Hi First name / Friend,
Want to know one of the simplest and most powerful tools I use to create results, faster, in my life and business?
It’s an exercise in self-evaluation, and it only takes five minutes. You can do it daily, weekly, monthly, or all three.
It starts with 3 questions:
❓What worked?
❓What didn’t work?
❓What will I do differently?
Most people skip this completely. Or they do it in a way that hurts — beating themselves up, criticising, finding all the ways they should be doing better. That kind of evaluation never gives you the outcomes you want.
So let’s do it differently.
Step 1: What worked?
Don’t skip this part! It’s the most important step, especially if you’ve had a hard day or week. Try to list at least 10 things that went well, small things, big things, anything.
Why? Because your brain is wired to notice what’s wrong.
But when you deliberately focus on what’s working, your brain starts filtering for more of it.
This is thanks to a little system in your brain called the reticular activating system — it’s your internal filter, and it looks for what you tell it to look for.
Want to feel better and get better results? Train it to see what’s working.
I do this every night before bed. It’s a way of ending the day in self-praise, which is rare (but necessary).
Step 2: What didn’t go so well?
Notice I didn’t say: what went wrong. That’s a loaded question. Try this instead:
What didn’t go as planned?
What could’ve gone better?
This is your moment to be curious, not critical. No beating yourself up allowed. Just observe, like a scientist with a clipboard.
“Oh, interesting. I got to the office 30 minutes later than I wanted.”
“I had a strong emotional reaction to what my partner said — I snapped, and that’s not how I wanted to show up.”
We call this metacognition: using your thinking to think about your thinking.
It’s powerful. This is where the value is. This is the part where we take full responsibility for what we can control, which is very different from blaming ourselves.
Step 3: What will I do differently?
This is your pivot. This is where the new actions go that help you correct course. Just like a ship that veers one degree off course and ends up miles from its destination, this step is how you adjust your heading.
If I was late to the office, my “do differently” might be:
➡️ I won’t faff with the laundry in the morning, I’ll get out the door by 8:15.
If I snapped at my partner, I might say:
➡️ Next time I’ll pause, take a breath, and silently say to myself, I am safe, as I listen.
I recommend doing this weekly or monthly at the very least. Even better, make it part of your daily routine. It only takes five minutes.
It’s how you steer the ship of your life with intention, not just drift and hope for the best.
Let me know if you try it this week. I’d love to hear what shifts for you.
