YearCompass alternatives
YearCompass Alternatives: 5 Ways to Do an Annual Review (Including an App)
YearCompass is beloved, but it asks for hours of focus and a clear memory of the whole year. These alternatives keep the spirit while cutting friction—perfect if you want a calmer, more continuous way to reflect.
YearCompass is one of the best-known annual reflection rituals; here’s how it compares to other ways of doing a year review. See the latest YearCompass 2026 release details on the dedicated page.
Core idea
Keep the ritual, remove the blockers. People search for alternatives because:
- It can take 3–5 hours in one sitting to finish the booklet.
- Recency bias makes recent months louder than what happened in spring.
- PDFs and printing add friction (and make revisions hard).
Below are five options—from rapid frameworks to a digital map—so you can pick the reflection style that fits your attention span.
YearCompass is great—the friction isn’t
The booklet is a gift: it is thoughtful, structured, and free. The challenge is life—busy schedules, fading memories, and the feeling that you need the “perfect night” to complete it. You deserve an annual review that fits your calendar, not the other way around.
- Respect the ritual: gratitude, lessons, and setting intentions are still essential.
- Reduce the load: shorter prompts or continuous logging combat recency bias.
- Stay digital: keeping notes in one place makes it easier to revisit mid-year.
5 YearCompass alternatives to try
The Past Year Review (Tim Ferriss)
Best for: Rapid pattern seekers.
What it is: A fast calendar sweep that groups events into positive vs. negative drivers.
- Pros: Quick 80/20 lens; easy to repeat every quarter.
- Cons: Misses nuance if your calendar is sparse.
The Three Words Method (Chris Brogan)
Best for: Theme-driven planners.
What it is: Pick three words to guide your choices instead of setting dozens of goals.
- Pros: Minimalist; easy to remember and share.
- Cons: Light on reflection if you skip writing supporting stories.
Bullet Journaling (Migration)
Best for: Analog-first thinkers.
What it is: Review unfinished tasks and migrate what still matters into the next journal.
- Pros: Tactile; great for task-focused people.
- Cons: Ink-only; harder to search and summarize later.
Notion or Spreadsheet Dashboard
Best for: Builders and quantified-self fans.
What it is: Custom tables for milestones, gratitude, and goals in one place.
- Pros: Flexible; easy to add charts and tags.
- Cons: Setup time; easy to over-engineer.
Waypoints (Living Timeline)
Best for: People who prefer continuous reflection.
What it is: A digital map that logs memories, tags, and reflections as you go—no giant PDF night required.
- Pros: Timeline + quick logging mean the annual review writes itself.
- Cons: Requires iOS and joining the waitlist while it rolls out.
The digital option
Waypoints fixes recency bias with a living timeline
Instead of waiting for December, Waypoints lets you jot moments all year. The map and timeline help you remember the forgotten months, so your annual review starts with a full picture, not a blank page.
- Timeline: Plot milestones and memories on a map-like view you can skim anytime.
- Quick logging: Capture small notes, feelings, and photos without breaking flow.
- Tags & patterns: See what made you energized or drained—like the Past Year Review, but continuous.
- Reflection: Return to prompts when you have five minutes, not five hours.
Waypoints is inspired by YearCompass but independent and strictly positive about the original ritual.
Compare the alternatives
Best for: paper lovers who cherish slow, structured reflection.
Best for: theme-driven planners who love a quick reset.
Best for: analog-first creators who love pen-and-ink rituals.
Best for: builders who prefer dashboards and structured data.
Best for: people who want a YearCompass-like app that keeps reflection close year-round.
Choose the review that fits your season
There is no wrong way to close the year—only the way you will actually finish. If you want a gentle, low-friction path that respects memory, try the living timeline approach.
