Tim Ferriss Past Year Review

The Tim Ferriss past year review replaces standard resolutions with a calendar audit. You evaluate actual high and low points to schedule more joy and build a concrete not-do list.

5 time blocks, 60 minutes in total.

Time blocks

Two-Column Setup: 5 min
Divide a page into Positives and Negatives and open your calendar
Week-by-Week Calendar Scan: 25 min
Scan every week of the year and record high and low energy events
Positive Peak Audit: 10 min
Highlight the top twenty percent of activities that brought joy
Negative Drain Audit: 10 min
Highlight the top twenty percent of obligations that caused distress
Forward Booking and Boundaries: 10 min
Pre-book top positive events into the new calendar and set not-do rule

About this routine

The Tim Ferriss past year review is an annual ritual that replaces vague New Year resolutions with actual personal data. Instead of guessing what to improve, you look through every week of your past calendar to identify the specific people, events, and activities that triggered your highest highs and lowest lows.

The process relies on the Pareto principle, focusing on the twenty percent of inputs that produce eighty percent of your emotional outcomes. By listing positive and negative drivers side by side, you gain immediate clarity on what genuinely served you over the previous twelve months.

The final phase turns insights into calendar commitments. You immediately pre-book major positive activities into your upcoming schedule and create strict boundaries around known energy sinks. Setting aside a single 60 minute block makes this exercise easy to complete in one sitting.

Why this routine works

Replaces vague resolutions with actual personal data
Identifies the top twenty percent of activities that drive your happiness
Creates a clear not-do list to eliminate energy drains
Ensures key priorities are pre-scheduled into your calendar

FAQ

What is the Tim Ferriss past year review?

It is an annual exercise where you scan your calendar week by week, log emotional highs and lows, and use the 80/20 rule to schedule more positive events and eliminate recurring negatives.

How long does the past year review take?

The entire review takes 60 minutes to complete in one sitting.

What do you do with the results of a past year review?

You immediately schedule your top positive activities into the upcoming year's calendar and create a written not-do list to block negative energy sinks.

Sources

Forget New Year's Resolutions, Do a Past Year Review Instead, Tim Ferriss Blog