Choose one keyword for this weekdaily

This is a daily routine for shaping your week. Use “Choose one keyword for this week” to realign the rhythm of everyday life.

When you have more than 20 things on your to-do list, it's hard to tell what's 'key for the week'. Urgent and important mix together, and on Friday you're left with the feeling of 'I was busy but I don't know what I did.'

One weekly keyword does not replace a plan. There is one ‘criteria for choosing this week’. ‘Deadlines’, ‘relationships’, ‘organizing’, ‘learning’—one word serves as a compass that will come to mind several times throughout the day. Even if there are 20 items in the to-do app, one word on a post-it note can help you quickly decide, ‘Is it right to do this now?’

One word is better than 20 things to do

Monday morning, let me describe the past week in one word. ‘Response’, ‘Focus’, ‘Exhaustion’—write down words that come to mind without judgment. Pick one word to lead you this week. ‘Finish’, ‘conversation’, ‘organize’, ‘rest’—both verbs and nouns are possible. If it becomes two words, shorten it to one.

Write it in large letters at the top of the note, and attach the same word to a post-it note next to the monitor. Visual clues remind us several times throughout the day. If last week's word was 'reaction', this week it is easy to choose a contrasting word such as 'choice' or 'one thing'. If you write it down on the same page of the same notebook for 3 minutes on Monday morning, you will see a pattern a month later.

Filter every decision with words

Meeting invitation, new request, dinner date—just 3 seconds to ask 'Does this match this week's keywords?' During ‘due’ week, it becomes easy to put off ‘new project kickoff’ until ‘next week’. It doesn't have to be a perfect filter. If it ‘became the standard for most choices’, it was a success. Ask the same question when you receive a new channel invitation on Slack.

If you look at the words again at lunch on Wednesday, you'll quickly see if you've already shaken it up. If it's 'organizing' week and you have three new tasks coming in, that's your cue to re-pick your priorities on Thursday morning.

Friday, was that the right word?

For 5 minutes on Friday, write down ‘Was this week’s keyword correct?’ in one line. If it's correct, try a similar direction next week. If not, try a different word. After a few weeks, you will see ‘keywords that suit you well’. The difference in feeling between the ‘Focus’ week and the ‘Relationship’ week is also recorded. When combined with a weekly plan on Sunday night, the entire week follows the same standard.

One word isn't a perfect plan, but rather a little anchor to keep you from getting lost in a busy week. If you align the 'three priorities' and keywords of your weekly plan on Sunday night, you can move on the same basis from Monday to Friday. This week, start by deciding on one word.