Isn't it better to look forward rather than back? Approaching retirement, my pressing question is: what do I want to do next?
After looking into some basic Zen philosophy, I think it also makes sense to consider focusing on spending more time in the present. The past and the future being ideas compared to the reality of the present - it's like watching a movie compared to real life. If the plight of the old is to reminisce, perhaps the plight of the young is to daydream. Both are important parts of life, but taking time to appreciate the present is easy to leave out.
The author of the piece says: "The great benefit of this process, even as I struggle with it, is it gives me a rounded view of my life."
While I can understand that spending some time reviewing the past can have value, what this person is doing seems excessive and I'm not sure I'd call it 'rounded'. I think in my case thinking about the past can reveal how things have or haven't changed in fundamental ways. For example, I was reminded yesterday of a local startup in my area that was working on a neural network accelerator chip in the early 90s and reflected on how many companies are now trying to do the same. There's nothing new under the sun as a wise man once said - what has been will be again. This kind of reminiscing gives perspective.
I generally agree with you. There might not be a good reason to look back into the past constantly, but the author ends the post with a personal note about how their mom is going through Alzheimer's. And I can somewhat relate to that, as my grandma used to live with us in the last 10 years of her life, and it was devastating to watch how feeble her memories were getting every day. At some point, when you're just sitting at a dinner table on a Thursday night with people whom you've known for ages, recollecting some memories from the past is just... nice. There really isn't a good reason, or benefit for the future and what not; it just feels good. Thus I can see why someone would want to cherish those times, trying their best to not forget them.