Complete Planning Questions Database

Comprehensive collection of 1000 expert-crafted planning questions across 6 life categories.

All Planning Questions by Guide

• Think about the moment you realized your debt was a real problem. What triggered that realization? What did you feel? What did you tell yourself? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Think about the last 5 times you felt genuinely productive (not just busy). Write down what you were doing, where you were, what time of day it was, and what made those moments feel different from your usual work. (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Write about the last time someone asked "What do you do?" and you realized your answer was mostly about your kids. What did that moment feel like? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Write about the last ordinary moment you shared with the person you lost. What were you doing? What did you talk about? What made that moment feel normal at the time? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• Think about the moment you first considered running a marathon. What triggered that thought? What did you imagine it would feel like to cross the finish line? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• Write about the last 3 books you actually finished. For each: When did you read it? Where were you? What made you keep reading instead of abandoning it halfway through? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Think about the last 5 times you imagined being retired. What were you doing in each vision? Who was with you? What specific activities or moments made you smile? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you bought something to make yourself feel better. What were you actually feeling? Did the purchase work? How long did the feeling last? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments from your childhood or past when you remember being outside with plants or nature. What were you doing? Who were you with? What do you remember feeling or noticing? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• Write about the moment you knew your marriage was ending. What specific event, conversation, or realization made it clear? How do you feel about that moment now compared to when it happened? (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Think about the last 3 times you heard or saw this language (or a language you admired). Where were you? What were you doing? What specific feeling or thought made you notice it? (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past year when you thought "I wish I had studied this" or "I need to go back to school." What triggered each thought? What were you doing at the time? What did that moment reveal about what's missing in your life right now? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Write about the last 3 times you had to speak in front of others (work presentation, toast, meeting, class, etc.). For each: What was the situation? What did you feel in your body right before you started? What's one moment from each that still sticks with you? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific nights in the past month when you slept really well. What was different about those days? What did you do (or not do) leading up to those nights? (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Write about the moment you first thought about selling this home. What triggered it? Was it one big thing or a gradual realization over time? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Write about 3 moments in the past year when you felt completely unprepared for something important. What happened? How did you handle it? What does this tell you about how you typically cope when life changes dramatically? (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Write about the moment you found out about the infidelity. What did you physically feel in your body? What was the first thought that went through your mind? What did you do in the first hour after you found out? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• Write about the specific moment or series of events that made you think "I need to talk to someone". What was happening in your life? What feeling became too big to carry alone? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Write about the moment you learned about this inheritance. What was your immediate emotional reaction—relief, guilt, sadness, anxiety, or something else entirely? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Write about the last time you felt genuinely okay - not happy, just okay. What were you doing that day? Who were you with? What was different about that day compared to today? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Write about 3 times in the past year when someone (friend, colleague, stranger) asked you for help or advice and you thought "I could charge for this." What were you helping with? What made you think it had value? (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Document your actual morning for the past 5 days: What time did you wake up? What was the first thing you did? When did you finally feel "awake"? Look for patterns, not ideals. (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Write about your 3 most memorable travel experiences - whether from childhood, adulthood, or recent years. For each, what specific moment still stands out? What made it feel different from regular life? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• Write about the last 5 meals you cooked at home. For each, note: Did you feel confident or stressed? What went well? What frustrated you? What patterns do you notice? (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Write about the exact moment you first thought 'maybe this marriage isn't working.' Where were you? What triggered it? How long ago was that moment compared to now? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Think about the moment you first seriously considered moving to this new city. What sparked it? What were you feeling about your current life at that time? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Write about the specific moment or incident when you realized the relationship had fundamentally changed. What was said or done? What did you feel in your body? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• Write about the last 3 times you tried to start exercising regularly. For each attempt, note: What type of exercise did you choose? How long did it last? What specific moment or reason made you stop? (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Write about the last time you sat completely still for 5+ minutes without your phone, TV, or any task. Where were you? What did you notice about how your mind behaved? (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Think about the last 3 times in your life when something unexpected happened that cost you money. What were they? How did you handle paying for them? What feelings came up when you realized you needed that money? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past year when you thought "I could do this better as my own business." What were you doing? What frustrated you about how it was being done? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Write about 3 times in your life when you felt compelled to share a story or idea. What happened? Who was your audience? What did it feel like when they understood? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Think about your first week working remotely. What surprised you most? What did you expect to love but didn't? What unexpected challenge showed up? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Write about 3-5 times in your life when you were fully absorbed in making something. What were you creating? What made those moments feel different from your typical day? (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past 6 months when you felt closest to your partner. What were you doing? What made those moments feel different from regular interactions? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Write about the last 3 workplace conflicts you've experienced in the past 2 years. For each one: What triggered it? How did it escalate? How did it resolve (or not)? What patterns do you notice across these situations? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past 6 months when you felt your boundaries were violated. What happened? How did you feel in your body? What did you tell yourself afterward? (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Think back to the last 6 months. Write about 3 specific moments when you suddenly realized your parent had changed - what were they doing (or struggling to do) that made you notice? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past year when you heard guitar music that gave you chills or made you stop what you were doing. What was playing? Where were you? What did you feel in your body? (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past year when you noticed your body felt different than before - not just "tired" or "hot," but what exactly changed in that moment? What were you doing? What did you notice first? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Write about three specific moments with this person in the past year that you keep returning to in your mind. What makes these memories surface now? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past year when you felt overwhelmed or confused. What was swirling in your head? If you had journaled that day, what would you have needed to get out on paper? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you had extra money (a bonus, tax refund, or unexpected windfall). What did you do with it? How did you feel about that decision 3 months later? (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you felt truly comfortable and confident in your body. When was it? What was different then - your habits, mindset, life circumstances, or relationships? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Write about the moment you first realized getting pregnant might not be straightforward. What were you doing? Who were you with? What thoughts went through your mind in the days that followed? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past 6 months when you felt genuinely happy with your partner. What were you doing? What made those moments feel different from your everyday interactions? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Write about the moment you realized your financial situation had become a crisis. What specific event or realization triggered this awareness? What were you doing when it hit you? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past year when you stopped to really LOOK at something - a scene, light, person, or detail that made you pause. What caught your attention each time? What did you want to remember about it? (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Write about the last 3 times in the past year when you felt most energized and "in flow" at work. What were you doing? Who were you working with? What made those moments feel different from your regular workday? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Think about the moment you realized your child was becoming a teenager. What specific change did you notice? What did you feel? How did you respond? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• Think about Monday mornings over the past year. What specific feeling comes up when your alarm goes off? When did you first notice this pattern? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Write about the moment you found out about the layoff. Where were you? Who told you? What was your first physical reaction - did your chest tighten, did you feel numb, did anger flash through you? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• Write about the last time you couldn't find something important in your home. What were you looking for? How long did you search? What did that moment feel like? (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past month when anxiety felt overwhelming. What were you doing? What physical sensations did you notice? What thoughts were running through your mind? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Think about the last 5 weddings you attended. For each one, write what moment made you think "I want this at mine" or "I never want to do this" - what do these reactions tell you about your values? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Write about the moment you realized this illness was going to be part of your life long-term. What changed in how you saw yourself that day? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past year when you felt energized at work. What were you doing? Who were you with? What made those moments different from your typical day? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• Write about the last 5 times you used. For each instance, note: What happened in the 2 hours before? What were you feeling? Who were you with or had you just been with? What pattern do you notice? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past 6 months when you felt genuinely confident - when you were completely sure of yourself. For each moment, note: what were you doing, who were you with, and what made that moment different from how you usually feel? (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you felt stressed about money. What specific purchase or bill triggered it? What did you tell yourself in that moment? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past year when someone came to you for advice or looked to you for direction. What was happening? What did they need from you? What felt natural vs. uncomfortable? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Write about a specific moment in the past 3 months when you felt excited about blending your families. What were you doing? What made that moment feel right? (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in your life when you heard live piano music or a piano recording that stopped you in your tracks. Where were you? What piece was it? What did you feel in that moment? (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Write about the last 3 times you felt truly present and engaged with the person in front of you. What was different about those moments compared to your typical interactions? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Write about the last 3 times you felt 'at home' in a physical space. What specific details made each place feel that way? What patterns do you notice across these memories? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past month when your ADHD made something harder than it should have been. What were you trying to do? What actually happened? What did you feel in that moment? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Write about the exact moment you first noticed something was wrong. What were you doing? What physical sensation or thought made you stop and think "this isn't normal"? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Write about the first time you seriously thought about moving to another country. What triggered that thought? What did you imagine your life would be like? (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Write about the last time you were excited to go to work. What specific project or interaction made that day different? When did you last feel that way? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Write about 3 times in the past month when someone asked "What do you do?" - how did you answer? How much of your identity is wrapped up in your job title? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Think back to 3 specific moments in the past year when you felt proud of something you cooked. What made those moments special? What were you doing differently than usual? (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Document 3 financial decisions from the past 2 years that felt uncomfortable or risky at the time. For each: What pressure were you under? Who influenced the decision? Looking back, what was the real driver? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you ate something really fresh - from a farmers market, a friend's garden, or homegrown. What made it different from store-bought? What did you notice about the taste, texture, or experience? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• Reflect on the past 3 years - list 3-5 moments when you felt most disconnected from where you currently live. What was happening? What were you missing or longing for? (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Reflect on a time when talking or writing helped you figure something out. What changed between feeling stuck and feeling clear? What did the process of externalizing your thoughts do for you? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Think about a time you had to deliver critical feedback to a peer. What did you do well? What would you do differently now? What does this reveal about your leadership instincts? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Write about your earliest memory of accumulating possessions. What did you collect or save? What did keeping those things mean to you then? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Think back to the past 6 months. List 3-5 specific moments when infertility hit you emotionally - a pregnancy announcement, a baby shower invitation, Mother's Day. For each, note: Where were you? What did you feel? How did you respond in the moment vs. what you felt inside? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Document 3-5 times during your marriage when you felt most like yourself. What were you doing? Who were you with? What made those moments feel authentic to you? (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• List the last 5 jobs or roles you seriously considered (even if you didn't apply). For each, note: What attracted you? What made you hesitate? What pattern do you see? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Reflect on someone you know personally who seems comfortable speaking in groups - not a celebrity, but someone you've actually observed. What do they do differently than you? Write down 3-5 specific behaviors you've noticed (how they pause, make eye contact, use their hands, etc.). (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Document 3-5 recurring patterns you've noticed in yourself over the past year. These could be thoughts ("I'm not good enough"), behaviors (avoiding conflict, overworking), or emotional reactions (anxiety before social events). When do these patterns show up most? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Reflect on the past 6 months before you discovered the infidelity. List 3-5 specific moments when something felt off but you couldn't name it. What did you notice? What did you tell yourself to explain it away? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you were in school (high school, college, training program - whenever it was). Write down: What did you love about being a student? What did you hate? What study habits did you have? How is the person you are now different from the student you were then? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Recall a conversation with your teen from the past month that went well. What were you talking about? What did you do differently? What made them open up? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• Think about your mornings for the past week. Walk through what actually happens from when you wake up to when you start your day. Where do you lose time? What derails you? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Think about the past 6 months. List 3-5 specific moments when you wanted to read but didn't. What were you doing instead? What stopped you from picking up a book in that moment? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you had a conflict in this relationship. How did the distance affect how you handled it? What would have been different if you were in the same place? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Document 3 times you've seen your partner interact with your children. What did you notice about their approach? What felt natural vs. what seemed forced? (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Reflect on a typical Monday morning over the past 3 months. Write down the specific thoughts or feelings you have about starting your work week. When did this pattern start? What does it tell you about your current work situation? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Document the last time you dreaded going to work. What specific task, person, or situation triggered it? When did this pattern start? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• Write about a time you tried to learn something difficult and stuck with it long enough to see real progress. What kept you going during the frustrating middle part? What was different about that experience? (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Document the last 5 times someone asked you for help or advice in your area of expertise. What specifically did they need? What does this pattern reveal about what people struggle with? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Recall 3 specific days in the past month when remote work felt great. What made those days different? What time did you start? What did you accomplish? How did you feel at the end? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Think about the women in your family (mother, aunts, grandmothers) and their experiences with aging. What messages - spoken or unspoken - did you absorb about what happens to women's bodies over time? How do those messages show up in how you're approaching this transition? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Document three times in the past year when you thought about this family member unexpectedly. What triggered each memory? What emotion came with it? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you saw a parent struggling with their child in public (grocery store, restaurant, airport). What did you feel? What judgment or story did you tell yourself? What does your reaction reveal about your own fears or expectations about parenthood? (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Write about your earliest memory of financial stress in your life - either yours or someone close to you. What happened? How did people react? How do you think this shapes how you think about emergency funds today? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Describe 3 moments in the past month when you felt genuinely calm or present. What were you doing? What made those moments different from your usual mental state? (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Document the last time you had a creative idea that excited you. What happened to it? Trace the path from initial excitement to where it is now. (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Write about your parents' or grandparents' retirement experience. What did they get right? What would you do differently? What specific moments from their retirement stuck with you? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Document 3 specific moments in the past 6 months when you had unexpected free time. What did you do? What did that reveal about who you are now? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Think about the past month. List 3-5 moments when you felt physically energized or strong - even small moments like carrying groceries, playing with kids, or walking up stairs without getting winded. What were you doing? How did it feel different from your usual baseline? (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Write about your earliest money memory from childhood. What were you told about money? What did you observe about how adults handled it? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Document 3 spaces in your home where clutter accumulates fastest. For each space, note: When did it last feel organized? What happened between then and now? (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Recall 3 times in your life when you felt truly at home somewhere. What made those places feel like home? What specific elements created that feeling? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you had a conflict that left you feeling disconnected for more than a day. What was the pattern - what triggered it, how did it escalate, how did it resolve (or not)? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Describe 3 moments in your relationship where you felt most "us" - not performing for others, just authentically together. What made those moments different from everyday life? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you tried to learn something completely new (not guitar - anything). What kept you going? What made you want to quit? When did you feel most frustrated, and what did you do about it? (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Write about your earliest memory of thinking about your weight or body. What triggered it? Who was involved? How did that moment shape how you see yourself now? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Think back to your childhood and teenage years. List any experiences you had with music - lessons you took, instruments you tried, performances you gave, or times you sang. For each, note: How long did it last? Why did you stop (if you did)? What do you remember feeling about it? (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Document the last 5 major purchases over $1,000 you made. For each: How long did you research? Did you feel rushed or at peace with the decision? Do you still feel good about it? What does this pattern tell you about your decision-making style? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• Document 5 specific conflicts or moments of disconnection from the past year. For each: What happened? What did you need that you didn't get? What pattern do you see across all 5? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Reflect on the photos currently on your phone or camera roll. Scroll through the last 50 photos - what patterns do you notice in what you capture? What do you photograph multiple times? What do these patterns reveal about what you're drawn to? (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Write about your earliest memories of debt - either your own or watching family members deal with it. What messages did you absorb? What patterns do you recognize now? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with your parent before caregiving began. What are 3 activities or conversations you used to share that have shifted or disappeared? When did you first notice each one changing? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Reflect on a recent evening when you got to the end of the day and couldn't remember what you did online. What feeling did that leave you with? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Write about 3 mornings in the past month when you felt energized and ready by 9am. What happened differently those mornings? What time did you actually go to bed the night before? (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you felt truly relaxed and disconnected from daily stress. Where were you? Who were you with? What were you doing? How long did it take to reach that feeling? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• Reflect on the past 2 weeks. Document what time you actually went to bed each night and what you were doing in the hour before. What patterns do you notice about when you stay up later than you planned? (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Document every time you've started writing something longer than a few pages (journal, blog, essays, previous book attempts). For each: How far did you get? When did you stop? What does this pattern tell you? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Think back to when this first became a problem versus just occasional use. What specific moment or period marked that shift? What was happening in your life then? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you've handled significant loss or transitions before. What helped you move through those times? What made things harder? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Reflect on your typical week over the past 3 months. List all the moments when you had free time but didn't know what to do with it - Sunday afternoons, evenings after dinner, Saturday mornings. What were you actually doing during those times? What pattern do you notice? (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Describe a time before this relationship when you felt genuinely respected by a partner or close friend. What did that person do differently? How did you feel around them compared to now? (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Document 3 situations in the past month where you held back, stayed quiet, or didn't speak up when you wanted to. For each, write: what did you want to say or do, what stopped you, and what story were you telling yourself about what would happen if you did? (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• List every room in your home and note which one makes you think 'I'll miss this' vs 'I'm ready to let this go.' What patterns do you see in your emotional attachments? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Document 3 specific moments in the past month when the heaviness felt slightly lighter, even for an hour. What were you doing right before? What happened during? What changed after? