The Slow Review: Why Your Annual Reflection Deserves More Than a Weekend

As December unfolds, so does that familiar urge to reflect. After years of doing annual performance reviews, I've learned to evolve this personal practice into something more meaningful: not just a review but a personal reflection that honors both progress and possibility.

Looking back at 2024, I'm reminded why I love this practice. While year-end reflection templates and questionnaires flood my social feeds, I've discovered that simplicity and consistency are key.

Here are five elements that made my annual reflections both manageable and meaningful this year.

1. Keep It Simple

This year, I discovered that less really is more. Instead of drowning in endless prompts and questions, I focused on three simple questions for each life area: What went well? What could have gone better? What did I learn?

Some people prefer to frame these as Accomplishments, Challenges, and Learnings. Either way, the power lies in the simplicity. When I stopped trying to answer every possible question and focused on these core elements, insights flowed naturally rather than feeling forced.

A game-changing addition to my process was incorporating a photo review. Scrolling through my 2024 photos revealed forgotten moments – like a family gathering I'd completely overlooked in London. These visual cues sparked deeper reflections and helped paint a fuller picture of my year.

2. Take Your Time

One of my biggest discoveries this year was the value of letting the annual reflection breathe. Rather than trying to knock it out in one sitting or weekend, I gave myself a week. This spaciousness allowed memories and reflections to surface organically.

I found that changing my environment made a profound difference. This year, I had the luxury of reflecting from Mexico, where beach walks helped me further reframe challenges into learnings. But you don't need a tropical getaway to shift your perspective. A local coffee shop, park bench, or any space away from your daily workspace can offer the mental distance needed for deeper reflection.

There is also something powerful about making reflection a shared experience. My partner and I found that comparing notes on the year brought forgotten details to light and added new perspectives I would not have seen. These conversations became a wonderful way to pause and appreciate our journey together.

The slow review unfolding on a beach in Baja, Mexico

3. Define Your Key Life Areas

Your review should reflect what matters most to you. My key areas have shifted over time and currently include:

Professional

Family

Friends/Community

Financial

Partnership

Health

These categories help ensure I'm looking at my life holistically rather than fixating on just work or relationships. Other categories include spirituality, volunteering or giving back, fun, and physical environment. I also included a highlight from this past year professionally and personally. Professionally, it was taking the TEDx stage for the first time. Personally, it was spending more intentional time with family.

4. Start in January

Here's what I learned the hard way in 2024 – stepping away from my regular reflection practice came at a cost. Without my usual weekly, monthly, and quarterly check-ins, December's annual reflection felt more like archeology at times rather than reflection. It's not just about organization; these regular touchpoints maintain awareness and intentionality throughout the year.

In previous years, my partner Eric and I had a powerful practice: quarterly reviews using the same template as our annual reflection, but lighter – more of a check-in on our progress and priorities. Though travel made this harder to maintain in 2024, we've recommitted to these conversations for 2025, even if they need to happen virtually.

5. Practice Self-Compassion

Here's the most important part: be gentle with yourself. I caught myself doing something all too familiar – filling my 'challenges' list way faster than my 'wins.'

If you catch yourself in this pattern, pause. Take a deeper look. We often accomplish far more than we realize, and those seemingly 'small' wins – like maintaining consistent health habits or nurturing important relationships – can be our most meaningful achievements

“Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences and failing to achieve anything useful” ~ Margaret J. Wheatley

Looking Forward

Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences and failing to achieve anything useful." Margaret J. Wheatley's words capture why this practice matters. Annual reflection isn't about judgment but learning and intentional direction.

This year's journey was rich with introspection. From January's meditation retreat with Jon and Will Kabat-Zinn at 1440 Multiversity to the transformative Hoffman Process to December's MEA retreat with

Cecily Mak

and Soren.

Closing the year with cherished friends at Renaissance Weekend (note: not Renaissance Fair) brought it all into focus: the power of authentic connection and the importance of conscious choices.

Moving into 2025, my priorities are clear. I'm committing to financial mindfulness (goodbye, Instagram impulse buys!) and deeper community building. Most importantly, I've learned that meaningful connections – whether with family or friends – don't happen by chance. They require intention, protection, and consistent nurturing.

A highlight of our year was spending time with nieces and nephews in Sayulita, Mexico

Start simple, be kind to yourself, and let the insights emerge naturally. Your future self will thank you for the clarity and intention you create today.

What patterns and insights has your annual reflection revealed? I'd love to hear about your experience with this practice in the comments below.

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…and to help you get into that reflective state before you start your annual reflection, enjoy the sunset over the Pacific with me after a beautiful hike in Baja (unknowingly captured by my partner, Eric).

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Bonus Section:

My year was also shaped by books, films, and music. Here are some of my highlights:

Books that Resonated:

"Feel Good Productivity" by Ali Abdaal, "Slow Productivity" by Cal Newport, and “Co-Intelligence” by Ethan Mollick challenged my approach to work, while "Strength to Strength" by Arthur Brooks offered fresh perspectives on personal growth. I got back into reading fiction this year thanks to incredibly written books like "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett and "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami that provided necessary mental escape and inspiration.

Screen Time Well Spent:

"Inside Out 2" and "The Diplomat" stood out among this year's viewing, along with the consistently delightful "Only Murders in the Building." These weren't just entertainment – they offered moments of connection and conversation with friends and family.

Music of 2024:

Who knew I'd become such a French Jazz enthusiast? My Spotify wrapped showed I spent 2024 in a virtual French café, with Stacey Kent and Madeleine Peyroux becoming my go-to music for everything from focused work sessions to winding down in the evenings.