Look for a pattern
At a convenient moment, look back at your week. Which action was easy to begin? Which repeatedly needed more time or energy than expected? One difficult day may be ordinary variation. A recurring obstacle is a useful candidate for a change.
Make one decision
Try three short notes: keep, change and try next. For example: keep the lunch walk, move food shopping earlier, try packing tomorrow’s bag tonight. Your review is finished when you have a practical next step; it does not need a detailed scorecard.
- Notice one thing that worked.
- Choose one obstacle to address.
- Put one next action in the place where you will need it.
A common mistake
Turning a review into a list of every way you fell short.
Try this next
Write one sentence each for “keep”, “change” and “try next”.
Evidence & sources
Reviewing goals and obstacles aligns with public behaviour-change advice. Five minutes is a convenient editorial suggestion, not a validated optimum review length.
Sources consulted on 26 September 2026. Links are for further reading; inclusion does not imply endorsement of VANTA. Practical examples are editorial suggestions, not individually tested plans or medical advice.