top 10 self-review templates for 2023

happy 2024 my sweet friends!

now that 2023 is over, it’s time to review.

i don’t understand why spotify wrapped and so many others close out our years before they are actually over. it would be like rating a movie before you see the closing scenes. or rating a meal before you eat dessert.

so for me this week is about reflection.

not new years resolutions.

because reflection connects me with my authenticity.

but i wanted more structure for my review this year so i spent hours researching & reviewing all the reviews i could find on google and twitter.

today i’m sharing with you my best finds.

the top 10 templates for reviewing 2023,

created by experts, listed from least to most complex/time intensive.

1) james clear of atomic habits: annual review

format: 3 questions

unique features: simple & you can read his past reviews from 2013-2019

my favorite question: what went well this year?

2) tim ferriss of 4 hour work week: past year review

format: 5 step exercise

unique features: focus on identifying the people, activities, & commitments that triggered peak positive or negative experiences for you. plus option to list to 6 minute podcast explaining.

my favorite question: what 20% of this list produced the most reliable or powerful/intense peaks?

3) shane parrish of farnam street blog: annual reflection

format: 7 question PDF

unique features: very straightforward exercise with very unique questions.

my favorite question: imagine you were fired as ceo of your life today and someone exceptional was brought in to take over. what do you think they would do differently? what would they see as getting in the way of success? what would they do more of?

4) sahil bloom of the curiosity chronicle: personal annual review

format: 7 question workbook PDF

unique features: well designed workbook with to print out & reflect with.

my favorite question: what did i change my mind on this year?

5) matt gray of founderOS: reflect OS

format: 30 question notion template (combo of reflection & planning)

unique features: love how it ties to your life mission & life theme.

my favorite question: reflecting on 2023, how did your actions and decisions align with your core values and beliefs?

6) tiago forte of building a second brain: annual review checklist

format: 30-ish questions & exercises (combo of reflection & planning)

unique features: starts with writing a gratitude list across 7 categories (experiences, people, accomplishments, learnings, events, circumstances, & things)

my favorite question: what was your most loving service?

7) dr anthony gustin of perfect keto: annual review

format: 6 sets of exercises, recommended several working sessions over multiple days (combo of reflection & planning)

unique features: starts with housekeeping of clearing up physical and digital clutter. i think this is so important to truly have a clear slate for review & love what he proposes.

my favorite question: how could I have been better as a person? friend? manager? parent? etc.

8) steven schlafman of where the road bends: the ultimate annual review

format: 6 sets of exercises, recommended several working sessions over 2 weeks, comes as a google doc or notion template, (combo of reflection & planning)

unique features: incorporates inspiration quotes, emojis, & a spotify playlist. love the final step of writing & sending a digital letter to your future self with what you want to remember from this moment & carry into the new year.

my favorite question: what behaviors or habits held me back?

9) dickie bush & nicolas cole of ship30for30

format: 10 sets of exercises, recommended several working sessions over 2 weeks, comes as a notion, google doc, or pdf template, (combo of reflection & planning)

unique features: most comprehensive (& intensive). audit exercise of scoring yourself across life dimensions. oh and for the fellow content creators, step 10 is all about turning your yearly review into content.

my favorite question: how can I double-down on the few things leading to the most good, and ruthlessly cut the few things leading to the most bad?

10) intelligent change: the best year journal

format: hardbound cotton notebook or digital pdf template (combo of reflection, planning, & tracking)

unique features: physical journal that you reflect on now & then commit to tracking in weekly & monthly for the rest of the year.

my favorite question: what were your magical moments?

all together now

most important thing to remember when selecting the right annual review for you is to select the one you will actually do.

only have 20 minutes? go simple with james clear’s 3 questions in #1.

love notion templates? pick between #5, #8, & #9

trying to reduce your screen time? print worksheets from #3 or #4 or buy the journal in #10.

the only wrong answer here is to not review.

and if you’re wondering what i’ll be doing, 2023 was a wild year so i’m craving extra reflection & will be doing #9 (wish me luck!). i’ll report back next week with how it goes along with the best goal setting templates for 2024!

happy new year & happy reflecting!

p.s. good news for the 55% of y’all that guessed that we are present to what’s happening in front of us only 32% of the time. the truth is our minds are wandering 47% of the time, so that means we are present 53% of the time.

p.p.s. if you have a review or planning template you love, please do reply back & share it with me :)