The weekly review
Writing three lines a day does almost nothing by itself. The value arrives when you read a fortnight of them in one sitting, from the page rather than from memory — because memory reconstructs a fortnight to match how the last two days went.
The ten-minute review
Same day each week, notes in front of you. Answer these in writing — thinking them through does not produce the same result.
- The highest intensity number this week, and what preceded it
- How many days were at six or above
- Anything that appears more than twice — a time of day, a person, a situation
- What you actually did that helped, in your own words rather than in skill names
- One skill you intended and did not reach for, and what the intensity was when you gave up on it
- One thing that went better than it would have three months ago
- The single thing you want next week to be different, stated small enough to be checkable
What tends to show up
Five patterns that appear in most people's notes within a month, and that almost nobody spots without writing.
- 01
Sleep is upstream of everything
The most consistent finding in almost every log. Bad nights precede bad days with a reliability that is genuinely startling on paper and invisible in memory. It is also the most modifiable variable you have.
- 02
The trigger is rarely the cause
Written down, the same event produces a three on Tuesday and a nine on Friday. What differs is the load — sleep, food, an unresolved thing from earlier in the week. Chasing the trigger explains nothing; the pre-load explains most of it.
- 03
Duration moves before intensity
The peaks stay at nine for a long time. What shortens first is how long it takes to come down — from a full day to an afternoon to two hours. If you are measuring only intensity, real improvement looks like nothing.
- 04
Your threshold is specific and consistent
The number above which reflective skills stop working is remarkably stable per person. Two weeks of notes usually identifies it exactly, and knowing it converts 'skills do not work for me' into 'I was using the wrong ones above a seven'.
- 05
The good days are underreported
Almost universal. People write when something happens, so the record over-represents the bad. Deliberately logging unremarkable days is what makes the review usable rather than demoralising.
Doing it properly
Including what to do when the review itself goes badly.
What if reading it back makes me feel worse?
Common in the first month, because early notes are weighted towards bad days. It usually resolves once there are enough ordinary entries. If it consistently leaves you worse, review fortnightly rather than weekly, or do it with someone.
What if nothing has changed?
Check duration and frequency rather than intensity. Most improvement shows up there first, and comparing this week to a week three months ago is far more informative than comparing it to last week.
How long should this take?
Ten minutes. If it is taking forty, it has become journalling and it will not survive a difficult month.
Should I do it with my therapist?
Bring it, do not outsource it. The reading-back is where the noticing happens, and having someone else do the noticing means you have not built the skill.
What if I missed most of the week?
Review what you have. Three entries is enough to see something, and a review of a bad week is more useful than no review, particularly since bad weeks are what you are trying to understand.
Where does the book cover this?
Chapter 21, on sustaining recovery and preventing relapse, is built on exactly this — noticing early indicators before they become episodes.