next week - Win a calm weekend by being proactive ### PLAN **4. REVIEW: Your Calendar** - See what's coming up next week - Identify conflicts or overcommitments - Use big blocks to protect focus time - Note deadlines and key meetings **5. ENVISION: Write Your Weekly Goals** - Write your success story for next week - Focus on outcomes, not just activities - Connect to quarterly goals - Be specific but realistic **6. ORGANIZE: Your Tasks** - Clear all task buckets - Move everything to Later - Pull next week's tasks to Next bucket - Consider time requirements and capacity **7. TIME BLOCK: What Must Get Done** - Schedule your most critical tasks - Give yourself enough time to do them well - Consider energy levels - Build in buffer time **8. OPTIMIZE: Your Plan** - Work with your weekly planning coach - Get AI suggestions for improvement - Check alignment between goals and tasks - Identify potential issues ### RELAX **9. Take a Breath** - Acknowledge this is hard work - Pause and recenter as needed - Celebrate your planning effort - Feel confident about the week ahead ## Why WRAP Works ### Evidence-Based Benefits - **Weekly reviews** reduce cognitive load and anxiety (GTD research) - **Written goals** increase achievement rates by up to 42% (Dominican University) - **Time blocking** improves focus and reduces context switching - **Reflection** accelerates learning and improvement - **Planning** creates clarity and reduces decision fatigue ### The Power of Ritual Having a consistent weekly practice: - Creates a clear boundary between weeks - Prevents important tasks from falling through cracks - Builds momentum through regular wins - Reduces Sunday anxiety about Monday - Improves work-life balance ## Tips for Success ### Make It Non-Negotiable - Block Friday 3-5 PM for WRAP - Treat it like an important meeting - Don't skip even when busy (especially then!) ### Start Where You Are - You can skip individual steps if needed - Even 15 minutes of planning beats none - Build the habit first, optimize later ### Use the Skip Wisely - Skip steps that don't apply this week - But try to maintain overall consistency - The reflection step is most critical ### Celebrate Completion - The system shows confetti when done - Acknowledge your effort - Feel good about being prepared ## Common Challenges ### "I don't have time on Friday" Try Sunday evening or Monday morning. The key is consistency, not the specific day. ### "My week was chaotic - nothing to reflect on" Chaotic weeks offer the best learning! What caused the chaos? How can you prevent it? ### "I don't know what to plan" Start with just three things that would make next week feel successful. Build from there. ## Integration with Other Rituals WRAP works best when combined with: - **Daily Begin Well**: Executes your weekly plan each morning - **Daily Shutdown**: Keeps tasks organized for weekly review - **Going Well**: Mid-day adjustments to stay on track ## Your Next Step > [!success] Start This Friday > When you see "It's Friday!" in your Begin Well ritual: > 1. Click through to WRAP > 2. Work through the checklist > 3. Skip steps if needed (but try reflection!) > 4. Celebrate with the confetti > > You'll enter Monday with clarity and confidence. ## Related Resources - [[Review Rhythm]] - Complete guide to all review cycles - [[Getting Started with Goals]] - Setting effective weekly goals - [[Task Trust System]] - Organizing tasks with buckets - [[Rituals]] - The complete ritual system --- *WRAP is your weekly reset button. Use it to close loops, capture learning, and create momentum for the week ahead.*