A Step-By-Step Guide to Reflect on 2022: The Most Powerful Journaling Exercise

This Twitter Thread is by Kieran Drew @ItsKieranDrew (source: 12-15-2022). Drew is a writer and entrepreneur.

THE most powerful journaling exercise:

Your end of year review.

But most people don’t know how to do one effectively.

Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to reflect on 2022:

(so you can hit your goals in 2023)

Most people think journaling is a waste of time.

...or that goal setting and reviews are for productivity junkies.

But the truth is we spend our lives bouncing between events - feeling like we have no control.

The secret is to pay attention 👇

Everything you do in life creates feedback. Data points.

Smart people use these to adjust their actions. By taking a few hours to reflect on the previous year, you can set principles for the next.

So here’s what we’ll cover:

How to do an end of year review:

First, we’ll look back at 2022

1. Positive feedback

   
   

2. Negative feedback

Then we’ll use the results to project forward.

· Vision

· Execution

Grab your pen and paper. Let's dive in:

End of Year Review: What Went Well?

We often overlook the good and overweigh the bad.

But there’re moments in 2022 worth remembering. You can deconstruct why they happened and engineer for them to occur again.

Answer these questions:

End of Year Review: What Went Well? (pt 2)

There’re 3 important areas in life:

· Health (mental and physical)

· Wealth (career and investments)

· Relationships (love, friendships, interactions)

Dive into each – answer these questions:

End of Year Review: What Went Poorly?

Most people bury mistakes due to discomfort.

But failure only exists if you refuse to learn. Use the bad to pave the way for the good.

Answer these questions:

End of Year Review: What Went Poorly? (pt 2)

Next, dive into the specifics inside the big 3.

Think about each area. Look for friction. Energy drains. Disappointment.

Answer these questions:

Your Vision for 2023

Now you’ve reviewed 2022, take the data forward.

The secret is to NOT say ‘I want X’ or ‘I’m going to do Y’

Instead, paint a picture of the future. This causes ‘creative tension’ – which you resolve through action.

Here’s how:

For health, wealth and relationships, ask:

What does 2023 look like? Describe in detail. Make it visceral. Real.

Use these questions:

Execution.

Our greatest downfall is saying yes to too much – so only set one big goal per domain.

Then, break it down to:

· The next quarterly goal (review every 3 months)

· Habits and actions to achieve it

Here’s an example from my business:

Going forward.

Don’t make the mistake of setting goals and doing nothing. You get hits of dopamine that feel productive...

But you can’t outplan a lack of action.

Look for lessons in the past. Get to work for the future.

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed this, 2 requests:

1. Drop me a follow @itskierandrew for ideas on writing, storytelling and business

   
   

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Just click below and up you go, cheers.

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