Year End Review

By Greg Finch

The Year-End Review (for surfers who want a better year and better fitness)

A few years back I broke up with the “New Year’s Resolution.”

It wasn’t dramatic… but it was messy. Resolutions have a way of sounding noble on January 1st and then quietly ghosting you by the second week of January like a swell that got overcalled on Surfline.

What replaced it, for me and a lot of the surfers I coach, is something simpler and way more honest: a Year-End Review.

Not a manifesto. Not a reinvention of your personality. Just a quick, grounded check-in:

What worked?
What didn’t?
What do I want more of?
What am I absolutely done tolerating?

Over the last 5+ years I’ve tweaked this process a bunch—stealing the good ideas from other smart humans, ditching the stuff that felt like homework. I’ve learned it only works if it nails two things:

1) It has to be time-efficient

If it takes too long, it won’t happen… or it’ll get rushed and turn into “Yeah yeah, next year I’ll be better.”

2) It has to end with a clear plan

Reflection without action is just journaling in circles. (Which can be soothing, but it doesn’t change your calendar.)

Below is my current 30–60 minute Year-End Review. It’s practical, a little ruthless, and surprisingly kind.

The 30–60 Minute Year-End Review

Step 1: Grab a notepad and draw two columns

Label them:

POSITIVE | NEGATIVE

Simple enough that you can do it with a pen that barely works.

Step 2: Walk through your calendar—week by week

Go through the last year and note anything that created a peak emotional response.

Not every detail. Just the spikes. The stuff you still remember in your body.

Examples of “Positive” peaks:

A surf trip where you felt loose, strong, present
A weekly dawn patrol with a friend who leaves you better than they found you
A training block that made paddling feel easy again
A dinner where you laughed until you forgot your phone existed

Examples of “Negative” peaks:

Commitments you dreaded, then resented
People who reliably drained you (even if they’re “nice”)
Training you did out of guilt that made you feel worse
The kind of stress that shows up as tight traps, bad sleep, and a short fuse

Write the people / places / activities / obligations that caused the peaks. Don’t overthink it.

Step 3: Find the 20% that caused the biggest impact

Now scan each column and ask:

“What 20% of this list produced the most reliable peaks?”

This is the whole game.

Most of our joy (and misery) comes from a smaller set of repeat patterns than we want to admit.

Step 4: Schedule more of your Positive leaders (now)

Take the top “Positive” items and put them on the calendar.

Not “I should.” Not “someday.” Actual dates.

Book the trip (even if it’s just a weekend)
Set the recurring surf with that friend
Pre-pay for the class, the massage, the boardswap event—whatever you know helps
Block the training sessions that make you feel capable in the water

A rule I live by:

If it’s not in the calendar, it’s a wish.

Step 5: Build a “Not-To-Do List” from your Negative leaders

Write: NOT-TO-DO LIST at the top of a fresh page.

Put the top “Negative” items there—especially the ones you tend to re-add out of:

Obligation
Guilt
FOMO
“Being a good person”
Or the ancient curse of overcommitting because you’re optimistic and caffeinated

Place this list somewhere you’ll see it each morning for the first few weeks of the year.

Not as punishment—more like traction. The guardrails keep you on the road when life gets slick.

One upgrade I recommend (without turning this into resolutions)

After you’ve scheduled positives and built your not-to-do list, pick one theme for the year.

Not 12 goals. One theme.

Examples that work well for surfers:

Durability (less pain, more water time)
Capacity (better paddle endurance, calmer breath under load)
Connection (more sessions with people who make you feel alive)
Simplicity (fewer obligations, cleaner weeks)
Play (because joy is performance-enhancing)

Then choose 2 tiny actions you’ll do in January that support that theme.

Keep them embarrassingly doable:

10 minutes of mobility after coffee
2 15 minute strength sessions/week, non-negotiable
One reach-out per week to surf with someone new (community gets stronger when the circle widens)
A hard “no” to one recurring thing you already know you hate

This matters to me as a coach because surf longevity isn’t just joints and VO₂ max. It’s also belonging. A resilient surf life comes from being connected—to your body, your people, and the ocean in a way that doesn’t burn you out.