I’m usually requested about how I strategy New 12 months’s resolutions. The reality is that I not strategy them in any respect, regardless that I did for many years. Why the change? I’ve discovered “previous 12 months evaluations” (PYR) extra knowledgeable, precious, and actionable than half-blindly trying ahead with broad resolutions. I did my first PYR after a mentor’s younger daughter died of most cancers on December thirty first, eight years in the past, and I’ve accomplished it yearly since. Her passing was a somber reminder that our days listed below are too valuable to not fill them with the individuals and actions that nourish us most. The PYR takes simply 30–60 minutes and appears like this:
- Seize a notepad and create two columns: POSITIVE and NEGATIVE.
- Undergo your calendar from the final 12 months, taking a look at each week.
- For every week, jot down on the pad any individuals or actions or commitments that triggered peak constructive or unfavourable feelings for that month. Put them of their respective columns.
- When you’ve gone via the previous 12 months, take a look at your notepad record and ask, “What 20% of every column produced probably the most dependable or highly effective peaks?”
- Based mostly on the solutions, take your “constructive” leaders and schedule extra of them within the new 12 months. Get them on the calendar now! Ebook issues with pals and prepay for actions/occasions/commitments that you realize work. It’s not actual till it’s within the calendar. That’s the 1st step. Step two is to take your “unfavourable” leaders, put “NOT-TO-DO LIST” on the prime, and put them someplace you possibly can see them every morning for the primary few weeks of 2026. These are the individuals and stuff you *know* make you depressing, so don’t put them in your calendar out of obligation, guilt, FOMO, or different nonsense.
That’s it! In the event you strive it, let me know the way it goes.
And simply bear in mind: it’s not sufficient to take away the unfavourable. That merely creates a void. Get the constructive issues on the calendar ASAP, lest they get crowded out by the bullshit and noise that may in any other case fill your days.
Good luck and godspeed, everybody!
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In the event you desire to take heed to the audio model of this weblog submit, yow will discover the audio on The Tim Ferriss Present podcast:
#559: Neglect New 12 months’s Resolutions and Conduct a ‘Previous 12 months Evaluate’ As a substitute
Hearken to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or in your favourite podcast platform.
