Sunday afternoon, somewhere between the last cup of coffee and the start of dinner. The whole thing takes about twenty minutes. I am posting the template because it has helped people I have shown it to, and because I am tired of re-explaining the columns.
| Section | Prompt | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Inputs | What asked something of me this week? Who, what, where, how much. | 5 min |
| Outputs | What did I actually finish? Not worked on — finished. | 3 min |
| Edges | Where did I get uncomfortable, surprised, or off-script? | 4 min |
| Pattern | Is the pattern the same as last week? Why? | 4 min |
| Next | One thing I will start. One thing I will stop. That is all. | 4 min |
The trick is that the columns are fixed and the answers are short. If the answer takes more than three sentences, the question is not the right question this week.
I do not write this down. I just answer it, out loud, while making the kids’ lunches for Monday.