Tim Ferriss Annual Calendar Audit

Perform the Tim Ferriss past year review by auditing your calendar week by week to double down on positive peak experiences and eliminate major energy drains.

6 time blocks, 70 minutes in total.

Time blocks

Workspace and Ledger Setup: 5 min
Set up a two column page for positive peaks and negative drains
Month-by-Month Calendar Scan: 20 min
Go week by week through the past year to log high and low points
Positive Peak Identification: 10 min
Highlight the top items that created real joy and fulfillment
Negative Drain Extraction: 10 min
Isolate the recurring activities or people that caused stress
Calendar Pre-Commitment: 15 min
Book dates and put peak experiences on the new calendar now
Not-To-Do List Construction: 10 min
Draft explicit rules to prevent repeating top negative drains

About this routine

The Tim Ferriss past year review replaces vague New Year resolutions with actionable calendar data. Instead of setting abstract goals, you systematically examine the previous twelve months of your life to identify what actually produced happiness or stress.

The process centers on the Pareto principle, also known as the 80 20 rule. By scanning your past calendar week by week, you extract the top twenty percent of activities and relationships that yielded eighty percent of your peak positive emotions. You also identify the minority of commitments that caused disproportionate friction or dissatisfaction.

Once both lists are filled, you immediately schedule future dates for peak positive experiences so they are locked in. For negative drains, you convert them into a strict not to do list. Running this sequence with a routine timer online helps keep each stage focused and prevents you from getting bogged down in past memories.

Why this routine works

Provides concrete calendar data rather than vague resolutions
Identifies high-yield activities that create genuine fulfillment
Highlights recurring energy drains and toxic time commitments
Ensures positive experiences are scheduled well in advance
Creates actionable rules for a personal not-to-do list

FAQ

What is the Tim Ferriss past year review?

It is an annual calendar audit where you review every week of your past year to identify your biggest energy boosts and energy drains, then schedule more of the good and eliminate the bad.

How long does a past year review take?

A thorough review takes about 70 minutes, spending 25 minutes reviewing your past calendar, 20 minutes isolating peak positives and negatives, and 25 minutes scheduling actions for the next year.

What do you do with negative items from the audit?

You convert the biggest negative energy drains into a specific not to do list for the upcoming year, placing those boundaries on a sticky note near your desk.

Sources

How to Do a Past Year Review (PYR) on Tim Ferriss Blog
The Tim Ferriss Show Podcast: Past Year Review Process