Run a weekly jar review to recalibrate categories

Once a week, ask: did my rocks get into the jar? What kept them out?

Why it works

Without periodic review, the categories drift: yesterday’s rock becomes today’s assumed pebble, and new pebbles are added without being evaluated as sand or water. A weekly review operates on the system, not just within it — examining whether the categorization and sequencing actually produced the intended outcomes and making adjustments before the drift compounds.

How to do it

1. Block 20 minutes on Friday or Sunday for the jar review.
2. Answer four questions: (1) Which rocks got in this week? (2) Which didn’t, and why? (3) What sand or water took up rock time? (4) What will be different next week?
3. Adjust one thing based on the answers — not five. One specific change is implementable; five are not.
4. Track the pattern over four weeks; recurring patterns reveal structural problems, not motivation problems.

Evidence

Regular self-reflection on goal progress is associated with improved goal attainment in self-regulation research. The weekly review format (also used in GTD) provides a scheduled, low-friction moment to update the system rather than reacting when something fails. (mechanistic)

Weekly reviews require a consistent habit of their own to be useful; skipping the review prevents the calibration the practice is designed to provide.

Common mistake

Using the weekly review to list next week’s tasks rather than to diagnose why the rocks didn’t get in this week — which produces more planning without more self-understanding.