Modern WisdomHow To Properly Do An End Of Year Review - Chris Sparks | Modern Wisdom Podcast 262
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 6:10
Antifragility and using chaos as a catalyst for change
Chris Sparks opens by reframing the end of the year as a rare chance to rethink everything, not merely optimize what you already do. He and Chris Williamson discuss thriving amid uncertainty and building habits and systems that benefit from volatility rather than breaking under it.
- •End-of-year reflection as permission to start from “zero” and redesign life
- •2020 highlights: engagement, refocused priorities, meaningful work online
- •Antifragility: positioning yourself to thrive when the world gets weirder
- •Change as practice: applying what you’ve learned under real pressure
- 6:10 – 8:48
Why annual reviews matter: reclaiming presence and authoring your next chapter
Sparks argues that deliberate reflection and planning reduce mental time spent stuck in regret (past) or anxiety (future). He frames each year as a chapter in a longer life story, where a review helps you outline what comes next and prepare for predictable tensions and opportunities.
- •People perform and feel better when more time is spent in the present
- •Reviews ‘containerize’ past/future thinking so it doesn’t leak into daily life
- •A year as a chapter: you can outline the next chapter intentionally
- •Preparation increases readiness to seize opportunities and handle challenges
- 8:48 – 13:02
Where people go wrong: skipping the review, chasing willpower, and thinking too small
Before the framework, Sparks diagnoses the common failure modes: not doing a review at all, setting unrealistic ‘new me’ sprints, and only aiming for incremental gains on the same path. He encourages continuous improvement and using the review to widen the space of possibilities.
- •Biggest mistake: not doing any review—“any is better than none”
- •Resolution trap: going 0→60 on willpower and temporary motivation
- •Consistency and feedback loops beat unsustainable intensity
- •Don’t just do “more of the same”—use the moment to question fundamentals
- 13:02 – 15:40
Expanding the possible: stepping back from urgent work and upgrading your worldview
Williamson reflects on how urgent tasks can consume an entire life, and shares a perspective shift from meeting high-level founders with bigger strategic horizons. Sparks reinforces that annual planning should look beyond narrow optimization and give temporary permission to think bigger.
- •Urgent vs important: busyness can mask lack of real progress
- •Exposure to bigger thinkers expands what you believe is achievable
- •Planning isn’t just conversion-rate tweaks; it’s rethinking the whole game
- •Using the review as an ‘explore before exploit’ reset
- 15:40 – 16:40
The 4-part end-of-year system: reflection → vision → planning → implementation
Sparks introduces the updated annual review structure he’s using: reflection, vision, planning, and implementation. He explains how each part fits together and why many people stop too early (before turning insight into action).
- •Four parts: reflection, vision, planning, implementation
- •He shares prior templates online and adapts the process yearly
- •The method is designed to move from insight to behavior change
- •Goal: create clarity, momentum, and follow-through
- 16:40 – 20:27
Part 1 — Reflection: structured brain-dump across life pillars (and avoiding ‘accounting mode’)
Reflection looks back on what went well and what didn’t, across career, health, and relationships (and any sub-areas you choose). Sparks recommends timed, handwritten, no-editing writing to surface lessons, avoid repeating mistakes, and identify what conditions helped success.
- •Core prompts: what went well / what didn’t / what did I learn?
- •Use pillars: career, health, relationships; break down as needed
- •Set timers (e.g., 45 minutes each) and keep the pen moving
- •Subjective first, then optionally cross-check notes/monthly reviews later
- 20:27 – 22:40
Logistics that boost insight: go analog, change context, and create a pattern interrupt
Sparks explains why he avoids computers during the process and emphasizes the importance of environment. He suggests getting away from your desk (even renting a cabin) to break context cues and think differently, making the exercise feel intentional and distraction-resistant.
- •Computers as distraction gateways; analog writing encourages ‘messy’ thinking
- •Context shapes cognition—don’t do this at your usual work setup
- •Ideal: unplugged retreat (Airbnb/cabin); alternative: dedicated new space at home
- •Pattern interrupts can unlock broader perspective and better decisions
- 22:40 – 25:06
Part 2 — Vision: vivid ‘next year’ visualization and creating creative tension
Vision asks: what do you want next year to look like, described as if it’s happening now. By contrasting current reality (reflection) with desired reality (vision), you generate creative tension that clarifies what must change and which goals matter most.
