Atomic Habits: Weekly Planning
The 30 minute practice that can transform your life, one week at a time.
For the last several months I’ve been working on becoming aware of the atomic habits that nudged me towards burnout last year. Atomic habits are those small, seemingly insignificant decisions and actions you do everyday—often unconsciously—which some researchers believe account for 40% of our daily activity. The person we are becoming is massively formed by these habits. When these habits are positive and healthy, the benefits stack up over time, and we experience growth, purpose, wellness, and fulfillment. But when our atomic habits are negative and unhealthy, our lives become stale, stagnant, directionless, unhealthy, and unfulfilling.
Much of my burnout was precipitated by neglecting some atomic habits that had previously provided a lot of strength and grounding in my life. One habit I’ve recently recovered which has been powerfully life-giving is intentionally preparing for my week through weekly planning. Here’s my process:
First thing Monday morning I spend time reviewing my mission statement. This is a statement of purpose and vision I wrote years ago, but one that I adjust over time as I move through different seasons of my life. It describes my highest ideals and aspirations, and the values and priorities I want to give my live to. Here is the current iteration of my mission statement, which is built off of a Scripture that has come to mean a lot to me:
”No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer. 5 Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops.” (2 Timothy 2:4-6)
I am a warrior.
I am an athlete.
I am a farmer.
My mission is to love God, love others, and make disciples.
I will live to honour God, even if no one else does.
I will inspire and empower others to love God heart, soul, mind, and strength, and creatively love their neighbour.
I will be an example, in both word and deed, of how Jesus can transform a life by cultivating:
-courage
-humility
-faithfulness
-joy
-selflessness
-generosity
-growth and maturity
-faith
-hope
-love
I will value people’s growth more than I value their approval.
I will speak the truth in love.
I will live and lead out of faith, not fear.
I will help fan into flame the gifts God has entrusted to me, and the gifts I believe God has placed in others.
After reviewing my mission statement, I write down my seven primary roles:
Follower of Jesus
Husband
Father
Pastor
Life Coach
Friend
Next I take a few minutes to consider the question, “What is the one thing I could do in each role that would have the greatest possible impact this week?”. Then I assign one actionable item to each role.
Next, I schedule those “big rocks” (see video below) into my calendar or to-do list.
I end by praying that God would give me grace and strength to fulfill these priorities and live fully into my mission, vision, and values.
I’ve learned that neglecting this 30 minute process causes me to enter the week fractured and unfocused. Without reminding myself of what matters most and prioritizing first things first, my week can quickly devolve into a blur of activity driven more by what seems urgent than what is important. But when I ground myself in this weekly planning process before my week begins, I move into the week with a deep sense of purpose and resolve of spirit.
I’ll share some of the other atomic habits I’m (re)introducing into my life in order to move forward in health and strength, but if you don’t currently begin your week with a process of preparation like the one outlined above, I strongly encourage you to experiment with the practice. It really is a game-changer.
If you’d like coaching support in putting together a personal mission statement or a personalized weekly planning process, please feel free to reach out to me via jeff (at) nelsoncovenant.com