Productivity Magic: How to Build a Successful Two Week Look Ahead Calendar
Do you ever struggle managing your time day-to-day?
I’d bet you have a good idea of the goals you’re trying to accomplish.
But you can’t seem to build enough momentum in the short term to make your efforts stick.
You get anxiety over never-ending To-Do Lists and Calendars.
Same.
As a Creative Pro, I sometimes find myself my life together with glue, tape, and prayer.
I’ve managed complex projects and teams for over fifteen years now. In that time, one thing is clear—not all time is created equally.
Goals can take months or even years to complete.
Quarterly reviews are great for medium-range check-ins.
To Do Lists help you manage your time right now.
But what about those times between now and the next few months?
Is there something that can bridge the gap?
Yes, indeed.
Get Timely with Your Time Management Tools
One of the best time management tricks I’ve picked up is the Two Week Look Ahead (or TWLA).
It’s just what it sounds like—a calendar that tracks only two weeks at a time.
Architecture & Design projects can take years to complete. But it takes building blocks and consistent progress to make sure they stay on course. A TWLA helps you keep making progress while managing your time in the short term as well.
In the design & construction world, a TWLA is vital to the success of a project. It shows where staff are spending their time as well as the activities / milestones to be completed over that same period.
It combines the best of the current and medium-range pieces you need to keep track of. It’s immediate enough to keep you on point every day. But it’s also showing you a snapshot of what’s to come over the course of the coming weeks.
TWLA Benefits
Here are 5 ways a Two Week Look Ahead calendar can help boost your productivity as a creative professional and keep you balanced:
Clear Objectives - A TWLA helps you get clear on your objectives for the next two weeks, allowing you to focus your attention on what's most important and avoid distractions.
Better Schedule Management - By scheduling your time in advance, you can better manage your schedule and avoid overbooking yourself or underestimating the time needed for tasks.
Priorities - With a clear view of what's ahead, you can prioritize your tasks and make sure you're focusing on the most important things first.
Patterns - A TWLA can help you identify patterns in your work and schedule, allowing you to optimize your productivity and find ways to work smarter, not harder.
Balance - By planning your work and life activities in advance, you can ensure that you're balancing your personal and professional priorities, reducing stress and increasing your overall well-being.
How to Build a TWLA
A Two-Week Look Ahead can be formatted in a variety of ways. But the best TWLAs will help you track at least the following items for 14 days:
Events
To-Do Items
Highlights
Weekly Goals
Other Notes
For simplicity, I’ve done the first step for you. Below you’ll find a link to download your very own TWLA template.
It’s hard enough keeping track of your time. This will help reduce the time it takes to get moving.
You can customize the template using any Excel-friendly program.
TWLA Definitions
Some terms to help you organize your thoughts as we get started:
Events = Meetings, Appointments, Milestones, Deadlines with a set time associated with them
Tasks = Things you need to do on or by the given day they’re listed on
Highlight = One thing you want to accomplish, do, or remember about the day
Weekly Goals = What is something that you want to work on throughout the course of the week?
Other Notes = Ideas, thoughts, and miscellaneous notes to yourself as the week progresses. A good place to reflect on how it all went before starting the TWLA over as well.
How to Use the TWLA
Once you have the template in front of you, here’s how to use it:
Fill out every cell as best you can for the next two weeks
Start with Events
What meetings do you have?
What appointments do you have?
Next, try to identify the tasks and highlights in the first week
Once you’re done, print it out and place next to your work area
Write in any changes manually that happen across your week.
Before the second week starts, copy all of the “Week 2” info into “Week 1”
Clear out “Week 2”
Write in any new items for your new “Week 2” (because now you’re a week later)
Repeat the process
Some Pro Tips to Maximize the TWLA’s Effectiveness
Fill out basic info digitally in Excel first
After initial edits, print to track progress manually
Once printed, don’t edit it again digitally until reset
Allow for some room in your schedule for change
Use the TWLA for Work AND Life things
Be clear, but fair about your schedule
Remember, the key to success with a TWLA is to use it consistently, evaluate it regularly, and be flexible enough to adjust it as needed. Good luck!
TL;DR
Managing short and long-term time is hard
A Two Week Look Ahead (TWLA) can help do both
What a TWLA is
The benefits of a TWLA
How to build a TWLA of your own
How to use a TWLA to rewire and take back your time
Quote of the Week
Motivation for the days ahead of you.
“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”
— William Penn
That's all for now.
Stay creative, my friends—and have a great week!
