The Mini Life Review–A Simple Way to Reflect and Realign
For the past two weeks, my inbox has been inundated with emails reminding me that the year is coming to an end and it’s time to conduct a personal annual life review. To be fair, I signed up for these kinds of messages a long time ago, and I usually welcome these invitations with open arms. Yet this year, rather than feeling inspired, I felt overwhelmed by the push to do a full annual review.
The truth is, I already engage in personal retreats and “life reviews” frequently throughout the year, marking meaningful milestones such as my birthday, the Jewish New Year, and of course, the upcoming secular New Year.
At each of these points, I use various assessments to acknowledge where I presently stand, where I’m headed, and the tools and strategies I’m using to get there. These intentional pauses allow me to slow down, take a closer look at what’s unfolding in my life, reflect on what’s worked and what hasn’t, and refine my path forward.
Why Personal Life Reviews Matter
From a coaching perspective, this kind of review, whether done annually or at any point in the year, is essential to building an aligned, intentional, and purpose-driven life. If you never make time to pause and reflect, constant activity can easily be confused with productivity and effectiveness.
There needs to be an opportunity to examine your life clearly and objectively. Only then can you identify the energy drains or fountains, the supportive or toxic habits, and whether your goals and desires are still aligned with your purpose and values.
This week, rather than diving into a full-blown review of my entire year, I chose a more focused approach. I looked back over the past few months and paid particular attention to two daily practices involving gratitude and decision-making.
Grounding with Gratitude
Every morning, I spend 15 minutes expressing gratitude for my life as it is right now. I sit in my favorite living room chair, sip my coffee, and intentionally say “thank you.” I acknowledge the previous day’s wins, material comforts and indulgences, physical and emotional well-being, as well as the challenges I’m currently navigating.
Looking back over these past few months, I can clearly see how this daily practice of expressing gratitude consistently grounds me in the present moment. It’s simple, doesn’t require much effort, and doesn’t need to be done perfectly.
Rather than pulling me away from future goals, gratitude anchors me in today while keeping me steady and focused. It doesn’t promote complacency, but rather creates clarity.
Aligned Decision-Making
This brings me to my second practice of aligned decision-making. This one is all about maintaining forward momentum and consistently taking that next step forward in support of my values and life purpose. And this often requires saying “no”.
As a recovering people-pleaser, the word “no” was almost nonexistent in my vocabulary for many years. I said yes to nearly everyone and everything, only to feel complete dread when it came time to follow through.
So I had to become discerning about what I say “yes” to. I use a tool I learned from my own life coach: when considering a potential commitment, imagine that whatever you’re saying “yes” to is going to happen right now, and then decide if it’s really a yes. Anything less than a full-body yes is a clear and absolute no.
I use this decision-making tool to make sure I invest my time and energy in people and activities that are fully aligned yes’s—fully aligned with my core values and in support of my future desires and purpose. Over time, I noticed a meaningful shift. I would go to bed each night with a calm sense of contentment and fulfillment.
Over the past few months, these two practices of expressed gratitude and aligned decision-making have become my version of regular mini personal reviews. Don’t get me wrong, I will definitely be diving into a full annual review (email me if you’d like me to share the assessments I use).
For now, I feel grounded and supported by these practices. I trust that they’re leading me exactly where I need to go.
Photo: D. Bana Photography