- •Describe the desired year in the present tense (not just a to-do list)
- •Cover the same life areas: career day-to-day, health, relationships
- •Creative tension is the engine: current reality vs desired reality
- •Vision step is often skipped but essential for choosing the right goals
- 25:06 – 26:06
Day-two reset: take a break, sleep on it, and let connections emerge
After heavy reflection and vision work, Sparks recommends ending the day and doing something restorative and unrelated. The downtime helps insights consolidate, and you often notice new patterns once the ‘loops’ have been opened.
- •Reflection + vision is mentally draining; plan recovery time
- •Do non-work activities to recharge and let ideas incubate
- •Sleeping on it surfaces new connections and priorities
- •Treat the process as multi-day for better quality thinking
- 26:06 – 28:58
Part 3 — Planning: choose one North Star per area and translate it into milestones
Planning turns vision into goals by forcing prioritization: one goal per pillar (health, relationships, career). Sparks stresses defining goals clearly enough for an objective observer to verify, then breaking them into quarterly milestones to enable course correction.
- •Pick one goal per area to respect trade-offs and avoid overload
- •Define success: how you’ll know, why it matters, what it unlocks
- •Break goals into quarterly milestones (Q1–Q4) to track trajectory
- •Use milestones to adjust if ahead/behind without scrapping the vision
- 28:58 – 34:59
Outcome goals vs process goals: marrying vision with controllable actions
Williamson challenges the difference between outcome targets (e.g., subscribers) and process goals (e.g., publishing cadence). Sparks argues for ‘both-and’: outcomes belong in vision, while planning should translate them into controllable, measurable behaviors and SMART-ish tracking.
- •Outcomes clarify desire; processes create control and daily traction
- •Work backwards from outcomes to inputs you can execute and measure
- •Ask “why does this outcome matter?” and “what happens after I get it?”
- •SMART goals are over-talked but under-used: specificity and measurability help
- 34:59 – 36:46
Part 4 — Implementation: take immediate action so goals become ‘in progress’
Implementation is the missing step where you do something right now for each goal—however small—to shift identity from ‘I will’ to ‘I am.’ Sparks warns against false progress (e.g., buying a membership) and emphasizes initiating real motion while motivation is highest.
- •Most people skip implementation and rely on future willpower
- •Do one immediate, concrete action per goal to start the behavior chain
- •Turn ‘I’m going to’ into ‘I’m doing’ (e.g., write the first page today)
- •Avoid self-congratulation that replaces execution
- 36:46 – 47:12
Handling messy goals (especially relationships): control what you can and widen serendipity
Using dating as an example, Sparks shows how to set relationship goals without pretending you can control others. He recommends clarifying what you want, learning from past patterns, and taking controllable steps—like leveraging warm introductions and becoming more ‘dateable.’
- •You can’t force outcomes; you can improve inputs and readiness
- •Vision: define the person/qualities you want and what life together looks like
- •Reflection: assess dating patterns—what worked, what didn’t, what you missed
- •Planning: prioritize warm intros via trusted connections over passive swiping
- 47:12 – 53:21
Sustaining progress: build systems that don’t rely on motivation + monthly/quarterly reviews
Sparks argues the way to stay motivated is to not need motivation—design conditions that make progress easier and more automatic. He recommends regular check-ins (monthly reviews, quarterly goal adjustments) and an ‘improvement loop’ of reflection, planning, and execution.
- •Motivation is unreliable; design environment and systems to make it irrelevant
- •Revisit your answers regularly so priorities don’t fade during the year
- •Monthly review cadence: couple hours, more data, track what’s working
- •Quarterly reviews allow updating goals without losing focus
- 53:21 – 57:37
Direction over speed: avoid sprinting the wrong way + time-boxing to prevent perfectionism
They discuss the danger of optimizing speed without confirming direction—making you efficient at getting farther from what you want. Sparks also explains why strict time limits deepen thinking while preventing endless rumination, and stresses ‘draft in pencil’ planning over perfection.
- •Biggest waste: sprinting hard in the wrong direction
- •Vision should be adjustable—rough draft in pencil, course-correct often
- •Time-boxing forces deeper exploration and stops diminishing returns
- •Don’t wait for perfect clarity; start moving and refine as you go
- 57:37 – 1:04:13
Wrap-up and resources: templates, library, assessments, and accountability follow-up
Sparks closes with a ‘don’t let perfect be the enemy of good’ reminder and proposes a public accountability follow-up with Williamson. He shares where listeners can download the Modern Wisdom annual review template and explore additional Forcing Function resources and programs.
- •Start imperfectly—any review is better than none
- •Proposed follow-up conversation for public accountability
- •Free annual review template: forcingfunction.com/modernwisdom
- •Additional resources: workbook, library, assessment, team training + contact info