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Document 5 specific times in the past 3 months when you felt completely drained. For each: What day/time was it? What had you just finished? How long did it take to recover? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Document the earliest memory you have of feeling anxious. How old were you? What was happening? How did the adults around you respond? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Document 3 specific moments in the past month when your productivity system (or lack of one) completely failed you. What was the situation? What broke down? What did you do instead? (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Reflect on the past week. List 3-5 specific moments when grief hit you unexpectedly (a song, a smell, a place, a time of day). What triggered each wave? How long did it last? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• Document what you've lost beyond the paycheck. List specific things: the coffee routine with a colleague, the pride of introducing yourself with that company name, the rhythm of your morning commute. Which loss surprises you most? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• Write about your current relationship with running. How often do you run now? When you finish a run, what do you typically feel - energized, exhausted, proud, relieved? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• Write about a time in the past 2 years when money felt tight or stressful. What was happening? How long did that feeling last? What did you learn about yourself? (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Think back to the past 6 months. Describe 3 specific days when you felt most like yourself despite the illness. What made those days different? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with the person who left you this inheritance. What would they want you to do with it? What would disappoint them? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Describe the physical sensations you feel when this conflict comes up. Where in your body do you feel it? When does it hit hardest - before work, during specific meetings, after certain interactions? How has this changed over time? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• Recall 3 times in the past year when someone visited and you felt either proud or embarrassed about your home. What did you notice? What did you apologize for or explain away? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Reflect on an item you've moved from surface to surface (counter to table to chair) without putting away. How long has this been happening? What makes it hard to find a home for this item? (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Think about conflicts from your childhood or family. How did the adults around you handle disagreements? What did you learn about conflict - spoken and unspoken? How do you see those patterns showing up in your current workplace situation? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• Think about your reaction when you first found out compared to how you feel right now. Write about what's changed in how you're processing this. What feels different? What still hits you the same way? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• Think back to the last time you felt genuinely happy and connected in your marriage. Describe that day in detail. When was it? What made it different? Why can't you recreate those moments now? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last 5 times you said "I wish I could..." about work. Write down each statement and when you said it. What pattern emerges? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• Recall 3 specific moments when you checked your bank account or credit card balance. What prompted you to check? What emotion came up? What does this pattern tell you about your relationship with money? (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Think about Sunday nights over the past 6 months. What specific feeling comes up about Monday morning? Now imagine Sunday night as a student again - what comes up? Write about the difference between these two feelings and what that tells you about your readiness for this change. (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Think about the past year: When did you feel most constrained by your current living situation? Write about 3 specific moments when you thought 'I wish I had...' about your space. (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• Document the last 5 times you apologized in this relationship. For each: What were you apologizing for? Did you actually do something wrong? How did you feel before vs after apologizing? (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Document 3 weeks in the past year when you had extended time off. How did you spend your days? What patterns emerged by day 3? By day 7? What does this reveal about your retirement readiness? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Recall 3 times in your life when you committed to a physically challenging goal. What did you do? How long did you stick with it? What made you stop or succeed? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• List 3 specific moments from the past year when knowing this language would have changed something for you. What exactly would have been different? How did it feel to not be able to communicate? (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Think back to a time (6+ months ago) when you felt energized by your work. Describe a specific day. What did you do? How did you feel at the end of it? What's different now? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Write about a time when family expectations conflicted with what you actually wanted (in any area of life). How did you handle it? What does this tell you about how you might navigate wedding planning? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Document the plants currently in your life (houseplants, trees you pass, parks you visit). For each, note: how did it get there? Do you notice it daily or forget it exists? What does this pattern tell you about your relationship with plants? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• Document the last 5 times you stayed late or worked weekends in your current role. For each: Was it because of your workload or helping others? What pattern emerges about how you spend your energy? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Document what time of day feels hardest right now, and what you find yourself doing in those moments. What does this pattern tell you about what you need? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Document the times in the past month when you felt the urge but didn't act on it. What was different about those moments? What helped you resist? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Reflect on a typical Tuesday evening before kids left. Now describe a Tuesday evening today. What disappeared? What do you miss? What don't you miss? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Think about your own childhood. Write about 3 specific things your parent(s) did that you want to repeat with your child, and 3 specific things you want to do differently. For each, note a concrete memory that explains why. (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Recall 3 times in the past year when you felt overwhelmed by your stuff. What specifically triggered that feeling? What did you do about it? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Reflect on your earliest memory of feeling unsafe or uncomfortable with this family member. How old were you? What pattern started then that continues now? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• Write about a time in the past year when you and your teen clashed. What triggered it? What did you each say? What do you wish you'd done differently? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• List 5 things you know you "should" do regularly but don't. For each one, write down the specific moment where it breaks down - not why you think it breaks down, but the actual moment of resistance. (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Document your history with change and transitions. Write about the last 2-3 major life changes (job, city, relationship). How did you handle the uncertainty? What pattern do you notice in how you adapt? (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last 6 months of your marriage. What patterns do you notice in how you and your ex-spouse communicated (or didn't)? Which of these patterns do you recognize from previous relationships? (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Document your energy patterns over a typical week. When do you feel most capable? When does your body demand rest? What patterns emerge? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• Think about the worst job you've had. What specifically made it bad - the work itself, the people, the environment, the expectations? Which of those factors would be dealbreakers now? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Document your energy patterns over the past 3 months. When do you feel most like yourself? When does your energy crash? What patterns emerge - time of day, time of month, after certain activities or foods? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Write about your energy patterns over the past week. For each day, note: when did you feel most alert? When did you hit a wall? What were you doing during your peak vs low energy times? (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Reflect on a time when you successfully navigated through intense anxiety. What did you do? What made that situation different from times when you felt stuck? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Write about a time when working from home made you feel isolated or disconnected. What triggered it? What did you do? What would have helped in that moment? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Document your typical emotional pattern during a week apart. When do you miss them most? When do you feel most independent? What triggers anxiety or doubt? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Document 3-5 moments in the past month when you reached for your phone automatically. What were you avoiding or escaping from in each moment? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Reflect on your earliest money memory from childhood. What did your family teach you about money - through words or actions? How does that show up in your current situation? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• Document your travel style patterns. Think about the last 5 trips you took (weekend getaways, vacations, work trips). For each, did you over-plan or wing it? Did you stick to tourist spots or explore off the beaten path? What pattern do you notice? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• Reflect on the past 6 months. Write about 3-5 times when you listened to music intentionally (not just background). What were you doing? What kind of music? What made you choose to listen in those moments? (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last 3-6 months at that job. What warning signs did you see or ignore? What signs did you NOT see? What does this tell you about what to watch for next time? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• Think about your childhood and teenage years. Write about how you slept back then compared to now. When did your sleep start feeling like a problem? What changed in your life around that time? (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Reflect on your past experiences with asking for help - from friends, family, doctors, or other professionals. What made it hard? What made it easier? What does this tell you about what you need from a therapist? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Think about how you were parented as a child. List 3 specific things your parents did that you want to repeat, and 3 you want to avoid. Why? (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Recall 3 times in the past year when you ate for emotional reasons (stress, boredom, celebration, sadness). What were you actually feeling? What did eating give you in those moments? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you tried to journal or keep any kind of regular writing practice. What did the first week feel like versus the last week? What specific thing made you stop? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• List 5 times in the past year when you said "I should be saving more" or felt guilty about not having savings. What triggered each thought? What did you do (or not do) after each moment? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Reflect on your childhood or teenage reading habits. Write about a time when you were completely absorbed in a book - lost track of time, stayed up late, couldn't put it down. What was different then compared to now? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with the phrase "I'm creative." Does it feel true, aspirational, or uncomfortable? When did you first form this belief about yourself? (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Think about the moment your alarm goes off. What thoughts run through your head? What emotions come up? Write the actual internal monologue, not what you wish you thought. (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Document three specific memories about money or financial values from the person who left you this inheritance. What did their actions teach you? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Document the last 5 times your parent needed help with something they used to do independently. For each instance: What was it? How did they react when you helped? How did you feel? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Think about a place you visit regularly (your commute, neighborhood walk, local park). Describe 3 things about that place you've never actually looked at closely. What details have you been walking past without really seeing? (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Recall 3 times in the past year when you felt great about a money decision. What made those moments different from your usual spending? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with your body right now. What thoughts come up when you see yourself in the mirror? How has this changed from before you started trying to conceive? What do you find yourself saying to your body - out loud or in your head? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Think back to the first year of your relationship. Write down 5 things you used to do together that made you feel close. Which of these still happen? When did they stop? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Think about how you've been describing this loss to others. Write down the exact words or phrases you find yourself repeating. What are you NOT saying out loud that you're thinking? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• Reflect on your typical week. Write down what time you wake up, when you feel most alert, and when you feel most drained. Also note: when do you currently waste time (scrolling, TV, etc.)? What pattern do you see about when you have actual free time versus when you think you do? (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Think about your relationship with music throughout your life. When have you felt most connected to music? When have you felt disconnected? What patterns do you notice? (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Document 3 times recently when you avoided cooking or ordered takeout instead. What was going through your mind? What specific barrier stopped you from cooking? (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Recall the last time you had 2 weeks off work. What did you do? How did you feel by day 10? What does this tell you about extended free time? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Recall 3 specific purchases or decisions that led to your current debt. For each: What were you feeling at the time? What were you hoping would happen? What actually happened? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Document 3-5 skills or activities where people have specifically told you "you're really good at this" or "you should do this professionally." For each, write: who said it, what prompted them to say it, and whether you believed them. (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last book you read that made you think "I wish I had written this." What specifically did you envy? The ideas? The voice? The impact it had? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Think about your typical day from morning to night. When does your mind feel most cluttered or racing? When does it feel most settled? What patterns do you notice? (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Think about the last time someone gave you a genuine compliment about your abilities or character. Write down exactly what they said, how you responded, and what you immediately thought to yourself after (did you believe it, dismiss it, deflect it?). (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• Document 3-5 moments in your career when you had complete control over HOW you did your work (not just what you did). What did you choose to do differently? How did that autonomy feel? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Write about your earliest memory of moving or being in a completely new place. What did that experience teach you about yourself? What patterns from that experience still show up today? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Think about the past 2 weeks. List the times when getting out of bed felt impossible vs times when it felt slightly easier. What pattern do you notice about days or situations? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Reflect on a time in the past 3 years when you were so absorbed in a project that hours felt like minutes. What were you building or solving? What made it different from "regular work"? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you had something important to say in a group setting but didn't speak up. What was the moment you decided to stay quiet? What story did you tell yourself about why you shouldn't talk? What do you wish you had said? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Think about the last home you sold or left. What do you wish you'd done differently? What unexpected emotion surprised you during that transition? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• List the last 5 times in the past year you avoided looking at your bank balance or credit card statement. What were you afraid you'd find? What does this pattern tell you? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• List 5 physical sensations that signal anxiety is starting for you. Which one appears first? Which one is the most uncomfortable? When did you first become aware of each? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Document every weight loss attempt you've made in your life. For each: What method? How long did it last? What made you stop? What pattern do you notice across all attempts? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Document the times in the past month when the betrayal hits you hardest. What triggers it? (Certain times of day? Places? Activities?) What pattern do you notice about when you spiral vs when you feel more stable? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• List 5 activities where you regularly lose track of time (creative or not). What patterns do you notice? What state of mind connects these experiences? (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Document the stories behind how you and your partner handle big decisions together. Think of 2-3 major choices you've made - who tends to care more about which aspects? What patterns emerge? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Recall a time in the past year when you were completely in flow - hours passed without effort. What were you doing? What made that different from tasks you usually avoid? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Document every time you've tried meditation, mindfulness, or similar practices before. For each: How long did you stick with it? What made you stop? What did you actually experience? (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• List every productivity method, app, or system you've tried in the past 3 years. For each one, write: how long did you use it, why did you stop, and what (if anything) actually worked about it? (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Reflect on your childhood and teenage years. Write about 2-3 specific experiences that you think shaped how confident (or not confident) you are today. What messages did you receive about your capabilities? Who delivered those messages? (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• List every symptom you're experiencing right now - physical, emotional, cognitive. For each, note when it started and how often it happens. What patterns emerge? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Think about your Sunday nights over the past 3 months. What specific feeling comes up about Monday? Rate each Sunday 1-10 for dread vs excitement. (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• List the last 10 purchases over $100. For each: Was it an experience or a thing? Shared or solo? Planned or spontaneous? What does this pattern reveal about how you might spend in retirement? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with your parents' marriage. What did you learn about marriage from watching them? How has that shaped what you expect, tolerate, or fear in your own? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Think about your morning routine. What do you search for, trip over, or work around every single morning? Write down each physical obstacle and when it first appeared. (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Reflect on times you've tried to pay down debt before. What strategies did you try? How long did they last? What made you stop or give up? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Reflect on your past relationships. What emotional needs were met through physical presence? Which of those needs feel unmet now, and which have you found other ways to satisfy? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Document the last 5 times you woke up feeling genuinely rested. What time did you wake up? How many hours had you slept? What made those mornings feel different from your usual wake-ups? (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Reflect on a previous difficult period in your life (not depression, just hard times). Write about 2-3 things you did then that helped you get through it. Are any of those things available to you now? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Think about your relationship with your home country. List 5 things you would genuinely miss if you left, and 5 things you wouldn't miss at all. Which list was easier to write? (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you had 2+ hours with no phone or computer. When was it? What did you do? How did it feel different from your normal state? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Document times when you've tried to budget or "be better with money" before. What did you try? How long did it last? What made you stop? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Reflect on your parents' or mentors' retirement experiences. What did you observe? What do you want to do differently? What worried you about what you saw? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you needed extra money (unexpected expense, wanted something specific, felt financially stressed). Write down what happened, how much you needed, how you handled it, and how you felt about your options at the time. (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Document 3 qualities or traits of the person you lost that you're afraid people will forget. What specific stories or examples show those qualities? Who else remembers these things? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• Document your current relationship with the idea of "safety" and money. When you think about having 6 months of expenses saved, what emotion comes first? Excitement? Anxiety? Doubt? Why do you think that is? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Write about a time when travel didn't go as planned - a missed flight, bad weather, cultural misunderstanding, or disappointing experience. How did you respond in the moment? What does that tell you about how you handle uncertainty? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• List the last five interactions you had with this family member before the estrangement or distance increased. For each, note: Who initiated? What went wrong? How did you feel afterward? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• List every morning routine you've tried to start in the past 3 years. For each: How long did it last? What specific thing made you stop? What were you trying to fix? (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Reflect on a time in your life when your body changed significantly (puberty, pregnancy, illness, injury). How did you navigate it? What helped you adjust? What strategies from that time might be useful now? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Think about the past year. Write about 2-3 times when you felt most calm, grounded, or present. Where were you? Was nature or outdoor space part of that moment? What does this tell you about what you're looking for in a garden? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• Document the last 5 times you chose not to exercise when you had planned to. For each time, write: What was your internal excuse? What did you do instead? Looking back, was the excuse legitimate or avoidance? What does this pattern tell you? (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Reflect on your childhood home(s). What did you love? What did you hate? Which of those feelings still show up when you think about where you want to live now? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• Reflect on a recent conflict between children in your household. What was really happening beneath the surface? What needs weren't being met? (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Document the last 5 conversations you've had about becoming a parent. Who initiated each conversation? What specific questions or comments did people make? Which conversations left you feeling confident vs. anxious? What pattern do you notice? (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Reflect on your own teenage years. What did you need most from your parents? What did they do that helped? What hurt? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• Document your natural energy patterns working from home. When do you feel most focused? When does your energy crash? What's different from when you worked in an office? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Think about your identity statement. How have you been introducing yourself at parties or family gatherings? Write down what you've been saying, then write what you'll say now. What feels different or scary about that shift? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• Reflect on your current city: What will you miss most when you think about your daily life? Not the big things, but the small moments - where you get coffee, your walking route, the sounds outside your window. (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• List 5 things you compromised on in your marriage that you wouldn't compromise on again. For each, write why it mattered more than you realized at the time. (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Document 3 times in the past month when you wanted to share something with your partner but didn't. What stopped you? What does this pattern tell you? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Reflect on moments in the past 6 months when you felt genuinely proud of your work. What were you doing? Who noticed? What does this tell you about what you need in your next role? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Document a time in the past year when you watched someone perform music (live, on video, street performer - anything). What did you notice about them beyond the sound? Their hands? Their expression? Their focus? What struck you most? (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Think about a time when someone truly listened to you without judgment. Who was it? What did they do (or not do) that made you feel safe? What would it take for you to feel that way with a therapist? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Think about the deceased's relationship with ritual, ceremony, and tradition. When did they participate enthusiastically? When did they resist or opt out? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Document 3 times in the past 2 years when you taught yourself something new (a skill, software, hobby, anything). For each: How did you learn it? What kept you motivated? When did you want to quit? What does this pattern tell you about how you learn best as an adult? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Write about how your family is handling this inheritance. Are there tensions, expectations, or unspoken assumptions about fairness? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Document the last 5 books you started but never finished. For each: How far did you get? What made you stop? Looking at the pattern, what does this tell you about what you actually want to read vs what you think you should read? