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This is Part Three of the Periodic Review series. Originally written in the Spring of 2007, “The Weekly Review” described how I went about completing this part of the GTD system. My own practice has evolved and grown into a richer and more useful review appointment. Therefore I am up-dating this post and adding some additional details and practices that may make your own review practice easier and more productive.

The Monthly Review

The Monthly Review is an expanded version of the Weekly Review. You can download a copy of this checklist here – The Monthly Review. The first five Actions on the Monthly Checklist correspond directly to the Weekly Checklist, and should go quickly.

Keep in mind that the end of a given month may fall mid-week, or between your normal Weekly appointments. My own strategy in this case is to replace the weekly review nearest the end of the month with a monthly review.  Of course, your mileage will vary.

The second half of the Monthly Checklist is a little different than the Weekly:

6. Review Someday/Maybe list ~ Are your Roles/Current Responsibilities in line to achieve these far-off goals? Can any of them be moved in the category of @1-2 Year Goals or @3-5 Year Vision? It is important to keep an eye on your long-term goals, so that they do not stay in the category of “long-term goals”.

7. Review Roles/Current Responsibilities ~ The Monthly Review has a new number seven: The concept of Roles is from Steven Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People“, and these roles should be reviewed monthly, checking your progress on the goals that you have set. If there is a disconnect between these roles and your long-range plans, now is the time to fix it.

8. Review 1-2 Year Goals ~ Is the Goal still worthwhile? This is an important question to ask yourself, as conditions may have changed or you may wish to increase (or decrease) the importance of certain aspects of your life. Is it appropriate to move any of these goals into @Next Actions or @Projects?

9. Review Support Files ~ This is the same as the Weekly Review.

10. Brainstorm Creative Ideas ~ Focus on your Roles/Current Responsibilities. Are there any that could be changed or improved?

Again, when you have completed your Monthly Review with its notes, archive it in a dated folder, so that you have easy access to it at the end of the quarter. You are working on a larger scale now, so incorporating a scan of your Monthly Reviews into your Quarterly Review will aid in keeping you on track to achieving your long-term goals.

The next post in this series will look at the Quarterly Review.