Alright, let me tell you about this little routine I call ‘post-date eight’. It’s nothing groundbreaking, just something I started doing a while back and found pretty useful, so I thought I’d share my process.
It all started because I noticed I’d either overthink things right after they happened, or forget the details completely pretty quickly. So, I came up with this simple idea: wait eight days after something significant happens – maybe a project completion, an important meeting, even a personal event – and then take a few moments to reflect on it.
My Simple Process
Here’s how I actually do it. It’s really straightforward.
First step, obviously, is letting the eight days pass. After the event or task is done, I consciously try not to dwell on it too much. I just let it sit. I need that distance, otherwise my immediate feelings cloud everything. Seven days felt like still too close, just finishing the week, but eight days… that felt like a good buffer.
Then, on day eight, I find a quiet moment. Usually just 10 or 15 minutes. I grab my notebook – yeah, just a physical paper notebook, I like how it feels – or sometimes the notes app on my phone if I’m on the go.
I don’t have a strict format. I just start writing down what I remember. I ask myself simple things:
- What actually happened? Just the facts as I recall them.
- How did I feel then (if I can remember)?
- How do I feel about it now, eight days later?
- What went well?
- What didn’t go so well, or what felt awkward or difficult?
- Is there anything I’d do differently next time?
The key thing here is honesty without judgment. By day eight, the emotional charge is usually gone. If I messed up, I can usually admit it to myself without feeling terrible. If something went great, I can appreciate it without getting a big head.
For example, I finished setting up a tricky piece of equipment for a personal project a few weeks back. Right after, I was just relieved it was working. But doing my post-date eight review, I realized I’d taken a risky shortcut that could have caused problems later. Writing it down made me actually remember to go back and fix it properly, instead of just thinking “phew, got away with it”. It wasn’t a big deal, but it’s these little course corrections that add up.
Sometimes I write a lot, sometimes just a few bullet points. It depends on the event. The important part isn’t the length, it’s the act of pausing and looking back with that specific delay.
Why Bother?
For me, it serves a few purposes. It helps solidify lessons learned. It provides a clearer perspective than immediate reaction. And honestly, it’s a way to document my own growth or patterns, both good and bad, without making it a huge, complicated task.
So yeah, that’s ‘post-date eight’ for me. Just a simple habit. Wait eight days, reflect briefly, jot it down. Helps me keep things in perspective. Maybe it’s something you might find useful too.