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Write about a time when you lost track of time while writing or creating something. What were you working on? What made those hours disappear? When did you last feel that? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Reflect on what you're actually seeking when you use. Not the substance itself, but the feeling or state you're trying to reach or escape. When else in your life have you felt that need? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Document the last time you saw a photo (on social media, in a magazine, someone's work) that made you stop and think "I wish I could create something like that." What specifically drew you to it? What feeling did it evoke? (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• List 5 things you used to love doing before you had kids. For each one, note: Do you still love it? Have you tried it recently? Why or why not? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Reflect on your past attempts to learn languages or similar skills. What pattern do you notice in what made you stop? Was it the method, the timing, the motivation, or something else? (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Document any past running injuries or physical issues that affected your training. What happened? How did your body respond? What patterns do you notice? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• Write about a time in your childhood when your parent took care of you during illness or difficulty. What do you remember about how they handled it? How does that memory affect how you approach caring for them now? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you worked with a difficult colleague, manager, or client. Write down what made it difficult. Now reflect: would this situation exist if you could choose who you work with? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Document the moment you realized this was a serious conflict, not just a bad day. What specific incident made you think "this is a problem"? What had you been telling yourself before that moment? What changed? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• List 3 leaders you've worked with who you respected. For each, write one specific behavior or decision that earned your respect. What do these examples tell you about the leader you want to be? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Document 3 moments from your past (childhood, school, early career) when speaking in front of others didn't go well. For each: What happened? Who was there? What conclusion did you draw about yourself as a speaker? Do you still believe that conclusion? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Think about someone in your life who manages money in a way you admire. What specifically do they do? When did you first notice this? What makes their approach different from yours? (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Document the exact moment you decided you wanted to learn guitar. What triggered it? What were you doing right before? What story did you tell yourself about what learning guitar would mean? (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Document the times of day when your mind feels most "noisy" or when thoughts loop. What patterns do you notice? Morning anxiety? Evening rumination? Specific situations that trigger mental clutter? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Think about conversations with this person over the past month. Write about 3 instances when you felt confused, blamed, or questioned your own memory of events. What was said? (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Think about the most peaceful, clutter-free space you've ever been in. Where was it? What made it feel different? How did you feel in that environment? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Reflect on your earliest cooking memories - whether cooking yourself or watching someone cook. What feelings come up? How do those early experiences show up in your cooking today? (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Document the story you had in your head about how parenthood would happen. What age did you imagine? What circumstances? How does the current reality differ from that story? What does this gap feel like? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you used to define "a good day" before your diagnosis versus now. What shifted in your measures of success? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• List every side project, hobby, or "just for fun" thing you've worked on in the past 2 years. Which one did you keep coming back to even when you were busy? Why? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Think about someone you know who maintains a healthy weight effortlessly. What specifically do they do differently? What beliefs do they seem to have about food and exercise that you don't? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Write about someone you admire who has a healthy relationship with technology. What specifically do they do differently than you? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• List 5 projects or tasks from your career where you lost track of time. For each: What year? What were you creating? Why did time disappear? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• Reflect on your financial relationship so far: When have you two disagreed about money? When have you been aligned? What makes spending feel "worth it" vs wasteful to each of you? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Write about the last conversation you had with your partner that wasn't about logistics, kids, or household management. When was it? What made it different? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• List every family member or close friend who's commented on your parent's changes in the past year. What specifically did each person notice? What patterns emerge across their observations? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Reflect on someone you know who lives simply. What specifically do they do differently? What have you noticed about how they make decisions about possessions? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you experienced a significant loss (person, pet, relationship, opportunity). How did you cope then? What helped? What made it harder? How is this loss similar or different? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• List the main areas of your life that feel hardest right now (relationships, work, family, self-image, past trauma, daily functioning). For each, write 1-2 sentences about what specifically is painful or stuck. (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Reflect on a typical night when you can't fall asleep. Walk through what's actually happening in your mind and body. What are you thinking about? Where do you feel tension? How long does this usually last? (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• List 5 different social or professional contexts (team meetings, family gatherings, one-on-one conversations, presentations, social events, etc.). For each, rate your typical confidence level 1-10 and write one sentence about why it's that number in that specific context. (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with boredom. When you're waiting in line, stuck in traffic, or have nothing to do - what happens? Do you immediately reach for distraction? How does that feel? (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Write about someone you know personally who plays an instrument (any instrument). What do you admire about their relationship with music? What do you want to avoid from what you've observed? (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Think about your anxiety over the past year. Has it been getting better, worse, or staying the same? What life changes coincided with any shifts in intensity? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• List the last 5 times you spent money on a service someone else provided (haircut, home repair, consulting, coaching, creative work, etc.). For each, write: did you think "I could do this myself"? What made you pay instead? (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Reflect on your current eating habits. List 5 vegetables or herbs you use most often. For each: do you actually like it, or just tolerate it? Have you ever seen it growing? What would change if you grew it yourself? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• List every attempt you've made to fix or improve the relationship in the past 2 years. For each: What did you try? How did your partner respond? What does this pattern tell you? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Write about a time in the past year when you felt genuinely happy or content, completely separate from dating or relationships. What were you doing? What does this tell you about what you need in your life? (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Think about how you feel when you see the balance on your highest debt. Describe the physical sensation. When did you start feeling this way? What does it remind you of? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Think about the longest run you've ever done. What mile did it get hardest? What were you telling yourself? What got you through it? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• Write about how you currently process difficult emotions or decisions. Do you talk to someone? Pace around? Scroll on your phone? What is your default coping mechanism when you need to think through something? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Think about the past year before this inheritance. What were your three biggest financial stressors? How does this inheritance change those specific situations? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Think about someone you know who seems to handle money well. What specifically do they do differently? What have you noticed about their habits? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Reflect on the times in your life when you felt most purposeful. What were you doing? What needs were you meeting? How much of that purpose is tied to your current job title? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Think about someone you know personally who exercises regularly (not a celebrity or influencer). Write down: What type of exercise do they do? When do they do it? What have they said about how they stay consistent? What about their approach feels realistic or unrealistic for you? (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Think about a typical Saturday when you have no obligations. How do you structure your day? Do you feel energized or aimless? What does this reveal? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you and your partner handle stress. When one of you is overwhelmed, what typically happens to the other person? Write about a recent example. (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Document your most recent impulse purchase over $100. What were you feeling right before you bought it? Do you still value it? What would you do differently now? (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Think about your current daily routine. Write down the times when you naturally have energy and focus (not when you should, but when you actually do). What time of day? What day of the week? After what activities? Be specific about patterns you've noticed. (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Write about your biggest fear regarding blending families. When do you imagine this fear showing up? What would trigger it? (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with planning vs spontaneity in daily life. When do you thrive on structure? When do you crave freedom? How does this show up in how you've traveled before? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• Write about a typical weekday and a typical weekend day right now - hour by hour. What activities would be impossible with a baby? What would be harder? What might actually be easier or more meaningful? Which losses feel hardest to imagine? (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Write about a creative project you abandoned. What specific moment made you stop? What were you thinking and feeling right before you quit? (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Write about a time in the past month when you felt jealous, insecure, or worried about the relationship. What specific trigger caused it? How did you handle it? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• List 5 things you've purchased duplicates of because you couldn't find the original. For each, note: Where did you eventually find it? What does this pattern tell you about your storage? (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Write about a time in the past year when someone truly understood what you were going through. What did they say or do that made you feel seen? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• Write about your current evening routine from dinner to bed. Be specific about what you actually do (not what you wish you did). Where in this routine could reading fit naturally without feeling forced? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Document your energy levels by hour: Rate 1-10 how energized you feel at 6am, 7am, 8am, 9am, 10am for a typical week. When do you naturally wake up? When do you actually feel capable? (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Reflect on a project where you were responsible for outcomes but not in charge. How did you influence without authority? What worked? What frustrated you? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Document the last 3 times you said "no" to your teen. What were they asking for? What was your reason? How did they react? What does this pattern reveal? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• Write about a time when you tried to explain your feelings or needs to this family member. What did you say? How did they respond? What did that response teach you? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• List 5 times in your career when something felt uncertain or scary, and how it turned out. What pattern do you notice about your resilience? What did you learn about yourself that you're forgetting right now? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you currently end your workday. What's your transition ritual (or lack of one)? When did this pattern start? How do you feel about it? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Document times when you've felt like an outsider or newcomer before. How did you handle it? What strategies worked? What made you feel like you belonged eventually? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Reflect on the times when you DO feel comfortable speaking - maybe with close friends, family, or small groups. What's different about those situations? What are you doing in those moments that you're NOT doing when you're anxious? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Reflect on your "conflict style" in past situations. Do you tend to avoid, accommodate, compete, or collaborate? When do you switch between styles? What situations trigger your default pattern? Which style feels most authentic to who you are? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with money over the past 5 years. When have you felt most financially secure? Most anxious? What would need to be true for you to feel okay with irregular income? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Write about a time in the past 2 years when an unexpected expense (medical, car, etc.) hit you. How did you handle it emotionally and financially? What does this tell you about your readiness for home ownership surprises? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• Write down what the deceased would say about their own funeral if they could plan it with complete honesty. What would they insist on? What would they reject? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Write down the last 5 times someone asked "How are you?" What did you say to each person? Who (if anyone) did you tell the truth to? What made that person different? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you felt "in flow" - completely absorbed in what you were doing, losing track of time. What were you working on? What conditions made that possible? How long has it been since you felt that way? (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Think about the conversations you had (or avoided) with your partner, family, or close friends about money in the 6 months before the crisis. What didn't you say? Why? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• List 5 dishes you wish you could make confidently. For each, note: Why this dish? Who would you cook it for? What's stopping you from trying it now? (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• List the last 5 times you've talked about money or negotiated price in any context (work salary, freelance rate, splitting bills, buying something). Which felt comfortable? Which felt awkward? What pattern do you notice about your relationship with pricing your own value? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Write about your earliest memory of wanting to capture a moment. What were you trying to preserve? Did you have a camera? What happened to that moment - did you capture it or lose it? (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Think about how you naturally learn new things. Do you prefer structured lessons or figuring it out? Learning alone or with others? By listening, reading, or doing? Write about 2 examples that show your natural style. (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• List everyone in your life who has an opinion about you going back to school (partner, parents, kids, friends, boss). For each person, write: What do you think they'll say? What do you wish they'd say? Whose opinion matters most to you, and why? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Reflect on your Sunday nights over the past month. What specific thoughts or physical sensations come up? When did this pattern start - was there a triggering event? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Reflect on what you used to enjoy doing before this relationship intensified. What activities have you stopped? What friendships have faded? When did you notice these changes? (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Think about your identity before infertility. Write down 5-7 words you would have used to describe yourself. Now write 5-7 words you'd use today. What shifted? What stayed the same? Which parts of yourself do you miss most? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Document 3 times in your career when you were learning fast and felt challenged in a good way. What conditions made that possible? What was different about those environments? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Write about 3 specific moments in the past year when you realized this was bigger than you could handle alone. What happened? What did you feel? What stopped you from getting help then? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Write down 5 things you used to be able to count on about your body or mind (sleep patterns, memory, temperature regulation, mood stability, physical strength). Which ones have shifted? How is that affecting your daily life? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Write about a relationship where your ADHD has caused friction. What specific behaviors come up repeatedly? What does the other person say? What do you wish they understood? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Document every story you tell about 'why we're selling' to different people (family, friends, colleagues). Which version feels most true? Which feels like you're convincing yourself? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Reflect on past relationships or betrayals in your life (family, friends, previous partners). Write about a time before this when someone broke your trust. How did you respond then? What does that tell you about how you handle betrayal? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• List 5 stories or moments from your life that you've told multiple times. For each: Why do you keep returning to it? What's the deeper meaning you're trying to convey? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Reflect on any time you've spent living abroad or far from home (even short trips). Write about a specific moment when you felt "this could be home" and another moment when you felt "I don't belong here." (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Reflect on someone you know who has financial security. What do you notice about how they talk about money? How they make spending decisions? What's different from your current approach? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Write about what you believe causes your anxiety. What story do you tell yourself about why you feel this way? Where did this explanation come from? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Write about a time you let go of something meaningful (moved, donated, sold). How did you feel before? During? Six months later? What surprised you about that experience? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Reflect on your family's history with funerals and memorial services. What traditions felt meaningful? What felt performative or empty? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Write about a time you felt proud of your work in the past 2 years. What specifically made you proud? Who did you tell first? Why that person? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• Think about your workspace right now. Describe what you see around you. What's supposed to be put away but isn't? What does this physical chaos tell you about your mental state? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Write about any mental health experiences from your past - previous therapy, medication, family history, significant struggles or crises. What worked? What didn't? What do you wish had been different? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Think about your typical week. Write down every moment when you think "I should check on mom/dad" - what time of day, what triggers the thought, what you're usually doing when it hits? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you had $500+ in your checking account that wasn't earmarked for anything. What happened to it? Did you spend it? Save it? How did it feel having that cushion? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Recall the last time you tried something new and it went badly or you failed publicly. Write about how you talked to yourself afterward - the exact words or thoughts that went through your mind. Now write how you'd talk to a close friend if they experienced the same thing. (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• Reflect on your past 6 months of work. Write about 2-3 projects where YOU made the key decisions vs. projects where you executed someone else's decisions. Which type of work energized you more? What does that tell you? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with the scale. Do you avoid it? Weigh daily? Feel controlled by the number? When did this relationship start and what does it tell you about your mindset? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Document what you miss most about being married (not your ex-spouse specifically, but the state of being married). What does this reveal about what you're actually looking for? (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Write about 3 times in the past year when you said "yes" to work but everything in you wanted to say "no". What stopped you from declining? What happened afterward? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with being "the student" versus "the expert." Write about a recent situation where you were the least knowledgeable person in the room. How did that feel? When was the last time you admitted you didn't know something? What does this reveal about your comfort with being a beginner again? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Write about a time when you wanted to quit something physical but pushed through anyway. What was happening in your body? What changed in your mind? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• List 5 recurring thoughts or worries that took up mental space in the past month. For each, note: Is this something I can control? Have I been avoiding dealing with it? What would help me move forward? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Think about your current weekly routine. Which parts drain you? Which energize you? If you removed work tomorrow, what would you miss? What would be relief? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Think about your communication over the past two weeks. What percentage was logistical planning versus deep emotional connection? What does this ratio tell you? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Write about the hardest time of day right now. Is it waking up? Coming home? Weekends? Bedtime? What specifically makes that time harder than others? What was that time like before? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• Think about your parents' marriages or the relationships you witnessed growing up. What patterns from those relationships do you see showing up in your own marriage? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Document a moment when you felt torn between your partner and your children. What was the situation? How did you handle it? What would you do differently? (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Write about a time before this crisis when you felt financially secure or in control. What was different then? What specific habits or systems did you have that you've lost? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• Write about the story you told yourself about your relationship before the infidelity. What did you believe about your partner? About yourself? About your relationship? How has that story shattered or changed? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• Reflect on hobbies or interests you've had over the past 5 years. Which ones did you stick with? Which did you abandon? What pattern do you notice about what keeps you engaged vs what loses your interest after the initial excitement? (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Document the stories you tell yourself about your debt. 'I'm bad with money,' 'It's not that much,' 'Everyone has debt' - what narratives run through your mind? Where did they come from? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Document what holidays or family events were like before the estrangement. What role did you play? What was expected of you? What did you dread? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• Document 3 times in your parenting years when you thought "I can't wait until I have time to..." What were those things? Have you pursued any of them yet? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Reflect on your current relationship with money. Do you tend to hold tight or spend freely? How might this inheritance amplify your existing patterns? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Write about the last time you woke up excited to start the day. What were you excited about? Was it the day ahead or something about the morning itself? What made that different? (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Write about a purchase in the past month that you regret. Walk through the decision: What were you feeling? What did you tell yourself? What would you do differently? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last 3 things you tried to learn (could be anything - cooking, language, software, sport). For each: How did you approach it? Did you take classes, use apps, learn from friends? Which approach felt most natural to you? Which one made you want to quit? (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Write about what "winning" this conflict would look like to you. Not the professional answer, but what you actually want. What would feel like justice? What would let you sleep peacefully? Be brutally honest. (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• List the last 5 times someone asked "where are you from?" Write down how you answered each time. What does your answer reveal about where you feel you belong? (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with work over the years. What has it given you beyond money? What has it cost you? What will you miss most? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• List the activities or roles that feel most threatened by your illness (parent, professional, friend, hobbyist). Which loss feels most painful right now? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• Think about the last time someone made a comment or joke about menopause, aging, or "women of a certain age." What was your emotional reaction? What does that reaction tell you about how you're feeling about this transition? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Think about your social energy: Are you someone who makes friends easily or does it take time? Recall specific examples from the past 5 years. What does this tell you about building community in your new city? