Questions for Self-Discovery

Questions for Self-Discovery

1. How would you describe yourself to someone who doesn't know you?
2. What are your core values?
3. What do you feel is your life purpose? If you don't know , what will you do to find out?
4. In what ways have you integrated your core values and life purpose into your daily experience?
5. If you have taken any personality inventories, such as Myers-Briggs or the Enneagram, what were the results, and how have they been helpful (or not) to you?
6. What are you pleased to have accomplished in your life so far?
7. What three goals do you most want to accomplish with your life in the future? Why?
8. What opportunity do you regret not taking? Why?
9. Who are your role models and what do you admire about them?
10. What have your in-real-life mentors taught you by example?
11. What are your talents?
12. What are your best character qualities?
13. What are your weaknesses?
14. Describe three incidences of failure, what led to them, and how you dealt with that?
15. What are the three most important lessons you have learned in your life?
16. If you could write a letter to your past self, how old would the recipient be, and what would you say?
17. What do you believe about God? 
18. What does it mean to be a real Christian?
19. What role does the Bible play in your life?
20. What role does prayer play in your life?
21. What does an ideal healthy spiritual life look like to you?
22. What doubts haunt your spiritual life? How do you deal with them?
23. What beliefs (religious or not) hold you back from progress? How can you replace them?
24. How have your church experiences shaped you?
25. What do you value in a friend?
26. What do your friends appreciate most about you?
27. What are deal breakers when it comes to friendship?
28. In what ways have others told you that you annoy or anger them? Do you think this is valid?
29. How has your educational experience affected you?
30. How do you feel like your gender, and its cultural expectations, have shaped your life?
31. How has your race or ethnicity affected your experiences?
32. How has your family of origin (especially your parents and siblings) shaped you?
33. How have your intimate relationships shaped you?
34. What qualities do you (or would you) value most in an intimate partner?
35. What is your parenting philosophy?
36. What have you done to improve your relationships?
37. If a friend comes to you for help or advice with problems, how do you respond?
38. How willing are you to ask for help or advice when you have problems?
39. Is there someone with whom you have an unresolved conflict? What will you do about it? 
40. What makes it difficult for you to trust someone?
41. How do you set personal boundaries for what you allow in your relationships?
42. Would you describe yourself as usually dependent, independent, or interdependent?
43. Would you describe yourself as assertive, passive, or aggressive in your interpersonal relationships?
44. Who has made you feel especially valued or loved, and how?
45. What makes you feel rejected? How do you respond to rejection?
46. What makes you sad? How do you respond to sadness?
47. What makes you angry? How do you respond to angry feelings?
48. What makes you afraid? How do you respond to fear?
49. What makes you feel like you aren't in control of your own life? How do you respond to that?
50. What makes you happy? 
51. What makes you excited in positive way?
52. What calms you?
53. How do you motivate yourself to do difficult or boring things?
54. Where do you fall on the needing safety vs. willing to risk continuum?
55. How have you shown resilience in your life?
56. What do you like about your own body?
57. What makes you feel self-conscious about your body?
58. How do you feel about your style of clothing, hair, makeup, etc.?
59. How does your physical health affect your life?
60. What are you doing to improve your physical and mental health?
61. What has been your experience with counseling?
62. In what ways do you self-sabotage your own well-being?
63. What do you like to eat, and what does that say about you?
64. What are your favorite forms of exercise?
65. What kinds of experiences drain your energy?
66. In what ways are you introverted and/or extroverted?
67. In what ways are you flexible and/or structured?
68. What do you do to cheer yourself up?
69. What is your dream job?
70. What do you value about your current job or career?
71. What frustrates you about your current job or career?
72. What are your views on morality and social justice issues?
73. What are your political and economic views?
74. If you could make three laws to improve society, what would they be?
75. What organizations have you joined, and how do they add value to your life?
76. What does your schedule look like for a typical day or week?
77. What would you like to change about your schedule?
78. How do you handle a challenging project when you're not quite sure what to do?
79. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
80. How does being outside in nature affect you?
81. What natural setting do you enjoy most? Why?
82. What new day trip would you like to take? Why?
83. What three places would you like to travel to in your own country? Why?
84. What three places would you like to travel to in the world? Why?
85. What role does creating art and/or music play in your life?
86. What role does appreciating the arts play in your life?
87. What are your favorite games or sports?
88. What are your favorite books or other things to read?
89. What are your favorite movies, TV shows, or other things to watch?
90. What are your favorite songs, or genre of music?
91. How do you use technology, and how does this affect your life?
92. What are your favorite apps on your phone or other device?
93. Where do you go for trustworthy world and national news?
94. How do you manage your finances?
95. What are your three most valued physical possessions?
96. What do you like most about your current home?
97. What would you like to change about your current home?
98. Describe your dream home.
99. As you anticipate the rest of your life, what do you fear most? 
100. What is your "happily ever after" in your hopes for the rest of your life? 
101. If you could change one major facet of your life, what would it be?
102. If that change is impossible, what would be an acceptable, attainable substitute?
103. What could you do now to move in that direction?
104. If you could take any class or finish a new degree, what would it be and where would you go for it?
105. What three charitable organizations or causes are most important to you?
106. What legacy do you want to leave for the future generations?
107. Which of these questions made you most uncomfortable?
108. Which of these questions revealed the most to you about yourself?
109. Which questions do you need to answer more completely or authentically?

I compiled this list of questions several months ago, but they've been sitting here on my blog in draft form. I'm thinking hard about who I am and what I want in life right now, so I figured I'd dust these off, go through them myself, and share them with y'all. You're welcome.

Grace and peace,

Virginia Knowles