The "Yearly Review" Framework: How to Plan 2026 Properly
We are officially at the end of Week 3 of the New Year.
If you haven’t set your goals yet, or if you feel like you’ve already fallen behind, don’t panic. Just because we are halfway through January doesn’t mean you missed the boat. There is no time limit on setting goals, as long as you actually set them and, more importantly, track them.
I use Notion to manage my entire life, from my Yearly Review all the way down to quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily planning.
Today, I want to walk you through the exact “Yearly Review” framework I use to ensure I actually hit my targets instead of letting them fade away by Valentine’s Day.
My Secret to a Realistic Year-in-Review
The first thing I do is look back at the previous year. But I don’t just rely on my memory, because our brains are surprisingly bad at remembering the details of our own lives (It’s why I use a Second Brain…in Notion too). We tend to remember the “big” stressful moments and forget the small wins that actually made our year special.
To fix this, I look at two specific things: my Google Calendar and my Samsung Gallery app. I scroll through each month, one by one. Seeing the meetings I had, the trips I took, and the photos of family dinners gives me a clear timeline of what actually happened. I use this to jot down key moments and achievements that I might have otherwise forgotten. It’s a great way to celebrate your progress before you start nitpicking your failures.
The Deep Dive (Wins & Losses)
Once I have the timeline, I focus on the “Internal Review.” I start with Achievements and Gratitude, writing down the 3 to 5 most significant things that happened. This isn’t just about business; it’s about what I’m most grateful for in my personal life too. Focusing on gratitude first puts you in the right headspace to look at the harder parts of the review.
Next, you have to be brutally honest about the negatives. I list my Obstacles (what actually stood in my way?), Unmet Goals (what did I miss?), and concerns in my Health, Wealth, and Relationships.
Reviewing the “losses” isn’t about beating yourself up; it’s about identifying patterns. If you missed a goal because you lacked a system, you can build that system now. If you missed it because it wasn’t actually a priority, you can stop pretending it belongs on your 2026 list.
Step 3: The 10 Prompts to Design Your Year
Most people fail because they set vague resolutions like “get healthy” or “make more money.” Instead of those “hopes,” I use a series of ten specific prompts to build a goal database. I ask myself: What do I want to Learn, See, Have, Be, Try, Do, Go, Create, Contribute, and Overcome? These prompts force you to think about your life from different angles, ensuring you aren’t just focused on work, but on your personal growth and experiences as well.
I take the answers to these prompts and put them into a database where I can track my progress. You don’t need a fancy app to do this, a Google Doc or a physical notebook works just as well. The magic happens when you check back in during your monthly and quarterly reviews. By seeing your goals “in progress,” you stay motivated to keep moving the needle.
If you want to use the exact system I use to stay on track, you can get my Notion Planning Template right here. It’s the same one I’ll be using all through 2026 to make sure this is my best year yet.
Are you ready to design your year?
This Week's Quote
"A goal is a dream with a deadline."
