Personal growth and self-improvement come when we think about who we want to become and we take the necessary steps to get there.
But this isn’t possible without first analyzing where we are right now, and what we need to change about our lives and ourselves to bring ourselves closer to the people we want to be and the lives we want to lead.
But the truth is, most of us go about our days living from our subconscious minds, carrying out the same routines and habits without really ever questioning what we’re doing.
And then we wonder why we’re feeling unfulfilled…
When was the last time you actually stopped and asked yourself “what am I doing?”, or better yet, one of the positive questions to ask yourself that I suggest in this post?
If it was a long time ago, or maybe even never, then you should know that you’re definitely not alone as 95% of the population are probably in the same boat.
However, you’re here reading this post, which tells me that there’s a part of you that wants to be better and do better.
And by asking yourself the right questions daily and using your answers to guide your life, you can.
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Why should you ask yourself daily questions?
In my opinion, asking yourself questions like these daily is fundamental to your growth.
If you want to become a better person (or rather, the best version of yourself) you need to be asking yourself thought-provoking questions that challenge the status quo and take you out of your comfort zone.
Doing so on a regular basis can have several benefits such as…
- a deeper understanding of yourself: powerful questions like the ones in this post help you to understand your inner working in a profound way
- more self reflection: reflecting on yourself is the first step to making necessary changes to become the kind of person you want to be
- a new perspective: asking purposeful questions can challenge your neurology and encourage you to be more open minded and consider different perspectives
- deeper relationship with your values: through continual reflection, you can cultivate a life that’s in alignment with your core values and ultimately feel more fulfilled
- better relationships: asking important questions can help you to reflect on and improve the quality of the relationships in your life
- step into your ideal self: the right questions will help you understand the kind of person you want to become, and take steps daily to embody that person
- improved mental health: if nothing changes, then nothing changes! asking the right questions can help us to identify the changes that need to occur in order to improve our mental state and live a happier life
But why daily, you ask?
Because if we want to change ourselves and our lives, then we need to show up every single day to make it happen, no matter how small an action it is that we take.
Living each day with purpose is the key to making big changes and ultimately reaching your goals and desires.
And asking yourself daily questions is a way to stay on track and in alignment with your purpose.
And when I say daily, I mean every single day. That means no days off.
You might think that sounds a little strict. I call it disciplined.
Because if you take a day off… one day off can easily become two days off, become three days, four… a week, a month, and before you know it you’ve lost sight of your purpose altogether.
Without this purpose to guide you, you’re more likely to fall into old habits and behaviors and come completely off track.
Committing to finding five minutes out of every day to ask yourself some questions really isn’t a big feat when you think about it, especially since it can help to bring you much closer to your dreams and desires.
How to get the most out of self-reflection questions
As I’ve already stressed, the best way to get the most out of self-reflection questions is to make use of them every single day.
By utilising the list of questions in this post on a daily basis, you can make this level of self-inquiry a habit in your daily routine, and make true space for positive changes to occur.
But with this advice aside, there are other ways to ensure that you’re getting the full benefits of the following questions too, such as…
1. Asking yourself questions every morning
If there’s a time of day that should be a non-negotiable when it comes to self-reflection questions, it should be the morning.
The most successful people start their day with some kind of morning routine, and you’re no different!
When you start your day by asking yourself questions, you are ensuring that you can get into the right mindset to go about your day with purpose.
By utilizing questions in the morning, you can get a clearer understanding of what tasks need to be accomplished that day, what things you need to overcome, and anything else that you can do today to set you up for future success.
If you don’t start your day with purpose in this way, you’re much more likely to just plod along and not really make any real progress towards your goals and life purpose.
So if you want to get the most out of these positive questions to ask yourself, do yourself a favor and ask yourself them every morning!
Related: 10 Morning Habits You Need in 2020 for Productivity and Success
2. Asking yourself questions at the end of each day
Another great time to ask yourself self-reflection questions is at the end of each day.
Doing so allows you to reflect on what went well and what could have gone better, which is essential for changing your actions and behaviors and ultimately, improving yourself.
Asking yourself positive questions before you sleep is also a great way to reprogram your subconscious while you sleep, and can even mean that you wake up the next morning feeling more positive and motivated!