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Think about the weddings your parents/close family members had (or didn't have). What messages did you absorb about what weddings "should" be? Which of these still feel true to you, and which don't? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with sleep over the past year. When you think about bedtime, what emotion comes up first - relief, dread, anxiety, indifference? What's the story you tell yourself about why you sleep the way you do? (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Write about a time in the past 6 months when you imagined your life without your spouse. What were you doing? What emotion came up - relief, fear, sadness, excitement? What does that feeling tell you? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Write about someone you know (or know of) who gardens. What do you admire about their garden or approach? What do you definitely NOT want to replicate? What does your reaction tell you about your own garden vision? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with this house over time. When did it shift from 'our dream home' to 'the place we need to leave'? What specific moment marked that change? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Document your relationship with criticism. Think of 3 times someone critiqued your writing or ideas. How did you react? What does this tell you about sharing your book? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Think about someone you know who seems to thrive working remotely. What specifically do they do differently? What boundaries have you noticed? What habits stand out? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Think about when you feel most connected to your teen. What are you doing together? What time of day? What makes those moments different from the rest? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• Think about the last time someone asked "What are you reading?" or "Read any good books lately?" Write down exactly how you felt and what you said. What does your response reveal about how you see yourself as a reader? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Write about what your parents or caregivers taught you about money—both what they said explicitly and what you absorbed from watching them. Which of these lessons still influences you today? (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Reflect on the past 6 months. List 3-5 times when you've said or thought "I wish I had my camera" or "I should have taken a photo of that." What were those moments? What pattern do you see in what you wanted to capture? (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Think about someone whose productivity you admire (colleague, friend, public figure). Write down specifically what they do differently than you. Not vague traits like "disciplined" - actual behaviors you've observed or know about. (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you had to care for someone or something completely dependent on you (a pet, a sick family member, a friend in crisis). How did you feel about the responsibility? When did you feel resentful vs. fulfilled? What does this tell you about your capacity for caretaking? (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Document your money habits over the past 6 months: When have you felt anxious about spending? When have you felt free? What purchases brought guilt versus satisfaction? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• List the things you do to "relax" or "unwind" currently. For each, note: Does your mind actually quiet down, or are you just distracted from stress? How do you feel after? (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Think about your daily routine 6 months ago vs now. List 3 specific things you used to do regularly that you've stopped doing. When did each one drop off? Did it happen suddenly or gradually? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Write about a time you felt embarrassed or stressed about the state of your home. What triggered that feeling? Who was involved? What specifically made you feel that way? (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you felt genuinely proud of your body - not how it looked, but what it DID. What was the moment? What had you accomplished? How long ago was it? What would it take to feel that way again? (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Document the specific life situation that makes learning this language matter RIGHT NOW. What changed in the past 6 months? What will change in the next 6 months if you don't start? (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Document your internal dialogue when you think about starting something creative. Write down the exact thoughts - both encouraging and discouraging - that show up. (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Write about a time when cooking felt joyful or meditative rather than stressful. What were the circumstances? Who were you cooking for? What made it feel different? (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Think about your current role: What will you genuinely miss doing yourself? What tasks are you secretly relieved to delegate? Be honest about what gives you energy. (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Write about a time when someone gave you feedback (positive or negative) about how you communicate or present. What did they say? How did it land? How has that feedback shaped the way you show up when speaking? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• List the last 5 times someone asked you "when are you having kids?" or made a related comment. For each instance: Who asked? What did you say? What did you want to say? How long did it affect your mood afterward? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Write about what you were tolerating at that job. The annoying parts, the energy drains, the Sunday night dread. Now that you have distance, what are you secretly relieved to leave behind? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• List 3-5 places you've seen in photos, movies, or heard about from others that made you think "I want to go there someday." For each, what specifically drew you - the landscape, the culture, the activities, the vibe? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• Reflect on your attention span now versus 5 years ago. When did you first notice it changing? What were you doing differently back then? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Write about how you feel on Sunday nights or the night before seeing this person. What physical sensations come up? What thoughts run through your mind? When did this pattern start? (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Reflect on your current Sunday evenings. If you spent 30 minutes practicing guitar instead of what you usually do, what would you be giving up? How does that feel? (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Think about your life before this took over. What activities, relationships, or parts of yourself have you lost? Write about 3 specific things you miss. (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Write about your job search history. How did you find your last 2-3 jobs? What worked? What was frustrating? What would you do differently this time? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Document 3 times you've started something new (job, project, relationship). How did you handle the uncertainty? What patterns do you notice in how you react to risk? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Document what you complained about at work in the past month. Write down 5-10 specific complaints. Which ones are about the job vs the field itself? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• Document 3 specific situations in the past month where you felt most frustrated or overwhelmed by symptoms. What was happening? Who were you with? What made it particularly hard in that moment? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Think about someone in your life (past or present) who seems genuinely confident in a way you admire. Write about 3-5 specific behaviors they demonstrate that signal confidence to you. Which of those behaviors feel impossible for you vs. just uncomfortable? (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• Document a task you've been avoiding for more than a week. What exactly makes starting it feel impossible? Is it boring, overwhelming, unclear, or something else? When have you successfully done similar tasks? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Reflect on three moments when someone outside your family commented on your family dynamics. What did they notice that you hadn't named? How did you react to their observation? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• Document how your relationships have changed in the past 6 months. Who have you seen less? What invitations have you declined? What do these patterns tell you? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Write about a time when you stuck to healthy habits successfully (even if just for a week or month). What made it work then? What was different about your motivation, environment, or support? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Think about the last 3 times you committed to a new habit or skill. Which one stuck? Which ones faded? What made the difference - be specific about what was different in your daily life, not just your "motivation." (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Write about a time when you felt truly understood by your partner. What did they do or say? When was the last time you felt this way? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Reflect on your childhood mornings: What was your family's morning like? How did your parents wake up? What patterns or beliefs about mornings did you absorb? Which still affect you? (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Think about a time in the past year when you almost invested or started investing but didn't. What stopped you? What were you afraid might happen? Is that fear still present? (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you pushed through symptoms to meet an obligation. What happened afterward? What did that teach you about your limits? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• Document your past attempts at keeping things alive - plants, pets, sourdough starter, anything. What died? What thrived? What pattern do you notice about what helps you stay consistent vs what makes you lose interest? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• Reflect on mornings when you've skipped a planned workout. What reasons did you give yourself? Looking back, which were legitimate and which were excuses? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• Reflect on the difference between your "performance self" (what you show others) and your "private self" (what you really think/feel). Where is the gap biggest? What thoughts do you not say out loud to anyone? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Document how you talk about your spouse to others. What do you say to close friends versus acquaintances? When did you stop defending them or making excuses? What changed? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you and your parent disagreed about their care or independence. Write out the conversation as you remember it - what was said, what went unsaid, how it ended? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Write about 3 people you know who retired in the past 5 years. Within 6 months, how had their daily life changed? Their relationships? Their sense of identity? What surprised them? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Think about what you say yes to that you wish you could say no to. What commitments drain you? When did these obligations start? Why do you keep them? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Write about a recent moment when your teen surprised you - either positively or negatively. What assumptions did you have? What does this tell you about how well you know them now? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• Think about the last 3 times you felt truly safe and loved in this relationship (before the infidelity). What was happening? What did your partner do that made you feel that way? Can you imagine feeling that way again with them? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• Reflect on what you're actually hoping meditation will change. Be specific: Is it anxiety levels? Sleep? Focus at work? Emotional reactivity? Write about what being different would look like. (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Document the physical and emotional sensations that come up when you think about money now. Where do you feel it in your body? When during the day is it worst? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• Write about a time when you tried to start something on the side before (side project, freelance work, small business, content creation). What happened? Why did you start it? Why did it continue or why did it stop? (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• List 5 things you're typically private about in your life. Now think about a wedding where people will be watching you - what feels exciting about being seen vs. what makes you want to protect your privacy? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Think about your identity right now. List 5 words you use to describe yourself to others. Then write: which of these will still be true after the baby comes? Which might disappear? What new words might replace them? How do you feel about that shift? (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you've changed since your wedding day. What values have shifted? What do you care about now that you didn't then? What matters less? (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Think about the people you've traveled with in the past. Write about one trip with each type of companion (partner, family, friends, solo, or strangers). Which dynamic felt most natural? Which was most challenging? What does that tell you about this trip? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• List 5 moments in the past month when this conflict affected you outside of work. What were you doing? What thought or feeling interrupted you? Who in your personal life has noticed a change in you? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• Write down 3 financial decisions you made in the past 6 months that you'd change if you could. What would you do differently? What pattern do you notice across these decisions? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you had a full week of good sleep (if ever). What was going on in your life? Were you on vacation, at home, somewhere else? What conditions existed that week that don't exist now? (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Write about a time when you took a big risk or made a major change. What did you learn about how you handle uncertainty? What coping mechanisms emerged? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Document a time in the past year when you had an idea for how to do something better but couldn't implement it due to company constraints. What was the idea? What stopped you? What would you have done differently if you'd had full control? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Reflect on your friendships over the past 5 years. Which ones were primarily "parent friendships"? Which ones existed beyond that? What does that mix tell you? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with checking your bank balance. Do you avoid it? Check obsessively? Feel neutral? When did this pattern start? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Write about someone you know who successfully paid off debt. What did they do? What do you imagine was different about their situation or personality? What assumptions are you making? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Think about your current daily routine over the past month. Write down: What time do you wake up? When do you have free time? When is your brain sharpest? When are you most exhausted? Based on this pattern, when would you realistically study if you were in school tomorrow? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with "being visible" at work remotely. Do you over-communicate to be seen? Feel forgotten? Feel relieved by less scrutiny? When did this pattern emerge? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• List all the projects you said you'd do 'someday' in this home. Which ones make you feel guilty now? Which ones reveal what you actually wanted this home to be versus what it became? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Describe 3 moments when you felt frustrated with the distance. Not general frustration—specific incidents. What unmet need was underneath each one? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Reflect on your current relationship with writing. When you think "I should write today," what emotion comes up? When did this feeling start? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• List the 5 things you most value in life (relationships, creativity, health, learning, etc.). For each, write honestly how much focused time you gave it last week versus time spent scrolling. (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Document the last 3 times you said "I'll deal with that later" about something in your home. What were those things? Are they still waiting? Why? (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Document 3 times in the past month when you felt happy or excited, then immediately felt guilty or anxious about feeling good. What triggered the happiness? What made you feel guilty? (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• List the people who knew different sides of the deceased - their work self, their private self, their younger self. What version of them does each person carry? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Write about a time you received unexpected money before (bonus, gift, windfall). What did you do with it? Do you feel good about those choices now? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Document the last time you cried. What triggered it? Did it feel like relief or did it make things worse? What did you do right after? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Reflect on the creative people you admire. What specifically do you envy about their practice? What assumptions are you making about how they work? (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Think about Sunday evenings. When you imagine starting a new job, what specific worry or anxiety comes up? Where does that fear come from - past experience or assumption? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Think about creative activities you've tried in the past (drawing, writing, music, crafts, cooking, etc.). Which ones stuck? Which ones didn't? For each, write down what made you continue or quit - this reveals how you learn creative skills. (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Think about the cook you admire most (could be family, friend, chef, content creator). What specific qualities do they have that you want to develop? Be specific about skills, not just "they're good at cooking." (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Write about someone you know who successfully learned a language as an adult. What did they do differently than others who tried and quit? What do you notice about their approach? (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Document your biggest productivity guilt. Complete this sentence and expand on it: "I always tell myself I should ___, but I never actually do it because ___." What does this reveal about the gap between your ideal and reality? (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Document 3 times when you avoided something because of anxiety. What did you miss out on? How did you feel afterwards - relieved, regretful, both? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with "should" around exercise. Complete these sentences: "I should exercise because..." "People would think I'm lazy if..." "I feel guilty when..." What stories are you telling yourself about what exercise means about you as a person? (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Recall the moments in the past year when you felt most alive and engaged. How many were work-related? What were you doing in the non-work moments? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Think about your relationship with this person over the years. Write about how it changed - 3 different phases or chapters. What defined each period? What do you wish you could go back and do differently? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• List the last 5-7 times you were in a meeting, class, or group setting. For each, note: Did you speak? If yes, how long after the meeting started? If no, what stopped you? What pattern do you notice? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Think about your current evening routine on weekdays. Note what feels chaotic vs. what flows smoothly. What patterns do you see? (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Reflect on your beliefs or fears about therapy. What have you heard from others? What worries you most - being judged, being vulnerable, it not working, the cost? Where did these concerns come from? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Think about the worst professional failure you've experienced. How long did it take you to recover? What does this tell you about your resilience for business setbacks? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Write about a skill you currently have that you're genuinely proud of - something you can do that you couldn't do 2+ years ago. How did you build it? What kept you going when it was hard? What specific moment made you realize "I can actually do this"? (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Document every previous attempt you've made to quit or cut back. For each: How long did it last? What triggered the relapse? What did you learn? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Reflect on your grief patterns over the past 3 months. On a scale of 1-10, rate your emotional intensity each week. What patterns do you notice? Are there predictable hard times (ovulation, period, holidays)? When do you feel most stable? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Think about Sunday evenings over the past 3 months. When you're at home, how do you feel? Restless? Content? What specific aspects of your space contribute to that feeling? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• Document your work identity crisis. Complete this sentence 10 different ways: "Without my job title, I am..." What comes up? Which completions feel true versus scary? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• List the last 10 times you consumed a story or learned something new (books, articles, podcasts, videos, social media). How many were reading vs other formats? What does this pattern tell you about how you actually prefer to learn? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Write about your family's history with migration or staying put. Who left? Who stayed? What stories did they tell about their choices? How does that history influence how you think about immigrating? (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Write about a time you saw a leader fail or lose their team's trust. What specifically went wrong? What did you learn about what NOT to do? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Think about the moments when you're most likely to overspend. What time of day? What emotional state? What situations? List specific patterns you've noticed. (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Reflect on conversations where you said "I'm thinking about a career change." Who did you tell? What did saying it out loud feel like? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with your femininity and womanhood. How much of your identity has been connected to fertility, youth, or physical appearance? What shifts are you noticing as these change? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Recall 3 times you've hyperfocused on something "productive" and it actually caused problems. What did you neglect? What was the cost? What warnings did you miss? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Document your Sunday evening feelings about the week ahead of meals. What specific thought or worry comes up about feeding yourself this week? When did this pattern start? (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Think about your "trigger foods" - the ones you can't stop eating once you start. For each one: When do you crave it? What emotion precedes the craving? What does eating it give you emotionally? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Document your current relationship with money and work. Complete these sentences: "I work my day job because..." "Extra money would mean I could..." "The idea of working more hours makes me feel..." (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Write about who you are when you're not around this family member versus who you become in their presence. What changes in your voice, posture, choices, or confidence? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• Think about Sunday mornings or your most relaxed time of week. Write down what you currently do during that time. Now imagine: could you see yourself spending 20 minutes in a garden during that time? What would need to be true for that to feel restorative rather than like another chore? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• Describe 3 moments in recent months when you felt proud of how you managed your illness. What were you doing? What made you feel capable? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• List the feedback or compliments you've received in the past year. What themes emerge? What do others see in you that you might undervalue? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Think about someone you know who has run a marathon. What do you admire about their experience? What scares you about following a similar path? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• Recall the last time you added to your debt. Walk through that decision minute by minute: What happened right before? What were you telling yourself? What would you do differently now? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Document your emotional patterns over the past 2 weeks. When do you feel: angry vs numb vs sad vs surprisingly okay? Is there a pattern? What helps you move through the hard emotions vs what keeps you stuck? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• Think about your childhood or early career. Write about a time when you created something or started something from scratch (could be a lemonade stand, school project, side hustle, anything). How did you feel? What motivated you? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Document your immediate fears about this inheritance. What keeps you up at night—making the wrong decision, losing it, family conflict, lifestyle changes? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Reflect on how your family talks about anxiety, stress, or mental health. What messages did you receive growing up about these feelings? How do those messages show up in your life now? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Think about a decision you made in the past year that you felt really confident about. What made you feel certain? Did you write anything down, talk it through, or just "know"? What was your clarity process? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Document your relationship with money growing up. What messages did you receive? What fears do you carry? How do these shape your retirement timeline? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Imagine your bank account loses 20% of its value overnight. Write down the first three thoughts that come to mind. What would you actually DO in that moment? Be honest—not what you think you should do. (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Reflect on your attention span over the past month. Write about 3 different activities: one where you were completely focused, one where you were somewhat distracted, and one where you couldn't focus at all. What environmental factors were different in each situation? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Document 3 times in the past 6 months when you and your partner disagreed about something important (money, family, priorities, decisions). How did you resolve it? Who compromised? What does your conflict pattern suggest about how you'll handle parenting disagreements? (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Think about Sunday nights or early mornings before anyone else is awake. When you have quiet time alone with your thoughts, what recurring feelings come up about your technology use? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Document 3 moments in the past month when you felt exhausted during the day. What time was it? What were you trying to do? How did the poor sleep from the night before actually affect your day? (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Document your confidence pattern across a typical week. For each day, note: what time of day do you feel most confident? Least confident? What's different about those times (energy level, who you're around, what you're doing, how you slept)? (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• Write down 3 times in the past year when you felt pressure to do something "for appearances" - from work, social media, family, anywhere. Did you do it? How did you feel after? What does this tell you about your wedding choices? