good questions to ask ourselves once a year

September 8, 2005 5:34 AM

calling all journalers and listyourselfers: please give me good questions to ask myself once a year.

September is the time of year I change my journal (came out that way with school starting, apartment leases ending and change of calendars where I live). this past year I did quite a lot of listing (the list your self kind) and I thought it would be a good idea to make up a list of - once a year questions - to start (or end) my journals with from now on, painting an annual picture of my life and where I want to go. please help me put the list together! what are good questions to ask once a year?

posted by mirileh to writing & language (7 answers total)

I love to look through my journal once a year (in my case, right after my birthday), and make a list of my favorite entries. It helps me review the year.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:43 AM on September 8, 2005 [1 favorite]

What did you regret this year? What did you celebrate? Who was the most interesting new person you met? Who do you wish you spent more time with? What new quality or trait did you develop (or improve upon)? What was the best use of your time? What do you wish you'd spent less time on? How did your views on major issues (politics? morals? religion?) change or shift? When you review your journals in another year, how would you like to feel about what you've learned, how you've invested your time, the kind of person you've been?
posted by justonegirl at 6:33 AM on September 8, 2005

• Am I closer to or further away from the type of person I'd like to be than I was last year, and what (small) steps can I take to keep myself on a path toward being the person that I want to be?
• Does my current social circle consist of people that I can be honest and true to myself with, that I can rely on and I feel can rely on me?
• Am I treating myself how I deserve to be treated?
• What three (or pick a reasonable number) things would I like to be able to write in my entry for next year that I am not in a place to do this year?

posted by softlord at 6:46 AM on September 8, 2005

The Surrealism Test simply tests the ability or willingness to answer
questions.
posted by sfenders at 7:21 AM on September 8, 2005

I love to look through my journal once a year, and make a list of my favorite entrées. It helps me review the year.

can you tell I was hungry?
posted by trevyn at 11:31 AM on September 8, 2005 [1 favorite]

1.a. List five things you're sure of. (I.E. I lover my wife, God doesn't exist, George Bush is a horrible president...).
1.b. What if you're wrong?

2. What new skill have you learned this year?

3. What foods have your forced yourself to eat?

4. Who have you apologized to? Why?

5. Who SHOULD you apologize to? Why?

6. What excuses are you making?

7. What would you like to steal?

8. What risks have you taken?

9. What did you chicken out of doing?

10. What gifts have you given?

11. What have you done without taking credit?

12. How far have you traveled from home this year?

13. How have you changed your sex routine this year?

14. What have you done to surprise somebody?

15. What kinds of animals have you been near this year?

16. What extra baggage have you discarded this year?

17. Did anything make you cry this year? What was it?

18. What made you laugh?

19. What made you angry?

20. What are you scared of?
posted by grumblebee at 1:58 PM on September 8, 2005

"How do I feel about my shoes?" is just one of several suggestions from the mighty Morrissey.
posted by freston at 3:59 AM on September 9, 2005