The Midweek Manifesto
Back in 2010, I penned something I called The Midweek Manifesto.
I didn’t dive into what it meant all that much back then. I simply wrote it and posted it. But I felt now was the time to revisit its origin and meaning. Not just for you… but for me.
Here’s The Midweek Manifesto as I wrote it for WorkAwesome several years ago:
My mission is to reflect on the beginning of the week, see what I’ve not done and reboot it and see what I’ve done and celebrate it. Looking forward, I will take what’s left to be done and do it. With the rest of my plans I will stand firm. I’ll add tasks as I need and make sure that I heed my own voice. The voice that tells me, “I must get to complete.”
I still do this every week. Perhaps it’s because it is the middle of the week. Perhaps it’s because it’s just a good thing to do, regardless of when the middle of the week falls. No matter what, it’s become something I do consistently — and have for several years.
There is something about doing a triage in the middle of the week that helps the rest of the week seem more… doable. Sure, journaling every night helps with the celebration of success and acknowledgement of failures, but this midweek cleanup really gets me back to a place where I can move forward with more intention and attention than if I’d simply let the plan for the week lie as initially set.
I also trust The Midweek Manifesto as an accountability exercise because this exercise allows me to see the whole rather than just a part of my tasks and obligations. The Midweek Manifesto somehow makes “Hump Day” just another day… or something even better.
I’m not suggesting that this replace any form of weekly or biweekly review. The Midweek Manifesto acts as a reality check more than a systems check. This regular routine of taking stock in the middle of the week has actually made that review process more effective and efficient, just as journaling every night before bed has done.
I’ve taken the liberty of creating a simple PDF of The Midweek Manifesto that you can print off and keep visible in your workspace (or post it wherever you’d like). You can download that PDF here. If you decide to modify it and make it look even better (which shouldn’t be too difficult, please let me know and I’ll share it with the TimeCrafting Trust community.