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you spend your alone time now versus before the distance. What have you gained in terms of personal growth, hobbies, or friendships? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Write about 3 moments in your marriage when you ignored your gut instinct. What were the red flags? What stopped you from listening to yourself? How can you recognize that feeling now? (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Recall how your parents handled your teenage years. What rules did they have? How did you feel about it then? How do you feel about it now? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• Write about 3 friends or family members whose homes you've visited recently. What did you envy? What made you think 'I'd never want that'? Why? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• List 5 family traditions from your previous family structure. Which ones do your children mention most? What do those traditions represent to them? (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Document your typical response to being outside your comfort zone. Write about 3 times in the past year when you tried something new or unfamiliar. Did you lean in or pull back? What made the difference? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• List the physical sensations of your grief over the past few days. Where do you feel it in your body? Chest? Stomach? Throat? Shoulders? When is it most intense? When does it ease? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• Document the physical activities you actually enjoyed as a kid or teen - before exercise became a "should." What did you do? Who were you with? What made it fun? What's the closest adult equivalent you could imagine actually enjoying? (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Reflect on the story you're telling yourself about why this happened. Write it as a narrative. Now write it from your best friend's perspective. What changes? What bias are you applying to yourself? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• Think about your worst mornings in the past month. What happened the night before each one? What specific choices at 9pm, 10pm, 11pm led to that morning? Trace the pattern backward. (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Write about a moment in the past month when you felt genuinely proud of yourself for something unrelated to your children. What was it? Why did it matter? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you feel when you see 'For Sale' signs in your neighborhood. Excited? Anxious? Competitive? Relieved? What does that gut reaction tell you about your true readiness? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Recall the moments in the past week when you felt most distracted at home. What were you doing? What pulled your attention? What pattern do you notice? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Write about the voice in your head that says you can't write a book. What does it say exactly? Whose voice does it sound like? When did you first hear it? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Document what "enough" means to you. If someone said "you have enough savings," what number pops into your head? Where does that number come from? Your parents? Media? A specific experience? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Document the last 3 major commitments you made and either kept or broke (gym membership, project deadline, promise to someone, side hustle, etc.). For each: Did you follow through? What helped or prevented you? What does this pattern tell you about how you'll handle the commitment of school? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with "home" as a concept. Is it about people, places, routines, or something else? When have you felt most grounded, and what created that feeling? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Think about the activities that used to bring you joy outside of work. When was the last time you did each one? What's been getting in the way? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Think about your childhood. What did you make or create regularly before anyone told you whether you were "good" at it? What happened to that activity? (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Document a time in the past 5 years when you felt proud of something you made or performed, even if no one else saw it. What made that moment meaningful? How long did it take to get there? (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Describe how you talk to yourself now versus a year ago. What has changed about your inner voice? Write down specific phrases you say to yourself that you didn't before. (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Reflect on a possession you've kept for over 5 years but never use. Where is it now? When do you notice it? What stops you from getting rid of it? (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Recall moments in the past month when you felt like you had "enough" - enough stuff, enough activities, enough connection. What made those moments different? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Think about your work friendships. How many would continue if you weren't colleagues? When did you last see work friends outside of work hours? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Reflect on 3 purchases or financial commitments from the past year that you justified to yourself but deep down knew were risky. What were you actually seeking or avoiding? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• List 5 situations in your regular life where you'll actually USE this language, not just study it. Be specific: Who will you talk to? What will you read? Where will you go? (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Reflect on the division of household responsibilities and mental load. Which tasks cause the most friction? What does this conflict really represent? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Document moments in the past week when you felt pressure to perform grief a certain way. Who was present? What did you actually need instead? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Think about the voice in your head during difficult moments. Is it harsh? Worried? Repetitive? Describe its typical patterns and how they affect your days. (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Think about your "speaking voice" versus your "regular voice." How do they differ? When do you shift into "speaking mode"? What happens to your voice, pace, or word choice? Does it feel authentic or like you're performing? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Document your typical week: How many hours do you spend in heads-down work vs. meetings vs. helping others? How will this need to change in a leadership role? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Imagine yourself 6 months from now, after therapy has been helpful. What's different about how you feel, think, or navigate your day? What specific changes would tell you therapy is working? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Document 3 times in the past 3 months when caregiving conflicted with your other responsibilities (work, kids, relationships). What did you sacrifice or scramble to handle? What was the emotional cost? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you talk to yourself about this. Write down the exact phrases you use when you're justifying use versus when you're being honest with yourself. What does this reveal? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Document 3 specific situations in the past year where you felt limited by your current location or visa status. What couldn't you do? How did that make you feel? (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Write about a moment in the past month when you felt genuinely happy or at peace - even briefly. What were you doing? Who were you with? What made that moment different? How can you recognize these moments more often? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Write about the last week: What important task did you keep postponing? When did you finally do it (or are you still postponing it)? What were you doing instead? What does this pattern tell you? (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Reflect on your current weekly schedule. Which 10 hours would you realistically cut to work on your business? What would you have to say no to? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Reflect on the voice in your head when depression is worst. Write down 3 specific things it tells you about yourself. When did you first start hearing these messages? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Think about your values that feel violated by this conflict. What matters to you that's being compromised - respect, fairness, autonomy, competence, belonging? When did you first develop these values? Why do they matter so much to you? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• Think about intimacy - emotional and physical - over the past year. Map the decline or changes. What specific moments marked shifts? Did you stop trying or did they? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Document your current relationship with your phone camera or any camera you own. When do you use it? When do you avoid using it? What stops you from taking photos more often - is it technical overwhelm, self-consciousness, not knowing what to shoot? (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Think about Sunday evening or Monday morning. Complete these sentences: "The thought of committing to 30 minutes of practice 5 days a week makes me feel..." and "The version of me who plays piano is someone who..." (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Think back to when you first chose your current career path. What did you believe about it then? What would you tell that version of yourself now? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with time. When you say "I'll do it in 5 minutes" or "this will take 20 minutes," how often are you right? What patterns do you notice in how you misjudge? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Write about a woman you know (personally or publicly) who is thriving in this life stage. What about her approach inspires you? What would it look like to adopt some of that in your own life? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Think about your communication style when you're upset or struggling. Do you intellectualize, shut down, cry easily, get angry, minimize your feelings? How might this show up in therapy, and what would help a therapist work with you? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• List the activities where you feel least anxious. What do they have in common? Are you alone or with others? Moving or still? Inside or outside? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you talk to yourself about your body. Write down the exact phrases you use in your head. Would you ever speak to a friend this way? Where did these voices come from? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Think about your energy patterns over a typical week. Write down when you feel most energized and creative (specific days/times), when you feel depleted, and when you're just going through the motions. What does this tell you about when you'd actually have capacity for side work? (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Describe the version of yourself you've become during this conflict. Are you more withdrawn? More reactive? More political? More careful? How is this different from who you normally are? Who notices this change? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• Write about a skill or area where you actually ARE objectively competent or good at something, but you still don't feel confident about it. What evidence do you have that you're good at it? Why doesn't that evidence translate to feeling confident? (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• List the money advice you've given other people in the past. What's one piece of advice you gave others but didn't follow yourself? Why the disconnect? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with mistakes and imperfection. Think of a specific recent situation where you made a mistake in front of others. What did you feel? What did you do? What does this tell you about how you might handle wrong notes? (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Think about the version of yourself your ex-spouse knew. What parts of that person do you want to keep? What parts were you performing or suppressing? Who are you when you're not trying to save a failing marriage? (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Reflect on who you've told about the infidelity and who you haven't. For each person, write why you chose to tell them or not. What does this pattern tell you about what you need right now? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• Describe your energy levels throughout a typical week. Which days/times are worst? Which are slightly better? What happens during the better moments? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Write about what "growth" or "progress" means to you personally, not what you think it should mean. If no one ever knew, what internal shifts would matter most to you? What would make you feel like you are moving forward? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Document what you're actually trying to get from a morning routine: More time? Less stress? Sense of control? Productivity? Write why that specific thing matters to YOUR life right now. (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Write about how your relationship with your body has changed. When did you start seeing it as unreliable? Are there moments when you still trust it? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• List 3 times in your life when you delayed a financial decision. What were you waiting for? Did waiting help or hurt? What pattern do you notice? (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last 5 times you bought fresh produce, flowers, or plants. Which purchases made you happy? Which felt wasteful? What were you hoping for when you bought them vs what actually happened? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• List every emotion you feel when you think about this family member—not just the main one, but all the contradictory feelings. Which one surprises you most? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• Think about people in your life who have received inheritances. What did they do well? What mistakes did you observe? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Write about what financial security would feel like for you. Not a dollar amount, but what would be different in your daily life? What would you stop worrying about? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Document a book or genre that you secretly enjoy but feel embarrassed about or 'shouldn't' read. What makes you feel that way? Who told you (directly or indirectly) that this kind of reading 'doesn't count'? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Reflect on what gives you a sense of purpose and contribution. How much comes from work? What other sources of purpose exist in your life right now? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Think about walking through your front door for the last time after closing. What feeling comes up first? Relief? Sadness? Panic? Excitement? Write about why that specific emotion emerges. (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Document 3 times in the past year when you said "I wish I could..." or "I've always wanted to..." Write what you said, who you said it to, and what you did (or didn't do) about it afterward. (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Document times in the past year when you felt genuinely strong and capable physically. What were you doing? What conditions made you feel that way? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• Reflect on what you've already tried to fix your sleep. List every strategy, app, supplement, or change you've attempted. For each, write: how long you tried it, why you stopped, and whether anything about it actually helped. (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Document your partner's relationship with their family's expectations. Think of specific examples where they've either followed or pushed back against what their family wanted - what pattern do you see? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Write about the moment you first seriously thought about having a baby. Where were you? What triggered it? Was it a gradual realization or a specific moment? How has that initial feeling evolved since then? (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you stuck with any new habit successfully (could be anything - meditation, reading, a morning routine). What made it stick? How long did it take to feel automatic? What specific strategies did you use? How is fitness different or similar? (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Reflect on the parent you imagined you'd be versus who you are with your teen. What's different? What's harder than you expected? What matters less than you thought? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• Document your physical intimacy patterns over the past 3 months. When do you feel most connected physically? What gets in the way? What does this pattern reveal? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Reflect on 3 cooking "failures" that still stick with you. What went wrong? What did you tell yourself afterward? How do these moments still influence what you're willing to try? (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Reflect on what you expected grief to feel like versus what it actually feels like. What surprises you? What's harder than you thought? What's different from what people told you it would be like? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• Think about your professional confidence before and after the layoff. On a scale of 1-10, where were you before? Where are you now? Write about 3 accomplishments that should anchor you at your old number - why aren't they? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• Write about the last visit or time together. What felt natural and easy? What felt awkward or forced? What does this tell you about your relationship foundation? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• List every excuse you've used to not write in the past month. Look for patterns. Which one shows up most? What's the real fear underneath it? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Reflect on your current workspace. How did it evolve to what it is now? What compromises did you make? What bothers you about it but you haven't fixed? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Reflect on what "getting away" means to you right now. Are you running from something (stress, routine, conflict) or running toward something (adventure, discovery, rest)? Write honestly about what's driving this trip idea. (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• Write about someone you know personally who went back to school as an adult. What do you admire about their experience? What scared you about their journey? What would you do differently than they did? If you don't know anyone, what does that tell you about your support network? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Reflect on how each of your children has responded to this transition so far. Write one specific behavior you've noticed from each child that tells you how they're really doing. (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Document your resistance to the idea of sitting still. What comes up? "I don't have time"? "I can't clear my mind"? "It won't work for me"? List every objection, then note where each one comes from. (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with "productivity porn" - articles, videos, apps promising the perfect system. When do you consume this content? How do you feel after? Has it ever actually helped, or does it become another form of procrastination? (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Document the last 3 times you said "I don't have time for that." Were they before or after kids left? What does your answer pattern reveal? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Think about conflict: Describe your gut reaction when two people come to you with opposing views. Do you avoid, jump to fix, or lean in? When has this served you well or poorly? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Reflect on the longest you've lived in one place. What made you stay? What made you eventually leave (or what would make you leave)? How does that inform what you're looking for now? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• Write about 3 times in the past year when you wanted to create something but didn't. What stopped you in each case? Look for patterns across these moments. (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Think about the past week. List 3 moments when you felt numb or disconnected vs 3 moments when you felt something (even if it was painful). What's the difference between those moments? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Reflect on people in your life who are creative or artistic. What do you admire about how they approach their craft? What do you notice about their process that's different from how you typically approach learning something new? (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Reflect on what you're grieving or afraid to lose. Is it the person, the idea of marriage, the lifestyle, the family structure, your identity as a spouse, or something else? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Think about decisions you've made in the past 6 months - big or small. How many times did you second-guess yourself? What makes it hard to trust your own judgment now? (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Write about why you want to start a business NOW versus a year ago or a year from now. What changed? What's the real urgency? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Write about what you're afraid might happen if you got rid of more things. What specific scenarios worry you? Where do those fears come from? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Document a time in the past year when you were really proud of something you created or accomplished. How much uninterrupted focus time did it require? When was the last time you had a block like that? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Think about the first time you lied or hid this from someone who matters. Who was it? What exactly did you hide? How has that pattern of secrecy evolved? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Reflect on what "fluent" actually means to you. Not the textbook definition - what specific things do you want to be able to DO with this language that you can't do now? (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you turned down a job offer or opportunity. What made you say no? Was it the right call? What does that reveal about your priorities? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Reflect on the people closest to you. Write about how 3 different people in your life have reacted when you've mentioned the possibility of immigrating. What did their reactions tell you? (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• List every time in the past month you said "when I retire..." or "after I retire...". What were you postponing? Which of these could you start now? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Reflect on the people in your life (family, partner, close friends). List 3-5 recent conversations where you talked about work. What did you say? What didn't you say? Who knows you're thinking about freelancing? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Think about someone whose home you admire. What specifically feels different when you're in their space compared to yours? What do you notice about how they live day-to-day? (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last presentation or speech you heard that genuinely moved you or stuck with you. What made it memorable? Was it the content, the delivery, the speaker's energy? What specifically can you remember about it? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Think about your partner (if applicable). Write about 3 specific moments in the past few months when you felt connected vs. 3 moments when you felt completely alone in this experience. What made the difference? What was happening in each scenario? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Think about Sunday evenings in your current life. What's your routine? What gives you comfort? What anxieties come up? How might this change, and how do you feel about that? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Think about what life would feel like without this debt. Not just 'I'd have more money' but specifically - what would you do on a Tuesday morning? What would stop worrying you? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Reflect on the difference between how you spend when you're stressed vs. calm. Think of specific examples from the past month. What does this tell you about building savings during different emotional states? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Write about your biggest fear regarding your parent's aging - not the generic "I don't want them to suffer," but the specific scenario that keeps you up at night. What details make it so frightening? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Write about what 'honoring' this person means to you specifically. Not what you think you should do - what feels true to who they were? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Write about 3 people whose careers you envy. For each: What specifically do you envy? Their day-to-day, status, income, or something else? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• Document your sleep over the past week. When do you wake up at night? What helps you fall back asleep (or doesn't)? What patterns connect poor sleep to next-day experiences? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you tried to build a new habit or system. What was it? How long did it last? What specific thing made you stop using it? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Recall moments in the past month when you felt physically good in your body (energized, strong, capable). What were you doing? What had you eaten? What does this tell you about what "healthy" feels like for YOU? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Write about the person you want to be in 5 years. If you met that future version of yourself, what would they say about how you currently spend your attention? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Track your self-talk for 3 days. Each day, write down 5-7 thoughts you had about yourself or your abilities (both positive and negative). At the end, count: how many were critical vs. supportive? What patterns do you notice in when the critical thoughts appear? (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with stability vs. uncertainty. Describe a past situation where something felt uncertain or unstable (job change, move, relationship). How did you handle it? What did you learn about yourself? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Document your current support system. Who knows you're considering therapy? Who would be supportive? Who might not understand? How does this affect what you need from a therapist? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Document every reason family members or friends have given for why you should or shouldn't sell. Which concerns actually resonate with you versus which feel like outside pressure or projection? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Reflect on the people in your life who have side income or run their own thing. Write down: who are they, what do they do, what do you admire about their situation, and what do you think "I could never do that" about their situation? (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Research 3 different journaling methods (morning pages, bullet journal, gratitude journal, stream of consciousness, etc.). For each, note: What problem does it solve? What type of person would this work for? Does this match your style? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Track your sleep data for 7 days: Bedtime, wake time, how you felt rating 1-10, what you did in the hour before bed. Look for the correlation between evening choices and morning energy. (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Write about a moment in the past month when you felt like yourself - even briefly. What were you doing? What made that moment different from the times when you feel consumed by the betrayal? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• Reflect on the relationship between your debt and your self-worth. When do you feel shame about it? When do you justify it? What does this debt mean about you in your own mind? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Write about a recent time you snapped at someone or felt disproportionately irritated by something small. What was really bothering you underneath? