10 questions to ask yourself at the end of the week
When we are living intentionally, it’s important we check in with ourselves, to see if your behaviour, choices and actions live up to who we want to be. One way to help us to do this is to journal our thoughts and reflections. This can be as simple as writing what has happened over the course of the week and how you feel about it. This might create the space for reflection, help you find focus and be clear about anything that you might want to be different next week.
I’m not great at free writing for anything other than clearing my head, so I’ll often just write when I get up in the morning so I can start my day fresh. When I want to gain new insights in specific areas, I’m trying to create change or build new habits, I use questions to prompt my journalling. So here are 10 of my favourite questions:
How have I felt this week? And why?
What went well? And why?
What could have been better? And why?
What barriers have there been? And why?
How can I overcome these? And why?
What am I proud of? And why?
Who have I felt connected to? And why?
What am I grateful for? And why?
What have I learnt? And why?
What are my intentions for next week? And why?
You might want to try all 10 out, or pick a selection which speak to you. The why is really important, so don’t miss this out, as this helps you understand what is going on at a deeper level. You might want to ask why? more than once.
If you’re finding it tricky to create the change you’d like, I’d really encourage you to build time into your week to make this a regular practice. This will really enable you to identify any challenges, but also help you to focus on what has gone well which will help build your resilience, which in turn will help you to create the change you are seeking or stick to new habits.
Here are my tips for successful weekly journaling:
Pick a time of day which will work. If you’re an early bird perhaps do this first thing before the rest of the household are up, or once the kids are in bed.
Make sure you’re left alone. Find yourself a quiet spot away from others so you can focus, it can be difficult if someone interrupts you.
Make sure you have enough time. Set aside 30 minutes or so, to ensure you can really give yourself the space to think.
Make sure you have everything you need to be comfortable. Make sure you have a drink, are warm (or cool) enough, and have all the things you think you need.
Keep your phone off, or leave it in another room, so you’re not distracted.
Try to journal at the same time each week so it becomes habitual and part of your weekly routine.