Daily review template: five questions to close out the day
Status: Acta is coming soon to the App Store. The "Doing it in Acta" section describes how the product is designed to work.
A daily review can run in five steps: what happened today; what you did and thought in the moment; the reason you gave yourself; why you didn't follow through when you knew better; and what you can do next time. Then rate the day from 1 to 5 stars. A few minutes is enough. Write facts and the next step, not a diary of feelings.
Copyable template
1. What happened today:
2. What I did and thought in the moment:
3. The reason I gave myself:
4. I knew better, so why didn't I do it:
5. What I can do next time:
Stars for today (1–5):How to fill in each step
1. What happened today. State events, leave out judgments.
- Vague (example): "Busy day, lots of meetings, not very productive."
- Factual (example): "Finished part two of the proposal. No reply from the client yet."
2. What you did and thought. Write your first reaction, not how you should have reacted.
- Example: "When the client's message came in, I scrolled for ten minutes and told myself I'd answer once I felt better."
3. The reason you gave yourself. Copy the sentence that talked you out of it.
- Example: "Answering today won't change anything right away."
4. Why you didn't follow through. Write the gap between knowing and doing.
- Too general (example): "Low energy."
- Specific (example): "I knew I should reply first, but the reply needed the numbers checked and I didn't want to open that spreadsheet."
5. What to do next time. Write something you can start on directly.
- Too big (example): "Be more disciplined."
- Startable (example): "Reply right away with 'I'll get back to you by 3 pm', then check the numbers."
Stars. Ask how closely today matched the person you want to be. You choose the scale's meaning; use the same one every day.
Five-minute and fifteen-minute versions
Five minutes: one sentence per step, no editing. Fifteen minutes: two or three sentences per step, plus a look at the last two days to see whether the same reason keeps showing up. These timings are suggestions, not research findings.
Review vs. journal
| Review | Journal | |
|---|---|---|
| What you write | Facts, reasons, what to do next time | Experiences and feelings, anything goes |
| Ends with | An action for next time | Nothing required |
| Length | A few lines | Open |
Doing it in Acta
Acta's evening review follows these five steps and ends with a 1–5 star rating: what happened, what I did and thought, the reason I gave myself, why I knew better and still didn't do it, and what I can do next time. Records are saved only on your device by default.
FAQ
What do I write in a daily review?
Five steps: what happened, what you did and thought, the reason you gave yourself, why you didn't follow through, and what to do next time. Then give the day 1–5 stars.
How long does it take?
A few minutes. If you're short on time, one sentence per step.
How do I avoid it turning into a diary?
Keep each step to facts, your own words, and actions. Put your judgment of the day in the stars.
How is a review different from a journal?
A review ends with what to do next time. A journal doesn't have to.