Earlier this year I was introduced to the concept of an After Action Review (AAR), after reading these two books.
The insights and benefits that I've gained from carrying out regular AARs have been transformational.
Here is how I've incorporated AARs into my life:
1. Weekly AARs
I use a Bullet Journal and at the start of every week, I outline my commitments for the week:
My Must Deliverable Tasks
Secondary Tasks (Nice to Haves)
At the end of the week, I'll review my Must Deliverables and Secondary tasks and determine:
How many tasks I completed
What worked that week
What didn't work
What did I learn
List the outstanding tasks to consider for next week
That's it, the whole process takes about 30 minutes.
2. Project-Based AARs
At the end of each project - whether that's work for a client, completing an online course or implementing something new in my business - I carry out an AAR. I have an AAR Notion template, which includes:
What, when, and how it happened
What I observed, what was expected and unexpected
What were my strengths and weaknesses, where are future opportunities
How can I improve future performance
Corrective action to take on future projects
Summary of the review
I'll spend about an hour as part of my monthly review.
3. Quarterly Reviews
Every 3 months, I'll spend some time reviewing my AARs and pick out consistent themes or trends.
These might be actions that I take consistently that are detrimental and I haven't yet changed or learned from.
Or they might be decisions that I've made, which have yielded great results that I haven't acknowledged or doubled down on.
Ultimately, AARs have helped me make incremental changes in my business and life, which have yielded marginal gains and improved my overall performance.
They are a useful tool in my quest for high performance.
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