Let the Snow Globe Settle
I'm writing this from Ireland, and I still can't believe we made it.
The week before we left was chaos. December is already packed with holiday parties and end-of-year work deadlines, and we decided to add "international trip with a toddler and a 4-month-old" to the mix. The amount of stuff required to travel with two tiny humans is absurd. Diapers, bottles, gifts, car seats, that one toy Quinn absolutely cannot live without (until she forgets it exists).
There's nothing like traveling with a carefree toddler. Picture this: we're on the shuttle to the airport, surrounded by luggage, a stroller, and enough baby gear to open a small daycare. And Quinn decides this is the perfect moment to start taking off her shoes. I'm fighting for my life trying to keep her contained while balancing a diaper bag and pretending I have any control over the situation.
Then we landed. And somewhere between the airport and my parents' house, something shifted.
The Snow Globe Problem
December is like someone shaking a snow globe. Everything's swirling. Holiday parties, deadlines, family plans, travel logistics, gift shopping, year-end wrap-ups.
You can't see the picture because nothing has settled.
Here's the thing: most people wait until January 1st to reflect on their year. But by January 1st, the snow globe is still shaking. The holiday chaos has blurred everything. You're exhausted, possibly hungover, and trying to remember what you even did in March.
The best time to reflect isn't when the new year starts. It's right now, in the pause before the holidays fully take over. You need to stop shaking the globe and let everything settle so you can actually see what's there.
The Unstructured Review
I'm not talking about a formal goal-setting session. Not yet. That comes later.
Right now, I'm talking about the messy, unstructured part. The part where you just notice.
This is what I do every year between now and New Year's: long walks, quiet mornings, staring out windows. No frameworks. No templates. Just letting the year replay and paying attention to what comes up.
I've been doing a public annual review every year since 2013. And the first thing I do, before I write a single word, is scroll through my camera roll month by month.
Your phone is basically a time capsule you've been filling all year without realizing it. I'm always shocked by how much I forget. That trip in April? Completely gone from my memory until I saw the photos. The camera roll is the only honest record of what actually happened, not what you think happened.
The 15-Minute Review
Before the holiday madness fully takes over, find 15 minutes to remember your year.
The Camera Roll Method:
- Open your photos from January 2025
- Scroll through each month slowly
- Notice what you forgot happened
- Notice what made you smile versus what made you cringe
What to pay attention to:
- What moments keep replaying
- What felt heavy this year?
- What surprised you (good or bad)?
- What are you relieved is over?
- What you wish you'd done more of?
Make it easier: Put your phone in airplane mode (or use Helm to block social apps) before you start scrolling. Otherwise you'll open your camera roll, see a notification, and suddenly you're 20 minutes deep in Instagram instead of remembering your year.
Don't try to solve anything yet. Just observe. You're gathering data, not making decisions. Let the snow globe settle.
If you had to describe this year in one word, what would it be? Don't overthink it. What's the first word that comes to mind?
📖 Revisit
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. I've recommended this before, but it hits different at the end of the year. His chapter on "choosing what to neglect" is perfect for this season.
🧠 Try
The camera roll review. Seriously. Scroll January to December and write down what surprises you. It takes 10 minutes and you'll remember things you completely forgot.
🛠️ Tool
Helm or airplane mode. Block the distractions before you start scrolling your photos. Intentional scrolling only.
