7 Questions to Ask Yourself Often

I get so frustrated when I feel like I’m stuck on autopilot. You wake up and robot your way through the day, not because of good habits or routines, but because you’re so detached.

This happens in all areas of our lives —career, relationships, self care, home.

We get so bogged down in the day to day tasks and must-dos that we forget to scale out and check in on the bigger picture. It gets harder and harder to focus and accomplish goals that matter when we get like this.

Practicing self reflection often is a great way to ensure you don’t end up in this trap of doing much but accomplishing little. Checking in with yourself, and taking the time to figure out what you really want to and should be doing daily to reach your end goal.

I’ve blogged before about how important my mornings are (I’ll be sharing my updated routine soon) to my daily routines and how much I love morning pages. Both of these are important self reflection mediums. Starting my day early and on a productive note sets the tone for my day and helps me to stay focused on the tasks that really matter. Morning pages helps to clear my mind and get rid of some mental clutter and distraction.

If you’ve been finding yourself a bit lost in the shuffle, take some time to grab a pen and paper (or your phone/laptop if digital is more your thing) and jot down answers to these questions. Do it as often as you think would help you most: monthly, weekly, maybe even daily.

1. What have I worked on that’s made me truly happy, fulfilled and satisfied? How can I do that thing more often?

What’s the last project you worked on that really made your spirit feel good? For me, hitting publish on yesterday’s blog post felt really awesome and motivated me to get more done throughout the day. This is largely because I’ve been shifting to more writing in the morning, which has been a really positive change.

2. What have I worked on recently that’s made me unhappy, tired or stressed? How can I do this less often?

What things have been really taxing on you lately? Maybe it’s managing your inbox or scheduling your posts for social? Are these things you can outsource? Are you taking on too many projects and need to step back a bit?

3. Am I spending the following on things that matter: My time, money, and energy?

Beware of time, energy and money wasters. For a week or so, bring a note book where you go and track these things closely. What did you spend money on this week? What were your most time consuming tasks? What to-do list items consumed the greatest amounts of your energy? Are any of those things high priority? Do they support your goals? Keep a close watch on these and make adjustments according to your goals.

4. What distractions have prevented you from getting the most out of life? How can you limit them?

Too much socializing too late? Too much screen time? For me, putting my phone away and ending my night with a book instead of Instagram is key to getting good rest. What distractions can you cut out to better utilize your time and energy towards things that matter?

5. How would you describe your impact on others in the last 30 days?

How do others feel because of who you are, your current demeanor and the work that you’re doing? Are you always tired and cranky, and spread that negative energy to others? If your goal is to be a resource to others, are people seeking you out as one? If you want to inspire others, how have you reached out in the past month?

6. Is this the kind of impact you want to make?

And if it isn’t, how are you going to work to change this? It’s important, especially if you’re building a platform where you have influence over an audience, that you’re taking stock of the impact you have on those you’re reaching.

7. Are you committed to having productive, positive and impactful days?

Basically, are you committing to your commitments? Showing up, keeping your word and doing your best?

This post was originally written in July 2017 & updated to keep things spicy.