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Research your specific growing zone (USDA hardiness zone) using your zip code. Write down: your zone number, average last frost date, average first frost date, and length of growing season. What does this mean for what you can grow? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• Write about the version of yourself you've always wanted to become. What parts of that vision did work prevent? What did work enable? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Write about 3 people in your network whose careers you admire. What specifically do you admire - their role, company, work-life balance, impact? What's different about their paths versus yours? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you spent last Saturday. If someone watched you all day, what would they say your priorities are based on your actions (not intentions)? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with your body. When you push yourself physically, do you feel like you're working with your body or against it? What does that tell you? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• Track your phone/screen time for the past week. Document: total hours per day, top 3 apps, and what time of day you use them most. If you converted just 20% of this time to reading, how many minutes per day would that be? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Reflect on whether you feel you "deserve" this inheritance. Where does that feeling come from? How might it influence your decisions? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• List every source of income you received last month. For each: How reliable is it? Could it disappear? What's the actual take-home after taxes? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Document your true monthly expenses: Go through your last 3 months of transactions and categorize every expense over $20. What's your actual average monthly spending? What surprises you about this number? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Document your relationship with being alone right now. When do you feel lonely versus when do you feel peacefully alone? What's the difference? What does this tell you about your readiness? (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Research and document: What is your current savings account interest rate? When did you open it? How does it compare to current high-yield savings accounts (list 3 specific rates you find)? (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Think about Sunday nights over the past 3 months. What specific thoughts about money keep you awake? When did this pattern start? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• Research 5 different meditation techniques (e.g., breath focus, body scan, loving-kindness, noting, mantra). For each, write: What does it involve? Who recommends it? What problem does it address? (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Document your support system right now: Who do you call when things go wrong? Who celebrates with you? How will distance affect these relationships, and how do you feel about that? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Reflect on what you actually want from fitness, beyond the obvious "lose weight" or "get healthy." Complete this: In 6 months, if this fitness habit works, I want to feel... When I imagine my ideal self, what am I able to DO that I can't do now? Be specific about moments and feelings, not just appearance. (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with being liked. Write about a time you chose being respected over being liked. How did it feel? What was the outcome? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Document three specific things this family member said or did that you still think about. Why do these particular moments stick with you? What boundary did they cross? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• Write about a conversation you wish you'd had with this person. What would you have asked? What would you have told them? What do you think they would have said back? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• Reflect on moments when you've been to events that felt "too much" (too big, too fancy, too performed) vs "just right" - what was the difference? What does this tell you about the scale you're comfortable with? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Reflect on your current sleep patterns. What happens when you get less than 6 hours of sleep? How does it affect your mood, patience, and decision-making? Write about a time you were sleep-deprived and how you handled it. (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Think about your teen's other parent or co-parent (if applicable). How do your parenting styles differ? When does this cause conflict? When does it actually help? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• List the people whose opinions you're worried about (parents, former colleagues, friends in successful careers). For each person, write what you imagine they're thinking. Now write what they're probably actually thinking. Notice the difference? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• Think about the difference between how you work alone vs with others watching. Describe a specific recent example of each. When are you more productive? When does the work feel more authentic? What does this tell you about accountability? (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Document 3 creative projects you've completed (any medium - art, events, projects). For each: What helped you finish? What almost stopped you? What's different about this book? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Research 3 photographers whose work you admire (Instagram, websites, books - anywhere). For each, document: what subjects they shoot, what you love about their style, what feeling their photos give you, and one specific photo that stands out. What commonalities do you see across these three? (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Walk through each room in your home and photograph one "clutter hotspot" per room. For each photo, note: What items are there? Who put them there? When? (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Reflect on the deceased's relationship with money and spending. When did they splurge? When were they frugal? What did this reveal about their values? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Think about Sunday evenings before a remote work week vs. when you worked in-office. What's different in how you feel? What does this tell you about your remote work experience? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you failed at something or got a bad grade/review. Write down: How did you react? How long did it take you to recover? Did you try again or give up? What does this tell you about how you'll handle academic setbacks or challenging coursework? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Reflect on the people in your life right now. Who makes you feel like you have to hide or minimize your illness? Who lets you be honest about it? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• Think about the last 5 decisions you made together (big or small). How did those conversations go? What pattern emerges about how you make choices as a couple? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Write about someone in your life who has struggled with mental health. What did you notice about their behavior? What do you wish they had done differently? What did they do that helped? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Document every time in the past 6 months you complained about your current work situation. What specific patterns emerge? Are you running FROM something or TO something? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Document moments in the past year when you felt proud of maintaining or fixing something. What was satisfying about it? When have you felt overwhelmed by maintenance responsibilities? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• Write about 3 aspects of yourself that you've questioned because of this relationship. What did you used to believe about yourself? What do you doubt now? What caused each shift? (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Research 3 guitar players whose style you want to emulate. For each, watch one full performance and note: What specifically draws you to their playing? What do they do that you've never seen before? What looks impossible vs. what looks achievable? (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Write about Sunday nights specifically over the past few months. How do you sleep Sunday night compared to other nights? What's different about your thoughts, feelings, or behaviors on Sundays? (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Think about the difference between "simple" and "empty" in your mind. What would make a minimal life feel rich versus depriving? What do you need to feel full? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Think about Sunday nights (or the night before you both start your week). What emotion comes up? When did this pattern start? What need is driving it? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Research 3 different learning methods (apps, tutors, classes, immersion, etc.). For each, write down: cost, time required per week, and one thing that appeals to you and one that concerns you. (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Write about a specific moment in the past 6 months when you saw the impact this has on someone you love. What happened? What did you see in their face or hear in their voice? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Document how you currently define "being creative." What counts? What doesn't? Where did these definitions come from? (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Inventory your kitchen tools and note: Which ones do you use weekly? Which haven't you touched in 6 months? Which tools do you reach for when feeling confident vs. when taking shortcuts? (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Think about your identity - language, culture, community ties. Write about a moment when you realized some aspect of your identity might change or be challenged by moving to another country. (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Think about your siblings or other family members. For each person, write: their current level of involvement, the last time they helped with parent care, and what they say vs. what they actually do? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Document your relationship with hope right now. Do you let yourself hope? Do you protect yourself by expecting disappointment? Write about the last time you felt hopeful about conceiving - what triggered it and how long did it last? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Reflect on your health patterns over the past 5 years. What changed? What stayed the same? If you project this forward 20 years, what do you need to address now? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Research 3 different ways to access a piano or keyboard for practice. For each option, document: Type (acoustic piano, digital piano, keyboard, practice room, friend's piano), cost (purchase, rent, or free), space required, and what you'd need to do this week to make it happen. (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Write about 3 times you stayed silent instead of speaking up about something that bothered you. What were you protecting - the peace, their feelings, your image, the marriage itself? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with technology while traveling. On your last trip, how often did you check your phone? Take photos? Share on social media? Post-trip, do you wish you'd been more present or documented more? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• Write about a period of your life when anxiety was lower or more manageable. What was different then - your circumstances, your habits, your support system, your mindset? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Write about what you're afraid will happen if this conflict doesn't resolve. Not just professional consequences, but the person you're afraid you'll become. What would it mean about you, your judgment, your career, your ability to handle hard things? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• Document a time when you were explaining something you deeply care about (a hobby, idea, story) and got really animated. Who were you talking to? What made you forget to be self-conscious? What does that tell you about when you're at your best? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Write about a time when you and your partner had completely different reactions to a parenting situation. What values were clashing in that moment? (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Document your self-talk when anxiety spikes. Write down 5 things you typically tell yourself. Are you harsh, supportive, analytical, catastrophic? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• List your non-negotiable values about work (max 5). For each, rate your current job 1-10 on delivering it. Which gaps hurt most? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• Think about the coping mechanisms you've relied on in the past (exercise, food, alcohol, staying busy, isolating). Which ones are serving you well right now? Which ones are making things harder? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Research confidence vs. competence in one specific area of your life. List 10 concrete pieces of evidence that you're competent (accomplishments, feedback, results). Then rate your confidence level 1-10. What's the gap between the evidence and how you feel? (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• Document the last time you worked on a personal project or side hustle outside your main job. What was it? Why did you start it? What happened to it? What does this tell you about your entrepreneurial energy? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Think about your relationship with exercise. Write about your earliest gym/sports memories. Were they positive or shameful? How do those experiences affect your current willingness to move your body? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Map the stakeholder landscape. Create a list with: Primary conflict person, their allies, your allies, neutral parties, decision-makers. For each person: What's their stake? What do they know? What do they believe about the situation? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• Reflect on your work boundaries from 1 year ago versus now. What boundaries have eroded? When did you start checking email at night, working weekends, or skipping lunch? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Think about your self-worth before this happened vs now. Write about what you believed about yourself 6 months ago. What has this experience made you question about yourself? What remains unchanged? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• List 3-5 beliefs you had about relationships before your marriage, and how those beliefs have changed. What did experience teach you that you couldn't have learned any other way? (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Reflect on what you needed from this family member that you never received. When did you first realize they couldn't or wouldn't provide it? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• Research 3 different marathon training plans (beginner, intermediate, advanced). For each, note: weekly mileage, number of days running, longest run, total weeks. Which aligns with your current fitness? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• Document your current living space. Walk through each room and note: Where could you keep a guitar where you'd see it every day? Where would you actually practice? What would you need to move or change? Take photos if helpful. (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Research 5 people online (Fiverr, Upwork, Instagram, YouTube, local Facebook groups) who are doing something you could potentially do. For each, document: what service they offer, how they describe it, what they charge, and how much demand they seem to have (reviews, followers, engagement). What patterns do you see? (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Document examples of journal prompts or questions that feel too generic versus ones that make you actually want to write. What is the difference? What makes a prompt feel relevant to you versus performative? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Research your insurance mental health coverage. What's your deductible? Copay per session? How many sessions are covered annually? Do you need pre-authorization? Is there an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) through work? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Document your available space with specifics. For each potential garden spot (yard, balcony, windowsill): measure the dimensions, note sun exposure throughout one full day (morning, midday, evening), observe where water pools after rain. What are you actually working with? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• Document the things you've given up or modified because of your illness. Which adaptations feel like survival? Which feel like unnecessary surrender? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• Write about someone you know who went through financial difficulty. What did you think about their situation then? How does that perspective feel now? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• Think about your daily routines. Which ones exist only because of work? Which ones would you keep? Which would you be relieved to drop? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• List the last 5 times you felt truly energized and alive in the past year. What were you doing? Who were you with? What patterns emerge? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Recall times when you've felt lonely or isolated. What triggered those feelings? What helped you through them? What didn't help but you tried anyway? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Map out your typical weekday hour-by-hour from wake-up to sleep. For each block, mark: high energy vs low energy, alone vs with others, required vs flexible time. Identify 3 specific windows where reading could realistically fit. (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Write about how your life would look in 5 years if you made only fear-based decisions with this money versus only opportunity-based decisions. What does each path reveal? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Review your last 3 months of bank/credit card statements. Categorize your top 20 expenses. What surprises you? What categories are bigger than you thought? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Research your chronotype: Take the online MCTQ or AutoMEQ assessment. Document your results. Are you actually a morning person trying to force it, or a night owl fighting your biology? (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Calculate your current monthly "must-pay" baseline: Rent/mortgage, utilities, minimum debt payments, insurance, food, transportation. What's the absolute minimum you need to survive each month? Now add 20% - why? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Think about the language you use. Do you say "my kids" and "your kids" or "our kids"? Document when you use each phrase and what triggers the distinction. (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Look up your employer's 401(k) match policy. Write down: the exact match percentage, whether you're currently contributing, and how much free money you're leaving on the table if not maximizing it. (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Document 3 times in your life when you successfully adapted to a major change. What strategies helped you? Which of those could apply to this distance? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Research 5 potential destinations that match your initial interests. For each, document: peak season vs off-season timing, average daily budget, visa requirements for your citizenship, and flight duration from where you live. What pattern emerges about feasibility? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• Think about your commute over the past 6 months. What moments during your commute felt like wasted time? What moments felt valuable? What does this tell you about location priorities? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• Document times in the past 6 months when you felt proud of your teen. What were they doing? Did you tell them? Why or why not? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• Create a complete debt inventory. For each debt, document: creditor name, current balance, interest rate, minimum payment, due date, and total amount you've already paid on it. What patterns emerge? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Document the things you're doing on autopilot right now - daily tasks you complete without thinking. Which routines feel comforting? Which feel meaningless? Which remind you of them? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• Research 3 cooking techniques you see in recipes but don't fully understand (like "sauté until translucent" or "fold in gently"). For each, find one video demonstration and note what you learned that text instructions missed. (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Write about what you were optimizing for in your last job versus what you want to optimize for next. Was it prestige, money, learning, stability, title? What does this transition give you permission to change? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• Think about the friends and family members whose opinions you actually trust about major life decisions. Write their names and what specifically makes their perspective valuable to you - these are your real advisors. (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Think about the last major family decision your family faced together. How did disagreements get resolved? Who deferred to whom? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Reflect on who you want to become by writing this book. Not what you want to achieve - who will you be different as a person once you've done this? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Explore 5 different photography styles/genres (portrait, landscape, street, macro, wildlife, food, architectural, etc.) by looking at example photos of each. For each style, rate your interest level 1-5 and note: would you want to CREATE this or just look at it? What draws you in or pushes you away? (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Track one full day in detail. For each hour, write: what you did, how energized you felt (1-10), whether it was planned or reactive, and whether it was important or just urgent. What patterns emerge? (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Open your 3 most-used storage spaces (closet, drawer, cabinet). List what percentage is: stuff you use weekly, stuff you use occasionally, stuff you forgot was there. Estimate honestly. (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Try 3 different guided meditation apps or YouTube channels (5-10 min sessions each). For each, note: What was the voice/style like? Did it help or distract? What felt natural vs forced? (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Research 5 different types of exercise you could realistically do (running, yoga, weightlifting, dance classes, swimming, walking, sports, etc.). For each, document: Time required per session, cost (free to $$), skill level needed, and whether it requires other people or special equipment. (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• List the professional achievements you're most proud of. For each, note: Did you do it alone or through others? What does this tell you about your transition to leadership? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Think about the parent friends you already have. Write about 3 different parenting styles you've observed. Which one resonates with you? Which one makes you uncomfortable? What does your reaction tell you about your own values? (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Document your energy patterns over a typical week. Write down which days/times you have the most energy vs the least. What pattern emerges? Has it always been this way? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Track your actual work hours for the next 3 days. When did you start? When did you truly stop? How many times did you check work after "done"? What pattern emerges? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Think about the person you'll become with this degree versus without it. Write two different versions of your life 5 years from now - one where you went back to school, one where you didn't. Be specific: What does a typical Tuesday look like in each version? Which version feels more like the life you want? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Document your physical and emotional symptoms over the past 6 months. Sleep changes? Anxiety? Depression? Anger? When do these symptoms intensify - around your spouse, thinking about the future, or always? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• List 5 homes you've visited recently (friends, family, open houses) where you thought 'I wish our home had that.' What do those specific wishes tell you about what you're really seeking? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Reflect on compliments or achievements from the past year. How did this person respond when good things happened to you? Write down their exact reactions to 3 specific wins you had. (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Document the ways your relationship with this has changed over time. How did it start versus how it is now? What boundaries have been crossed that you never thought you would cross? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Think about your energy patterns at work. What tasks drain you? What tasks energize you? When do you find yourself procrastinating versus diving in? What does this tell you about fit? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Check your screen time data for the past 7 days. List each app over 30 minutes total and note: Did you intend to spend that much time? What did you actually get from it? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Write about your earliest memory of speaking in front of a group. How old were you? What was the context? What do you remember feeling? How do you think that early experience shapes how you feel about public speaking now? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Track your energy levels for one week using a simple 1-10 scale at 9am, 2pm, and 8pm. Note what you notice about when you feel most alert and open versus drained and closed off. (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Document your sleep environment right now. Walk through your bedroom and write down: light sources (windows, electronics, street lights), noise sources (traffic, neighbors, partner, pets), temperature, mattress age, pillow situation. What's one thing that bothers you but you've been ignoring? (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Find 3 people online who document their language learning journey in your target language. What patterns do you notice in how they practice? What mistakes do they warn about? What timeline did it take them? (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Reflect on what you needed from a partner when you first got married versus what you need now. How have your needs evolved? Have you communicated these changes? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last month. List every time you felt resentful, overwhelmed, or guilty about caregiving. What specifically triggered each feeling? What patterns do you notice? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Reflect on how infertility has changed your friendships. List 3 people you've become closer to and 3 you've drifted from. What's different about each group? What do the people you feel closer to understand that others don't? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• List 5 people you know who run their own businesses. For each: What do you envy about their situation? What looks harder than you expected? What surprises you? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• List 3 coping mechanisms you use when you're overwhelmed. Are they helping or just delaying? What do you do instead of what you're supposed to be doing? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• List your last 5 major decisions (career, relationship, financial, etc.). For each: Did you make it quickly or slowly? Did you research extensively or go with your gut? What pattern do you see in how you make big decisions? (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Reflect on your patterns around acquiring things. Do you shop when bored? Stressed? Celebrating? What are you really seeking when you buy something new? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Investigate 5 beginner piano learning resources (YouTube channels, apps, online courses, local teachers). For each, note: Teaching style (structured lessons, song-based, theory-heavy), cost, time commitment per week, and read 3 reviews about what frustrated students vs what they loved. (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Think about the people you spend time with now. How many of these relationships are tied to work? Who would you still see weekly if you retired tomorrow? What does this reveal? