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Many of us wake up with the hope that our thoughts and actions that day will result in going to sleep a better version of ourselves. In our chaotic days, it can be hard to find a simple, achievable way to do that. One way to end the day as a better, sharper you is to clarify your values and priorities. In-depth reflection on our values and priorities helps keep them front and center, strongly influencing our actions and decision-making. The more actively we think about our values and priorities, the more that happens.
Try the following five questions to help you do this. After outlining the questions, I'll show you how to analyze your answers.
Questions
Answer the following questions. I've given sample answers to show how simple you can keep your answers.
1. "If I could only use one creative tool for the rest of my life—a writing app like Docs/Word, a data tool like Sheets/Excel, a presentation tool like Slides/PowerPoint or a visual design tool like Canva or a photo editor—which would I choose, and why?"
This straightforward, engaging question gets you thinking about your practical preferences, easing you into deeper questions.
Sample answer: Sheets.
2. "If every day for the rest of my life were Groundhog Day, where I had to repeat the same exact behaviors in the same order, what routines would I choose? I’ll break this down hour by hour."
This builds on the first question by expanding from one tool to an entire day’s structure, prompting a deeper level of introspection.
Sample answer: Wake up. Organize myself. Exercise. Grocery shopping. Help my child with their homeschool work and make their lunch. Nap with my younger child. Work 3-4 hours. Attend to my kids' dinner & bath. Take a bath myself. Put my kids to bed. Eat while listening to something thought-provoking.
3. "If I could revisit one memory whenever I needed comfort or motivation, which moment would I choose?"
This question shifts focus from productivity to emotional meaning, encouraging personal reflection.
Sample answer: Looking at and holding my children.
4. "If I had to teach one life lesson to everyone I met, what would it be?"
After considering personal memories, this question invites reflection on values, wisdom, and legacy.
Sample answer: Don't follow all the rules, unless there would be a big negative consequence to yourself or others.
5. "If I could relive one day exactly as it happened—not to change anything, but just to experience it again—which day would I choose?"
This question brings things together by exploring all of productivity, values, and memories.
Sample answer: My child's birth, which was a home birth.
Analysis
Step-by-step analysis of your answers will ensure you get the most out of this exercise. Versions of the questions given are quite common self-reflection questions, but people don't always derive cohesive, valuable takeaways when they do these types of exercises.
You can independently think about what your answers say about you. However, to add external perspective and structure, and do the heavy-lifting for you, I recommend you paste the questions and your answers into an AI tool. Here are some exact prompts you can use.
Step 1: "I'm going to paste in my answers to five self-reflection questions. Wait for further instruction once I've done that. Don't respond until I say I'm ready." [Paste the questions and your answers].
Step 2: "I'm ready. Tell me what you know about my values and priorities from my answers. Answer as five distinct, numbered bullet points."
Step 3: (optional) If the answer from the AI tool isn't on point, specify what it got wrong. Then, ask the tool "Please incorporate my clarification and adjust your answer." If nothing was inaccurate, skip to the next step.
Step 4: "What do my answers tell you about what rewards I value, what emotions and experiences I seek out, and what types of discomfort I don't excessively seek to avoid? Answer with no more than 120 words, using bullet points."
Step 5 (optional): Repeat step 3 if necessary.
Step 6: Summarize your analysis from our whole conversation in under 130 words. I want a succinct but powerful, positive reminder I can refer back to.
The Benefits
This simple but powerful exercise will help you reduce chaos in your life by sharpening how you understand yourself. If you want to feel grounded in and guided by your values and priorities, you'll need to be very clear on what they are. Deep thinking and pattern recognition, as described here, can help you do that. By investing a little time in thoughtful self-reflection and analysis, you can create a life that feels aligned, purposeful, and uniquely yours.
