Hello Time Dorks!

Connor here with a quick dispatch.

Last week, I turned 34. It's been a whirlwind year becoming a dad. I'm grateful to be spending a few weeks in SE Asia with my wife's family decompressing and enjoying some slow time over the holidays.

As the end of the year comes to a close, many of us are in a festive, celebratory mood. It's a time of tradition, travel, and maybe some holiday treats. For me, it’s also one of the most potent moments for personal reflection.

One of my favorite ways to take stock of the year that was is through an Annual Review.

Something to Try

As Time Dorks, I know you all see the value in reflection. There is a reason Reflect is Step 4 of the Make Time framework. It's because the process of personal experimentation shows you what works for you.

While you can learn a lot from taking daily notes, sometimes it's useful to step back and take a longer-term perspective on your life.

That's what the Annual Review provides for me.

To me, it's not about goal-setting or making resolutions. Rather, it's a chance to learn from my experience, develop greater self-awareness, and help me live a more intentional life that is more aligned with my values going forwards.

There's a quote from the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard that sums up the essence of an Annual Review perfectly:

I first encountered the Annual Review through my friend Tyler. Each year, he'd capture a few highlights, a few lowlights, and jot down any lessons learned from the year. Then, he'd email it out to a small group of friends. I loved reading his reflections, and in 2019, I started doing my own.

Every year since, I've returned to the practice. Every year, I approach it a little differently, incorporating new prompts and tweaking the format. And every year, I find the process to be thought-provoking, insightful, and fun.

Here are some lessons I've learned completing an Annual Review over the past five years:

Don't overcomplicate it. The first two years, I kept it really simple. But then, I added a bunch more questions, and spent probably 5x the time reviewing my past year's calendar, notes, work projects, etc. and it was laborious. It drained the fun. So now I keep it simple, going through a few core questions, and then if I feel like it, adding in some extra sections or questions to spice it up.

Do it with someone else. I'm a big believer in having some external accountability. I find it helps me focus and avoid getting distracted. So I try to loop in either my wife Claire or another friend to do my review with. Even having 1-2 hours with a good friend, a journal, and a cup of coffee can be incredibly powerful.

Make it yours. I've used a number of templates and drawn inspiration from other annual reviews I've seen online, but the key thing I've learned is that if a question or a section doesn't feel right to you, just drop it. No point in forcing your reflection to fit another person's style.

If you're ready to give it a go, I thought I’d leave you all with a selection of resources you might find useful in crafting your own.

Until next year,

Connor

My Favorite Questions

What gave me energy this year?

What drained my energy this year?

What did I learn this year?

What went well (highlights)?

What didn’t go well (lowlights)?

What are my intentions for next year?

What memories and moments stand out?

What would I do differently if I could?

What would I repeat if I could?

What word(s) do I want to embody next year?

Templates and Resources

• ​A Simple 3-Question Review Template from James Clear​
• ​Reflecting Forwards Template by Jonny Miller​
• ​YearCompass Template​
• ​Annual Review Template by Patricia Mou​

Example Reviews for Inspiration

• ​Paul Millerd​
• ​Anne-Laure Le Cunff​
• ​Tiago Forte​
• ​Connor Swenson​

Do you have other resources, ideas, or tactics for your own Annual Review?

Hit reply and let me know. I’m always looking for more ideas and inspiration.