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you talk to yourself about aging and this transition. If a friend was going through this, what would you say to her? How different is that from what you say to yourself? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Document the times of day or situations when you're most vulnerable to overeating or unhealthy choices. What pattern emerges? What's the common thread - time, emotion, people, or environment? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Calculate your therapy budget if paying out-of-pocket or supplementing insurance. Weekly sessions cost how much per month? Can you afford it for 3-6 months minimum? What would you need to adjust to afford it? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Identify 3-5 online communities or groups where your target customers hang out (subreddits, Facebook groups, Discord servers, LinkedIn groups). For each, spend 30 minutes lurking and document: what problems are people asking about? What are they willing to pay for? What frustrations do they express? (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Think about someone you know who is freelancing or running their own business. Write down: what do you admire about their situation? What concerns you about it? Be specific. (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Research 3 local resources for gardeners in your area: community gardens, local nurseries, gardening clubs, or extension offices. For each, note: distance from you, what they offer, cost, and whether they seem beginner-friendly. Which feels most accessible to you? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with your ex-partner/co-parent. What specific situations reliably create tension? What patterns keep repeating? (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• List 5 core values that matter to you (like creativity, family time, growth, autonomy, helping others). For each, write how your current work situation aligns or conflicts with it. (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Calculate your total monthly debt payments vs. your total monthly take-home income. What percentage of your income goes to debt? How does seeing that number make you feel? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Document your body language patterns. For one week, notice and write down: How do you typically stand in meetings? Where do you put your hands? Do you make eye contact? How's your posture when you're nervous vs. comfortable? Ask someone you trust to tell you what they notice. (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• Document every distraction and decision point in your current morning: Phone check? Snooze? What to wear? Coffee or not? Count how many micro-decisions you make before 9am. (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Reflect on the best relationship you've ever witnessed (parents, friends, mentors). What made that relationship work? What did trust look like in that relationship? How does that compare to what you have now? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• Reflect on whether your anxiety feels more like fear about specific things or a general sense of unease. How does this distinction help or confuse your understanding? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Write about your neighborhood relationships. Who will you genuinely miss? Who makes you think 'this is one reason I'm ready to go'? Be completely honest with yourself. (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Document your current weekly schedule hour by hour. Highlight when you could realistically fit runs. How many training days per week can you commit to without disrupting work, family, or sleep? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• Research the difference between a Traditional IRA and Roth IRA. Document: contribution limits, tax treatment, and which one makes more sense for YOUR current tax bracket (include your estimated tax rate). (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Write about your relationship with your home over the past month. Which rooms feel different now? Which rooms do you avoid? Why? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Document the moments when you've felt underutilized or bored at work. What was missing? What were you capable of that wasn't being used? How did you handle it? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Think about your identity before diagnosis. What parts of who you were do you miss most? What new parts of yourself have emerged? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• Map out every available time slot in your typical week where you could meditate. For each slot, rate it 1-10 for: Energy level, likelihood of interruption, and mental readiness. (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Write about the version of yourself you present to other family members about the estrangement. What do you emphasize? What do you minimize? Why? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• Track every time you say "where is my..." for one full day. Document: What were you looking for? Where was it supposed to be? Where was it actually? (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Write about a moment when you felt lonely despite being with your partner. What was missing in that moment? How often does this happen? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Recall times you've said "When I retire, I'll finally..." - list those statements. Why haven't you done them yet? What does this pattern tell you? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Think about your identity in your current city - how people know you, your reputation, your "place" in various circles. What does it feel like to start over with a blank slate? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Research your reading environment. For each place you spend time (bedroom, living room, commute, lunch break, etc.), note: lighting quality, noise level, seating comfort, phone accessibility, what you naturally do there now. Which space is most reading-friendly? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Pick your top 3 destination contenders. For each, find 3 blogs or vlogs from travelers who went in the past year (not tourism boards). Write down one thing each person loved and one thing they warned about. What themes repeat? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• Document the financial values you want to pass on someday. How does managing this inheritance align with or contradict those values? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Document all your subscriptions and recurring charges. For each: When did you sign up? Do you still use it? What would happen if you cancelled it today? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Research what emergencies have actually happened to people in your specific situation: Ask 5 people in similar life circumstances (age, job type, family situation) what unexpected expenses they've faced in the past 3 years. What patterns do you see? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Document the last time you felt proud about a financial decision. What made it feel right? What's different between that decision and the ones that led here? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• Explore different journaling formats: long-form writing, bullet points, voice memos transcribed, drawing/visual journaling. Try each for 5 minutes. Which felt most natural? Which helped you think more clearly? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Think about the moments when you forget, even briefly, that they're gone. What brings you back to reality? How does it feel when you remember again? What do you feel about those forgetting moments? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• Write about a fear you have about your teen's future. When did this fear start? How does it affect your daily decisions? Is it based on their reality or your projection? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• Document your relationship with work. Think about the past 5 years - when did work feel meaningful versus when did it feel like just a paycheck? What pattern emerges about what you actually need from a job? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• Research what's changed in the dating world since you last dated. What apps exist? What's the current etiquette? Document 5 specific things that are different from when you met your ex-spouse. (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Document your history with academic confidence. Write about: What subjects did you excel at? What did you struggle with? When did you feel smart? When did you feel behind? Are there any subjects or skills you've been avoiding because you "just aren't good at that"? What evidence do you have that adult-you couldn't learn it now? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Write about the last time you had to choose between spending money now versus saving for the future. What did you choose? How did you feel about it afterward? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• Audit your current workspace setup. List every item: desk, chair, monitor, lighting, noise level. Rate each 1-10 for functionality. What's causing the most physical discomfort? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Describe a tradition (family, cultural, religious) that you've kept even when it would be easier not to. Why does it matter? What traditions feel like empty obligations vs meaningful connections? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Write about your best manager and your worst manager. For each, describe one specific moment that defined the relationship. What patterns do you want to repeat or avoid? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Research cameras and equipment for your top 2 photography interests. For each interest, document: what type of camera do pros use (DSLR, mirrorless, phone), what's the minimum investment to start, and what's one specific limitation of starting with just a phone camera? (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Document any specific things the deceased said about death, funerals, or how they wanted to be remembered. Even offhand comments or jokes. (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Write about the moment you decided to write a book. What triggered it? What were you hoping it would change about your life? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Audit your current tools. List every productivity app, notebook, calendar, or system you currently use (even if barely). For each, note: last time you used it, what % of its features you actually use, and whether it helps or adds friction. (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Think about the activities you used to enjoy. Pick 3 and write: when you last did each one, how it felt, and what stopped you from doing it again. (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Document your current morning routine from waking to starting your first obligation. Time each activity. Where could 15-30 minutes of creative time fit without breaking everything else? (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Document every item in your bedroom (excluding built-in furniture). For each category: How many do you have? How many do you actually use? What surprises you? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Reflect on your energy patterns over a typical week. When are you most creative? Most drained? How does this match with when you'd need to work on your business? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Think back to the first 3 months of this relationship. What felt exciting then that you now recognize as a red flag? What did you dismiss or explain away? (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Reflect on what you're afraid will happen if you stop. Not the withdrawal, but the life changes. What are you actually afraid of facing or losing? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Map out your actual available time windows this week. For each day, write: What time you wake up, what time you get home, when you eat meals, when you have hard commitments. Highlight 3-5 realistic 20-30 minute windows when exercise could actually happen. Not ideal time - ACTUAL time. (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Document every notification you received yesterday. Which ones represented something you truly needed to know immediately versus something that could have waited? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• List every time slot in your typical week where you currently have 15+ minutes of unstructured time. For each slot, note what you usually do and how easy it would be to replace with practice. Be honest about which slots are realistic. (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Write about a time when you felt like an outsider or newcomer somewhere (new job, new city, new group). How long did it take to feel comfortable? What helped or hindered that process? (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Reflect on what "trust" means to you specifically. Not the dictionary definition—what behaviors, communication patterns, or reassurances make YOU feel secure? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Research 3 speakers (TED talks, keynotes, podcasts, YouTube) who speak on topics you care about. For each, watch/listen and document: What do they do in the first 30 seconds? How do they handle pauses? What makes their delivery feel authentic vs. rehearsed? What's one technique you could steal? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Look up 5 ways to get real exposure to this language in your city or online. List each opportunity with: what it is, how often it meets, what level it's for, and what makes you hesitant or excited about it. (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Write about a time you had "enough" - enough money, enough stuff, enough of something. What did that feel like? How did you know? What changed after that? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Document your current pantry staples - what you always have on hand. Then look at 3 recipes you want to make: what ingredients keep appearing that you don't stock? What pattern does this reveal? (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Document the timeline of escalation. List every significant incident from first tension to now. For each: Date, what happened, who witnessed it, what was said/done, how each person responded. What does this timeline reveal? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• Write about what "being a good son/daughter" meant in your family growing up. Who defined it? How does that definition help or hurt you now as a caregiver? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Research the difference between acoustic pianos, digital pianos, and keyboards by watching comparison videos or visiting a music store. Document: What surprised you? Which sound did you prefer? Which features matter to you (weighted keys, portability, volume control)? What's realistic for your space and budget? (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Think about your parents or the family you grew up in. What messages did you receive about having children? What would they say (or have they said) about your infertility journey? How does this affect how you're processing this experience? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Document your biggest fear about becoming a parent - the one you don't usually say out loud. Where does this fear come from? Is it based on something you witnessed, experienced, or imagined? What would it mean if this fear came true? (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Think about the version of yourself from 5 years ago. What would surprise them about who you've become in this marriage? What parts of yourself have you lost or hidden? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Write about a time someone told you "just focus" or "try harder." What were you struggling with? What did that feedback make you feel? What would actually have helped? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Document the advice you've gotten about this career change. Who said what? Which advice resonated? Which advice made you defensive? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• Track your caffeine intake for the past 3 days. List every caffeinated item (coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, chocolate) with the time you consumed it. What's your last caffeine of the day typically, and how many hours before bed is that? (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Write about what "thriving" (not just surviving) through menopause would look like for you. What would be different about your days? Your relationships? Your relationship with your body? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Reflect on your past year's biggest work achievement - something you're genuinely proud of. Write down: what percentage of the credit was yours vs. your team/company? If you'd done this as a freelancer, what would have been different? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Track one full day: Every time you pick up your phone, write what triggered it (notification, boredom, specific need). What patterns emerge? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Recall the last 3 times you did maintenance or repairs on your home. Did you think 'good investment' or 'just get through this'? What does your mental framing reveal about your relationship with this house? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Research the cost of starting guitar. Create a budget breakdown: guitar ($X), accessories ($X), lessons/apps ($X/month). Compare this to your last 5 discretionary purchases over $50. What does this comparison tell you about priority? (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Research therapy modalities that address your specific needs. Look into: CBT (thoughts/behaviors), DBT (emotion regulation), psychodynamic (patterns from past), EMDR (trauma), ACT (acceptance). Which 2-3 resonate most with what you're struggling with? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Identify 5 plants that are recommended for beginners in your specific growing zone. For each, research: how long until harvest/bloom, how much space needed, water needs, and what commonly kills it. Which sounds both achievable AND exciting to you? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• Research pricing for services or products similar to what you're considering. Find 10 examples and document: the range (lowest to highest), what the cheap options offer vs expensive options, and where most people seem to be priced. Based on your skill level, where would you realistically fit? (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Reflect on what "success" would actually feel like, beyond a number on the scale. How would you move through your day differently? What would you stop thinking about? What new possibilities would open up? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• List 5 people you know who have mornings you admire. For each, research what they actually do: Ask them specific questions about timing, sequence, what they do on bad days. (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Research the interest you're actually paying. For each debt, calculate how much you paid in interest alone last month. Add it all up. What could you have done with that money instead? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Compare 3 specific investing platforms (like Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab). For each, document: account minimum, trading fees, expense ratios on index funds, and what makes it different from the others. (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Research the organizational context affecting this conflict. What pressures is your team under? What changes are happening? What's the performance review cycle? What are the company politics? How might these factors be fueling the conflict? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• Find 5 marathons that interest you. For each, list: date, location, course elevation, average temperature, time limit, registration cost. Which feels most achievable for your first attempt? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• Document 3 times in your relationship when you compromised something important to you (a value, a boundary, a need). What did you compromise? Why? What pattern do you see in what you're willing to sacrifice for this relationship? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• Write about a moment when your partner's child did something that bothered you, but you weren't sure if you had the right to address it. What held you back? (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you felt proud of something you accomplished. How long ago was it? What made it meaningful? Why don't you have more moments like that? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Write about your worst symptom day in the past month. How did you get through it? What coping strategies actually helped versus what made it worse? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• Research the concept of "therapeutic writing" versus "reflective writing" versus "expressive writing". What are the different goals? Which goal resonates with what you need right now? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Identify 3-5 physical spaces where you could meditate (bedroom, office, outside, etc.). For each: Test sitting there for 5 minutes. What sounds do you hear? How comfortable is it? What distracts you? (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you want to be remembered professionally. What legacy matters to you? What do you still need to do or communicate before leaving? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Think about your different communication styles - when do they complement each other, and when do they clash? Write about a recent example of each. (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Document 3 specific moments when you've felt the absence most acutely. What triggered those feelings? What time of day? What were you doing? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Write about what you're running toward vs. running away from with this move. Be honest - what are you hoping will be different? What are you hoping to leave behind? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Think about your current lifestyle and spending. What do you secretly hope this inheritance will allow you to change? What does that desire tell you? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Document your current book discovery process. List the last 5 books you added to your reading list or bought. For each: where did you hear about it? Why did it appeal to you? Have you started it? This reveals your actual book selection pattern. (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• List your last 10 purchases over $50. For each note: Was it planned or impulse? Do you still value it? What does this pattern tell you about your spending? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Research the weather and climate for your top destinations during your potential travel window. Document: average temperature, rainfall, seasonal events (monsoon, festivals, holidays), and daylight hours. How does this affect what you can actually do there? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• Identify 5 people in your life right now. For each person, write: Do you feel MORE confident or LESS confident when you're around them? What specifically do they do or say that affects your confidence? What does this pattern tell you about your environment? (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• Think about the last time someone told you to "just relax" or "calm down." What did that feel like? What would have been more helpful in that moment? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Write about the last time something didn't go according to plan (trip, event, project). How did you react in the moment? Did you adapt quickly or spiral? What helps you regain control when things feel chaotic? (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Reflect on the story you've been telling yourself about why this happened. What parts of that story might be protecting you from harder truths? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• List every source of money you could access in a true emergency today: Credit cards (available credit), people who might loan you money, items you could sell, side income possibilities. Total it up. How does this compare to your "must-pay" monthly baseline? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Choose one category of items (clothes, kitchen tools, papers, toys). Count how many you own. Then count how many you've used in the past month. Calculate the percentage. (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Reflect on your family or friend group's grief style. Who talks about the loss openly? Who avoids it? Who do you match most closely? How does everyone else's grieving affect your own? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• Document a time when you felt guilty about the estrangement. What triggered it? Whose voice or values were behind that guilt? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• Reflect on your last performance review or feedback. Strip away the layoff context - what was genuinely valuable feedback? What skills were you actually building well? What does that tell you about your next move? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• Track your cooking time for the next 3 meals you make. For each, note: prep time, active cooking time, and when you felt rushed vs. in control. What does your time data tell you? (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Review your calendar from the past 2 weeks. Count: video calls, phone calls, async work blocks, meeting-free days. What percentage of your time is synchronous vs. asynchronous? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Reflect on what "success" means for this decision. Complete these sentences: I'll know going back to school was worth it if... I'll regret this decision if... The bare minimum outcome I need to feel good about this is... What do your answers reveal about your real motivations? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Write about your social life right now. Are you withdrawing, overcompensating, or finding balance? What pattern from past difficult times are you repeating? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Reflect on how your relationship with your teen has changed in the past year. What conversations have stopped? What new tensions have appeared? What do you miss? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• Interview 3 divorced friends who are dating about their experiences. What surprised them? What advice do they wish they'd had? What did they learn the hard way? (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Open your closet and count: Total clothing items, items worn in past month, items with tags still on, items that don't fit. What do these numbers tell you? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Write about a time you had to sell yourself or your ideas (job interview, persuading your team, asking for a raise). What felt natural? What felt forced? What does this reveal about how you'll sell your business? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Write about which aspects of funeral planning feel most overwhelming to you right now, and which feel manageable. What does this reveal about your capacity? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Think about your ideal writing day. Not just "morning routine" - but the specific feeling you want. What does your body feel like? What's your mental state? When have you felt this before? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Think about your identity: Complete this sentence 5 different ways: "I'm someone who..." How many of these are about what YOU do vs. what you enable others to do? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Map your contexts. List all the different "modes" you operate in (deep work, meetings, admin, creative, family time, etc.). For each, write: how much time per week, what environment works best, what tools you need, and what kills productivity in that context. (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Reflect on your social life over the past 3 months. Where do you actually spend time? How far do you typically travel to see friends, go to places you love? What does this reveal about how location affects your life? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• Think about the moments when you've been most honest about this problem. Who were you with? What made it safe to be honest then? What would it take to have more of those moments? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Reflect on your sleep over the past 2 weeks. List the nights you slept too much, too little, or restlessly. What happened during the day before each bad night? Any pattern? