A simple daily practice that gradually rewires how your mind responds to pressure.
If you’ve ever left a conversation wishing you’d handled it better…
If you perform well most of the time but falter under pressure…
If your confidence shifts depending on who’s in the room…
Review & Preview is how you build composure that lasts.
Two short daily drills. One looking back. One looking forward.
Practised consistently, they train your Identity so calm, grounded confidence becomes your default.
What Is Review & Preview?
Review & Preview (R&P) is a structured daily practice built on the Elevate Formula. It strengthens your Identity Quotient (IDQ) over time.
If the book explains how Identity works, Review & Preview is how you train it.
It integrates the Elevate Formula into your Identity until it becomes the filter through which you interpret the world.
You begin to see:
From those beliefs, a High IDQ grows naturally.
Michelangelo said the figure was already in the stone. His job was to remove what wasn’t it. Review and Preview works the same way. You’re not manufacturing confidence. You’re uncovering it.
Insight without repetition leaves Identity unchanged.
Review & Preview is the repetition layer that raises your baseline under pressure.
Use the Difficulty
As a young actor, Sir Michael Caine was given advice that shaped his life.
Sir Michael struggled during rehearsals when a chair blocked his entrance through a door. He complained.
His director said:
“Use the difficulty.”
He explained that every obstacle could become a tool.
In a drama, he could smash the chair.
In a comedy, he could fall over it.
The message: don’t fight the problem; use it.
Caine called this his “line for life”. It helped him stay confident, resilient and adaptable in difficult moments.
“Use the difficulty” sits at the heart of Review and Preview. Challenging moments aren’t interruptions; they’re opportunities, R&P works with these moments, turning setbacks into raw material for growth.
CLARITY — The Review Framework
Seven steps for turning a past challenge into evidence of capability.
- C — Challenge. Choose a recent situation.
- L — Learn Instincts. Note your emotional, physical and behavioural reactions.
- A — Assess Identity Beliefs. Identify the beliefs shaping them.
- R — Root Causes. Trace where those beliefs began.
- I — Interrupt & Breathe. Break the stress loop.
- T — Traits (SQAs). Identify the Strengths, Qualities and Attributes you showed.
- Y — Your Identity. Record those SQAs to build your High IDQ profile.
Review builds evidence. Preview builds expectation. Together they shape confidence before pressure arrives.
FIRST — The Preview Framework
Five steps for approaching a future challenge with confidence.
- F — Future Challenge. Choose an upcoming event.
- I — Identify Your Outcome. Define it clearly and within your control.
- R — Realisation. Realisation. Build a vivid mental snapshot of success.
- S — SQAs. Select the strengths that will best serve you.
- T — Train with HPI. Run a brief mental rehearsal for System 1 to follow.
Where Do You Sit on the IDQ Scale?
Your IDQ reflects how your subconscious Attention Direction shapes confidence and performance.
Here’s what that looks like in real terms:
Most of us move up and down the scale depending on context.
R&P steadily raises the floor.
👉 Find out your IDQ score with the IDQ Snapshot App
You’re Going to Need a Routine
Think of R&P as a daily drill that reshapes your thinking. It requires consistency, not intensity.
You start with an Outcome and build a routine around it. Over time, R&bP becomes second nature. It fits into your life and gives you deeper self-understanding. Gradually and gently, it becomes part of your Identity, quietly shaping how you interpret pressure and challenge.
People weave R&P into their day in different ways
- A morning cuppa and a notebook
- Quiet time on the train
- A few minutes after the school run
- Switching off the TV an hour before bed
Find what works for you.
My R&P routine: Each morning, I reflect on the previous day, exploring my reactions and the events that shaped them.
On Sundays, I review the whole week. This helps me spot Strengths, Qualities and Abilities (SQAs) I can use elsewhere, and often brings helpful insight to moments that didn’t go well.
For every client who needed it, this routine proved transformative. It comes as close as anything I know to a universal tool, because it is designed around the individual’s Identity, not a one-size-fits-all model.
So… For How Long?
“How long should I commit to R&P?”
The good news? Benefits begin immediately. R&P is enjoyable, revealing and empowering from day one. Many people never stop once they start.
Focus on your small, daily discoveries. If you fixate solely on the High IDQ end goal, you’ll get frustrated. Progress arrives through steady, incremental insight.
I recommend planning for twelve months.
Old thinking patterns are habits. To build a High IDQ, we need new habits, and they take time. Some sources claim neurological change takes weeks, but in reality, meaningful change usually takes four to six months. Committing to a routine is what makes the difference.
Those who build a consistent rhythm see terrific results. Those who dip in and out lose momentum.
Use the App
I built a simple app to run my own Review and Preview.
It’s where I keep my daily reflections, weekly reviews, and the occasional deeper look when something didn’t go the way I expected. It keeps everything in one place, and it helps me spot patterns I would otherwise miss.
You’ll find it in the IDQ Snapshot App, under the Library menu.
It’s built around Review and Preview, the Elevate Formula, and the Identity principles you’re reading about here. I still journal longhand, then transfer the challenge into the app. No gimmicks, just a quiet structure.
The tool matters less than the routine around it. That’s where change happens.
Ready to Start?
Begin with Part 1. No prior reading required.
In under an hour, you’ll understand the system and begin training it. Two simple drills. One shift in attention. A higher floor under pressure.
Don’t just understand Identity. Start training it.
Review & Preview Links
Introducing Review and Preview
How to Review with CLARITY – Part 1