The Evening Review: A Simple Habit for Intentional Living

An evening review is a simple, practical habit that helps you reflect on your day, celebrate wins, learn from challenges and plan for tomorrow. Taking just 5–15 minutes each evening can improve your focus, support intentional living and help you make the most of each day.

ARE YOUR DAYS PASSING BY IN A BLUR?

Have you ever reached the end of the day and felt like it passed in a blur — full of busyness, yet somehow unfulfilling? So much of modern life is spent rushing from one task to the next that we rarely pause to reflect on how we’re actually spending our time.

But as the writer Annie Dillard so wisely said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”

If we want to live an intentional, meaningful life, it starts with paying attention to how we spend each day — and that’s where the evening review comes in.

This simple daily practice, inspired in this article by the ancient Stoics which I’ve been learning about recently, helps us reflect, refocus and realign our actions with the kind of life we truly want to live. It’s not complicated or time-consuming — just a few quiet minutes at the end of the day can make a big difference.

A PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY FOR EVERYDAY LIFE

The ancient Stoic philosophers, including Seneca, Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus, were deeply interested in how to live well, despite life’s challenges. Their philosophy wasn’t abstract or academic — it was practical, designed to be lived out in ordinary daily life.

I’ve found there are many parallels between the principles of Stoicism and modern-day intentional living. The world was, and remains to be, a complicated and challenging place. But with a mindful approach to our every day and the habits we build to create strong character and our best life, I think we can learn so much from the writings of 2000 years ago.

Seneca, for example, described how he would review his day each evening after his wife had gone to bed:

“When the light has been removed and my wife has fallen silent… I examine my entire day and go back over what I’ve done and said, hiding nothing from myself, passing nothing by.” — Seneca

This simple act of reflection helped him learn from his actions, correct mistakes and strengthen his character.

And though Seneca lived two thousand years ago, his approach feels surprisingly modern. In a world that moves fast and demands so much of us, setting aside time to pause and reflect is one of the most grounding and clarifying habits we can build.

WHY AN EVENING REVIEW MATTERS

An evening review is more than just a journaling exercise. It’s a mindful pause that encourages intentional living. By reflecting on the day that’s just passed, we become more aware of where our time and energy are going — and whether those things truly align with our priorities and values.

Here are a few benefits of doing an evening review:

1. It Helps You Live With Awareness and Intention

Reflection brings awareness. By looking back over your day, you start to notice patterns — where your time was well spent and where it may have slipped away unnoticed. This awareness allows you to make conscious choices, rather than moving through life on autopilot.

2. It Strengthens Your Self-Understanding

Asking gentle questions like “What went well today?” or “What could I have done differently?” encourages honesty without judgement. Over time, you’ll get to know yourself better — your strengths, your triggers and your habits — and that knowledge empowers growth.

3. It Promotes Gratitude and Perspective

Taking time to note what you’re grateful for helps you end the day on a positive note. Even small wins or simple joys — a kind word, a quiet cup of tea, a moment of laughter — remind you that there’s good woven into every day.

4. It Improves Time Management and Focus

By reviewing how you spent your day, you’ll start to see where your time and energy were well used — and where they weren’t. This insight helps you plan better for tomorrow, ensuring your efforts go towards what truly matters to you.

5. It Supports Emotional Balance and Calm

Writing down your thoughts helps you release them from your mind. It’s a gentle form of emotional and mental decluttering — putting worries, frustrations or overthinking onto paper where they can be seen more clearly and carried more lightly.

HOW TO DO AN EVENING REVIEW

The beauty of an evening review is that it’s simple, flexible and easy to begin. You don’t need a special journal or long routine — just a few quiet minutes at the end of the day.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Find a Quiet Moment

Choose a time when the day is naturally winding down — perhaps after dinner, once the kids are in bed, or before you get ready for sleep. Turn off the TV, silence notifications, and make yourself comfortable.

2. Settle In With a Notebook or Journal

Keep it simple. You could use a dedicated notebook or even a few pages in your planner. The goal isn’t to write perfectly, but to capture your thoughts honestly.

3. Reflect On Your Day

Ask yourself a few guiding questions:

• What went well today?
• What didn’t go quite so well?
• What did I learn?
• What am I grateful for?
• What could I have done differently or better?
• What do I want to carry forward into tomorrow?

4. Write Freely and Without Judgement

Don’t overthink your answers. Let your thoughts flow naturally. You may find clarity or insights emerging that you didn’t expect.

5. Close the Day With Intention

When you’re done, take a deep breath and let the day go. If you wish, jot down one simple thing you’d like to focus on tomorrow — something that supports your goals or values.

This process need only take 5–15 minutes but over time, it builds a powerful habit of reflection, gratitude, and growth.

A SIMPLE, STOIC WAY TO LIVE INTENTIONALLY

Doing an evening review is a small act but its effects ripple outward. It’s a daily reminder that even amidst chaos and responsibility, we have the power to pause, reflect and choose our path.

The Stoics believed that the good life isn’t built in grand gestures but in small, consistent choices — in showing up each day with awareness and intention. And that’s just as true for simple living today.

Through this practice, we learn to spend our time more purposefully, use our energy more wisely and shape our days — and ultimately our lives — with clarity and care.

CONCLUSION

Stoic philosophy doesn’t have to be complicated and intentional living doesn’t require perfection. Both are simply about paying attention — noticing how we live and choosing, little by little, to live better.

An evening review gives us the space to do that. To pause, to reflect, to learn — and to remind ourselves that while we can’t always control what happens, we can choose how we respond and what we take forward into tomorrow.

Inspired by Stoic wisdom and rooted in simplicity, the evening review is a gentle, practical way to live more intentionally — one day at a time.

So, why not take a few moments this evening to review your day? What do you learn?

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

Here are some more articles you might enjoy:

• 7 Calming Evening Habits for Better Sleep and an Uncluttered Mind
• 10 Simple Things to Do Tonight to Save You Time Tomorrow
• What the Ancient Stoics Can Teach Us About Simple Living Today
• 11 Nighttime Journal Prompts for Reflection and Decluttering Your Mind
• What You Do Makes a Difference: 7 Simple Ways to Live with Intention and Purpose