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Research your evening screen time by checking your phone's screen time report for the past week. What time do you typically pick up your phone in bed? Which apps do you use most in the hour before trying to sleep? How many minutes total are you on screens after 9pm? (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Find 3 YouTube channels, online courses, or learning resources about photography. For each, watch or skim the first lesson/video and note: teaching style, technical level (beginner-friendly?), does their approach match how you learn best, and whether you could see yourself actually following through with this resource. (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Research workout options within 10 minutes of where you live or work. List: Gyms (with monthly cost), parks or trails, public pools, community centers, studios. For each, note hours of operation and whether you'd realistically go there given the location and your routine. (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Write about a time when you and your partner had completely different visions for something (a vacation, apartment, decision) - how did you get aligned? What did you learn about compromise vs. standing firm? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Reflect on conversations you've had (or avoided) about divorce. Who did you talk to first? What made you finally say it out loud? How did naming it change things? (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Document the last 3 times you felt envious of someone else's life situation. What specifically did you envy? What does this reveal about your retirement priorities? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Document times when friends or family expressed concern about this relationship. What did they say? How did you defend or explain your partner's behavior? What do you think now? (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Research the specific dialect or variant you need. Compare what you'll learn in standard courses vs. what people actually speak where you'll use it. What differences matter most for your goals? (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Document your tolerance for bureaucracy and paperwork. Think of the last 2-3 times you had to deal with complex administrative processes. How did you handle it? What frustrated you most? (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Identify 3-5 upcoming opportunities in your life where you could practice speaking (team meetings, social events, toasts, volunteer opportunities, local meetups). For each: What's the context? How many people? What's your relationship to them? Which feels like the lowest-stakes place to start? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Reflect on your commute and work environment preferences. Think about specific days when location/setup affected your productivity or mood. What patterns emerge about what you actually need? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Document a recent interaction with your parent that felt like your roles had reversed - when you were the parent and they were the child. What happened? How did it make you feel about your relationship? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Find 3 people in your extended network who play or have played piano (check Facebook, LinkedIn, ask friends). For each person, research or reach out to learn: How did they start? What resources did they use? What do they wish they'd known at the beginning? If they stopped, why? (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Research 5-7 creators whose work resonates with you. For each, find out: How did they start? What does their actual practice look like? What struggles have they shared? (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Write about what "success" used to mean to you vs. what feels meaningful now. Have your life priorities shifted? What accomplishments feel hollow? What unexpected things bring you satisfaction? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Document what happens at the end of your typical day. What tasks are left undone? What did you get distracted by? What do you tell yourself about why things didn't get done? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Reflect on your identity outside work. When you introduce yourself at a party, what do you say after your name? How would a career change affect that? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• List 5-7 people in your existing network (friends, colleagues, former coworkers, acquaintances) who might need what you're considering offering. For each, write: what's their situation, why would they need this, would they actually pay you, and what's awkward about asking them? (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Document the moments in the past month when you felt most confident, capable, or at peace. What were you doing? What conditions allowed you to feel that way? How can you create more of those moments? (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Write about what "success" looks like to you in 3 years. Not what you think you should want - what do you actually picture? Where are you working? Who are you working with? What does a Tuesday afternoon look like? (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Research the soil situation in your area. Look up: your region's native soil type, common deficiencies, and whether soil testing is available locally. If you're container gardening, research 3 potting soil options and their prices. What's the reality of what you'll need to buy or amend? (Guide: Starting a Garden, Category: General)
• Write about your gut instinct right now. If you quiet all the other voices (what others think, fear of being alone, sunk cost, hope), what is your gut actually telling you? When did you first feel that instinct? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• Research 3 organizing systems you've tried before (apps, bins, methods, etc.). For each, document: When did you try it? How long did it last? What made you stop using it? (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Research proper running form and common technique mistakes. Watch 3 videos or read 3 articles. Note: What are you doing wrong right now? What should you change first? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• List every source of income you have. For each: How much (after taxes)? How reliable? Could it change? What's the absolute minimum you can count on monthly? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Write about the part of you that resists weight loss. What does it fear? What does staying the same protect you from? What would you have to give up or face if you succeeded? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Audit your current morning environment: Where is your phone when you sleep? How dark is your room? Temperature? What do you see first when you wake up? Take photos and note everything. (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Document your self-talk over the past week. What critical things have you said to yourself about your performance, worth, or capability? Where did these messages originate? (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Look up the historical performance of the S&P 500 over the past 20 years. Document: the best year, worst year, and average annual return. How does this compare to your savings account? (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Research what experienced meditators say about the first 30 days. Find 3-5 accounts of what actually happens when starting. What challenges do they mention? What surprised them? What kept them going? (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• List every app and platform where you have an account. For each, write the last time you got genuine value from it versus the last time you used it out of habit. (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Think about the last major life transition you went through. How did you handle it? What coping strategies worked? What do you wish you'd done differently? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you talk about your illness to yourself in your head. Is your inner voice compassionate or critical? When did that pattern start? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• Reflect on the last time you felt proud of your partner. What were they doing? When was the last time you told them about it? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Document your income stability: Is your income the same every month or does it vary? Write down the lowest and highest months in the past year. If you're salaried, what would happen to your income if you lost your job? How long does your industry typically take for job searches? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Write about a time when you stayed in a job longer than you should have. What kept you there? What finally made you leave? What would you tell yourself now about recognizing those signs earlier? (Guide: Job Search Strategy, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you talk to yourself about this situation. What do you call yourself? What story do you tell yourself about why this happened? (Guide: Family Estrangement, Category: General)
• Reflect on whose approval or validation matters most to you about this decision. Your parents? Your partner? Friends? Society? Write about why their opinion carries weight and whether that's serving you. (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Survey your physical and digital reading setup. List: what books do you own but haven't read? What's on your e-reader? How many library apps do you have? Where are books physically located in your home? Is your setup making reading easier or harder? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Reflect on who you have told about this inheritance and who you have kept it from. What is driving those choices? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Reflect on how you recharge and take care of yourself currently. What spaces, activities, or routines are essential to your wellbeing? How transferable are these to your new city? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Create an inventory of all your debts. For each: Current balance, minimum payment, interest rate, how you feel when you think about it. Which one bothers you most? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Investigate accommodation options for each potential destination. Look at 3 different types (hotel, Airbnb, hostel) and note the cost per night in the area you'd want to stay. Calculate the total lodging cost for your trip length. How does this compare to your rough budget? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• Investigate therapist directories and platforms: Psychology Today, Zocdoc, TherapyDen, OpenPath Collective, BetterHelp, your insurance provider directory. Which have therapists with your insurance, location/online preferences, and specialties? (Guide: Starting Therapy, Category: General)
• Document what "family" meant to you before this transition vs. what it means now. What has changed in your definition? (Guide: Building a Blended Family, Category: General)
• Find 2-3 examples of people who journal regularly (from interviews, articles, podcasts). What do they get from it? What obstacles do they mention? What similarities do you see with your own situation? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Reflect on the stories you tell about yourself. What percentage are about your kids? What percentage are about you? What does that ratio mean? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Write down your top 10 non-negotiable values in a partner. For each, note: Is this based on what you lacked in your marriage, or what you've always needed? How will you recognize this value in someone new? (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Review your digital clutter: How many unread emails? Unused apps on your phone? Files on your desktop? What percentage of your digital stuff do you actively use? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Analyze your interruptions. For 2-3 typical workdays, track what breaks your focus: when it happens, what caused it (notification, person, self-interruption), and how long it took to refocus. Calculate the true cost of your interruptions. (Guide: Building a Productivity System, Category: General)
• Document a time you had to make a decision with incomplete information. What process did you use? Who did you consult? What would you do the same or differently as a leader? (Guide: New Leadership Role, Category: General)
• Think about a time you helped someone else through a layoff or career crisis. What advice did you give them? What compassion did you show? Now write those same words to yourself - why is it harder to believe? (Guide: Recovering from Layoff, Category: General)
• Write about how anxiety affects your sense of yourself. Do you see anxiety as part of who you are, or as something happening to you? How does this perspective impact your relationship with it? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Research local photography opportunities in your area. Document: are there photography walks, clubs, or meetups within 30 minutes of you? Any specific locations known for good photo opportunities? Local photographers who teach workshops? Write down 3 concrete options with dates/times if available. (Guide: Photography as a Hobby, Category: General)
• Investigate the actual cost of different exercise options. Create a list: gym membership ($X/month), home equipment ($X one-time), class packages ($X/month), apps or programs ($X/month), workout clothes you'd need ($X). What's the minimum viable investment to start versus the "someday when I'm serious" version? (Guide: Building a Fitness Habit, Category: General)
• Document what you're afraid will happen if you finish this book. Then what you're afraid will happen if you don't. Which fear is stronger? (Guide: Writing a Book, Category: General)
• Explore 3 cooking resources (YouTube channels, blogs, cookbooks, Instagram accounts) that appeal to you. For each, note: What style resonates? What makes their teaching click? What's one specific thing you learned? (Guide: Improving Cooking Skills, Category: General)
• Document your Sunday evening feeling about your home over the past 3 months. Peaceful? Stressed about the to-do list? Eager to be somewhere else? When exactly did this pattern start? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Write about something this person taught you or changed in you. How do you see that influence showing up in your life now? What part of them lives on through you? (Guide: Grieving a Loss, Category: General)
• List 3 moments in the past 6 months when you had a chance to change course but didn't. What stopped you each time? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• Document all the places you've worked from home in the past month. For each location: how long, how productive (1-10), what made it work or not work? (Guide: Remote Work Success, Category: General)
• Write about the story you tell yourself about why you didn't finish or continue school before (if applicable), or why you're considering it now. What's the narrative you've carried? Is that story serving you or holding you back? If you could rewrite that story starting today, what would the new version say? (Guide: Returning to School, Category: General)
• Describe the pattern of conflict in this relationship. After a fight or incident, what happens? How long until things feel 'normal'? How many times has this cycle repeated? (Guide: Ending a Toxic Relationship, Category: General)
• Document your support system. Who in your life will celebrate wins with you? Who will help you process failures? Who might actively discourage you? How will you handle each? (Guide: Starting a Business, Category: General)
• Write about how this fits into your family history. Who else has struggled with addiction or similar patterns? What did you learn from watching them? What do you want to do differently? (Guide: Addiction Recovery, Category: General)
• Think about other parents of teens you know. What do you envy about their relationship with their teen? What do you judge? What does this tell you about your values? (Guide: Parenting Teenagers, Category: General)
• Write about a time in the past year when someone said or did something that made you feel slightly less alone. What specifically did they say/do? Why did it land differently than other attempts to help? (Guide: Depression Recovery, Category: General)
• Document your exercise patterns over the past 2 weeks. On which days did you exercise? What time of day? What intensity? On the days you exercised, did you sleep better or worse that night? Write what you notice. (Guide: Improving Sleep, Category: General)
• Reflect on your relationship with this person - what remains unsaid between you? How might this shape what you need from the funeral process? (Guide: Planning a Funeral, Category: General)
• Document a time in the past year when you compromised on something important to you (relationship, job, living situation). How did it feel? What would make a compromise on a home feel okay versus resentful? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)
• Study your target audience. Pick the group you most want/need to speak to (work team, conference attendees, community group, etc.). Research: What do they care about? What problems keep them up at night? What communication style resonates with them? What speakers do THEY respect? (Guide: Public Speaking Confidence, Category: General)
• Research your actual track record. List the last 10 times you tried something new, difficult, or scary over the past year. For each, document: what you attempted, what actually happened (success/failure/mixed), and what you learned. What's your actual success rate vs. what you expected? (Guide: Building Confidence, Category: General)
• Find 3 native speakers on language exchange platforms. Look at their profiles - what are they interested in? Could you have real conversations about shared interests, or would you be forcing it? (Guide: Learning a New Language, Category: General)
• Think about the moment you decided to do long distance. What fear did you NOT voice out loud? How is that unspoken fear showing up now? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Audit your physical spaces. Take photos or write descriptions of: where you spend most of your time, where you keep creative materials (if any), where you feel most comfortable experimenting. (Guide: Building a Creative Practice, Category: General)
• Reflect on your risk tolerance: Think about the 3 biggest financial risks you've taken in your life. What made you take them? How did they turn out? What does your gut tell you about market volatility in retirement? (Guide: Retirement Planning, Category: General)
• Reflect on Sunday nights over the past 3 months. When you think about Monday, what feeling comes up about your current life situation? When did this feeling start? (Guide: Immigration Process, Category: General)
• Gather data on the other person's perspective. What do they care about professionally? What pressures are they under? What past experiences might shape their behavior? What might they be afraid of? Where might they have a valid point? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• Think about the last time you enjoyed time with your parent (not just caregiving tasks). What were you doing? Why was it different from your usual interactions? When was it? (Guide: Caring for Aging Parents, Category: General)
• Investigate local piano teachers by searching Google, asking on neighborhood groups, or visiting music schools. Document at least 3 options with: Lesson format (in-person, online, group), cost per lesson, teacher's background, and whether they offer trial lessons. (Guide: Learning Piano, Category: General)
• Document the different versions of your future you've imagined in the past 6 months. Life with biological children? Adoption? Child-free? For each scenario, what emotions come up? Which visions feel like "settling" vs. genuine possibility? (Guide: Coping with Infertility, Category: General)
• Think about your energy levels throughout a typical day. When do you feel most capable? When does everything feel impossible? What patterns have you noticed but haven't acted on? (Guide: Managing ADHD, Category: General)
• Investigate 3 different learning methods (private lessons, apps like Yousician, YouTube, etc.). For each, find one real person's progress story and note: How long until they played a full song? What frustrated them? What kept them going? (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• List your core values - authenticity, peace, growth, family unity, commitment, happiness. For each, write how staying vs. leaving aligns or conflicts with that value. (Guide: Navigating Divorce, Category: General)
• Write about a past major life change (move, relationship, school). How did you handle uncertainty then? What coping strategies worked? (Guide: Career Change, Category: General)
• Document the last time you spent a significant amount of money (over $500). Walk through the decision: How long did you think about it? Did you research? What made you finally commit? What does this tell you about how you'll handle wedding spending? (Guide: Planning Your Wedding, Category: General)
• Create a comprehensive symptom log for the next 2 weeks. Track: hot flashes (time, intensity, triggers), sleep disruptions, mood shifts, brain fog moments, physical pain, and energy levels. Note what you ate, activities, and stressors for each day. (Guide: Navigating Menopause, Category: General)
• Research the practical requirements for what you're considering. Document: what equipment/tools you'd need (and cost), what platforms or marketplaces you'd use, what legal/tax considerations exist, and what certifications or credentials (if any) people expect. (Guide: Building Side Income, Category: General)
• Think about your ideal outcome 6 months after selling. What does success look like in specific detail? What would make you think 'we absolutely made the right choice'? (Guide: Selling Your Home, Category: General)
• Research your most-used app: Open it right now and track exactly how long before it shows you something algorithmically recommended versus something you specifically sought out. What does that ratio tell you? (Guide: Digital Minimalism, Category: General)
• Document your current finger dexterity. Try this: touch your thumb to each fingertip on the same hand, one at a time, as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Which hand is easier? Do your fingers feel coordinated or clumsy? How does this make you feel about learning guitar? (Guide: Learning Guitar, Category: General)
• Document your caffeine dependency: What time is your first coffee? How do you feel before it vs after? What happens on days you skip it? Be honest about the role it plays. (Guide: Creating a Morning Routine, Category: General)
• Write about the last time you made a decision purely for yourself without considering anyone else's needs. What was it? How did it feel? When was it? (Guide: Empty Nest Transition, Category: General)
• Reflect on what "trust" means to you specifically. Not the dictionary definition - what does it actually feel like in your body when you trust someone? When did you last feel that with your partner? Can you imagine feeling it again? (Guide: Recovering from Infidelity, Category: General)
• Track your spending for the past month using bank/credit card statements. Categorize everything. What percentage goes to: essentials, debt payments, discretionary spending? What surprises you? (Guide: Paying Off Debt, Category: General)
• Investigate injury prevention strategies for marathon training. List 5 specific exercises or habits (stretching, strength work, foam rolling). Which ones address your weakest areas? (Guide: Training for a Marathon, Category: General)
• Track your actual working hours for the past 2 weeks. For each day: start time, end time, breaks taken, evening/weekend work. Calculate your true average weekly hours. (Guide: Recovering from Burnout, Category: General)
• Document the difference between your "anxious self" and your "calm self." How do you think, speak, move, and make decisions differently in each state? (Guide: Managing Anxiety, Category: General)
• Research what "expense ratio" means. Find and document the expense ratios of 3 popular index funds (like VTSAX, FZROX, SWTSX). Calculate: how much this costs on a $10,000 investment annually. (Guide: Investing for Beginners, Category: General)
• Research 10 people who do work similar to what you want to freelance in. For each, document: their title/niche, where you found them (LinkedIn, personal site, platform), how they describe their services, and one thing that stands out about their positioning. (Guide: Going Freelance, Category: General)
• Map out your daily movement patterns. Draw or describe: What path do you walk when you get home? Where do things land? What surfaces do you touch most? (Guide: Organizing Your Home, Category: General)
• Analyze the communication history. List every conversation about this conflict: Who initiated? What was said? What was avoided? What tone was used? What patterns emerge? What hasn't been said that needs to be? (Guide: Workplace Conflict, Category: General)
• List the moments when your illness feels most isolating. What specifically makes you feel alone - the physical symptoms, others' reactions, or your own thoughts? (Guide: Living with Chronic Illness, Category: General)
• Investigate digital versus paper journaling. Write down the pros/cons for YOUR specific life. Consider: Do you lose physical items? Do you type faster? Does handwriting help you slow down? What fits your reality? (Guide: Daily Journaling, Category: General)
• Write about your fears regarding retirement. What specific scenarios worry you? What's the worst that could happen? How realistic are these fears? (Guide: Retiring from Work, Category: General)
• Track your interactions for the next 3 days: How many times do you have meaningful conversations (not logistics)? How many times do you touch affectionately? What patterns do you notice? (Guide: Improving Marriage, Category: General)
• Track your time for one typical weekday. For each activity: Did you choose it or feel obligated? Does it align with your values? What would you eliminate if you could? (Guide: Minimalist Living, Category: General)
• Create a brutal honesty cash flow snapshot for the next 30 days. List every dollar coming in (with dates) and every essential expense that cannot be delayed. What's the actual gap? (Guide: Financial Recovery, Category: General)
• Research high-yield savings accounts: Find 3 banks offering competitive rates right now. What are the rates? Any fees? Minimum balances? How easy is it to withdraw money? Which one feels right for you and why? (Guide: Building an Emergency Fund, Category: General)
• Think about the last major life transition you went through (new job, moving, relationship change). What part was harder than expected? What part was easier? What helped you get through it? What can you learn from that experience? (Guide: Preparing for a Baby, Category: General)
• Research the total cost of living difference between your current city and your new city. Break it down: rent, groceries, transportation, entertainment. What's the actual dollar difference monthly? (Guide: Moving to a New City, Category: General)
• Reflect on your partner's last expression of love or commitment. Did you fully receive it, or did doubt/distance make you discount it? What does your response pattern tell you? (Guide: Long Distance Relationship, Category: General)
• Write about the timeline pressure you are feeling. What decisions feel urgent versus which ones could you make in 6-12 months? (Guide: Managing an Inheritance, Category: General)
• Track every purchase for the next 3 days, including the tiny ones (coffee, snacks, apps). At the end, what patterns emerge? Where did money "disappear"? (Guide: Mastering Your Budget, Category: General)
• Document your current life constraints and how they affect dating. Kids' schedules? Co-parenting logistics? Work demands? Financial considerations? Be specific about the time and energy you actually have available. (Guide: Dating After Divorce, Category: General)
• Document the props and tools available to you: cushion, chair, timer app, headphones, blanket, etc. For each, note: Do you already own it? How might it help? Is it necessary or optional? (Guide: Starting Meditation, Category: General)
• Track everything you eat and drink for 3 consecutive days (including weekends). For each item note: What time? How hungry were you (1-10)? What were you feeling? Were you eating alone or with others? (Guide: Sustainable Weight Loss, Category: General)
• Research 5 books you've been 'meaning to read' for over 6 months. For each: write down why you think you should read it, who recommended it, and honestly whether you actually want to read it or feel obligated. What's the pattern? (Guide: Reading More Books, Category: General)
• Research transportation logistics for your top 2 destinations. Document: round-trip flight costs for your dates (use flexible date search), airport-to-city transport options and costs, and how you'd get around once there (walkable, public transit, rental car needed). What's the total transportation budget? (Guide: Planning International Travel, Category: General)
• Think about your career trajectory over the next 5 years. Write down the 3 most likely scenarios (realistic, not just optimistic). How would each scenario affect where you'd want to live? (Guide: Buying Your First Home, Category: General)