3. Writing down the answers to your questions
To get the absolute most out of your question and self-reflection practice, you should be writing your answers down.
If you’re just thinking about them in your head, you’re not going to get the same clarity as you would putting pen to paper.
Really take some time to think about your answers and get clear on them by writing them down.
You can be as simplistic or as detailed as you like, but jot something down at least!
4. Reflecting on previous entries
Another benefit of writing down your answers is that you can actually reflect on your previous answers to see just how much you’ve changed and whether you’ve moved closer to or further from your goals.
This allows you to measure your progress, which is essential if you’re trying to make changes in your life!
You need to know exactly what is and isn’t working, and reflecting on your previous journal entries is an amazing way to measure this.
5. Using questions to explore your purpose
As well as using questions for the more “mundane” realizations such as your daily to-dos and what could have gone better, you can also use deeper questions to truly get to know yourself and your purpose.
With our subconsciouses being so programmed with everything we have been taught by those around us and society as a whole, it can be difficult to truly know our own wants and beliefs outside of all the noise.
Deeper self-reflection questions can help us get to know ourselves so that we can start going after the lives we really want and pursue goals that will make us feel fulfilled because they are aligned with us on a soul level.
28 Positive Questions to Ask Yourself Daily
Now you hopefully understand the benefits of this practice, here’s 39 positive questions to ask yourself daily to change your mindset and bring yourself closer to your goals!
Use the following questions to bring yourself closer to embodying your best self.
I would suggest asking yourself one of these simple questions everyday and truly taking the time to consider your answer.
In other words, it’s better to answer one question in depth than it is to half-heartedly work your way through all of the questions at once.
So, with that being said, here are 39 positive questions to ask yourself daily.
Questions to ask yourself every morning
Ask these questions first thing in the morning to reflect on your to-do list and set yourself up for a successful and meaningful day ahead.
- What am I grateful for today?
- What three main tasks do I need to accomplish today?
- What is my main intention today?
- What affirmation can I live by today?
- What am I feeling this morning?
- What small step can I take today to embody the person I want to become?
- What daily activities do I want to prioritise today?
What to ask yourself at the end of each day
Ask these questions at the end of the day to reflect on how your day went and make positive changes moving forward.
- What went well today?
- What could have gone better today?
- What challenges did I overcome today?
- What changes can I make tomorrow?
- How do I want to wake up tomorrow?
- Did I work towards my goals today?
- What motivated me today?
- What mistakes did I make today? And what can I learn from them?
Daily journal questions to ask yourself for personal growth
Ask yourself these questions to reflect on your thoughts, behaviours and actions, and improve your personal development.
- What can I do today to bring me closer to my purpose?
- How can I show up today for others?
- What would the person I want to become do today?
- What’s one thing I can do today that scares me?
- What’s something I need to let go of in my life?
- What is something that I need to do more of in my life?
- What is making me feel unfulfilled in my current life? What can I do to change it?
- What skill would I like to master?
- What lesson can I learn from “this situation”?
- How can this negative experience be reframed as positive?
- What bad habits do I want to stop engaging in?
- What goal is most important to me right now? How can I go the extra mile to make it happen?
Deep questions to ask yourself to find out who you are
Ask these questions to reflect more deeply on the kind of person you are and what lights you up inside.
- What’s one thing that I would do if I knew that I could not fail?
- What did I love doing most as a child?
- What is my “why”?
- What makes my soul happy?
- With a year to live, what would I focus on?
- What is my biggest regret?
- Where do I feel most happy and free?
- What people make me feel most like myself?
- Am I the kind of person I want to be? Why/why not?
- If I could give one piece of advice to my younger self, what would it be?
- If I could only pick one core value to live the rest of my life by, what would it be?
- What do I like and dislike most about the world today?
Hopefully, you now have a good selection of positive questions to ask yourself every single day, and no excuses!
Asking yourself these questions really can help to transform your mindset and help you live your life with purpose and manifest your biggest dreams and desires, so don’t wait to get started!
Over time you will gain valuable insight into the person you are and who you want to become.
Liked this post on questions to ask yourself daily? Check out these related posts:
- 20 Powerful Journal Prompts for Stress Relief
- 30 Days of Gratitude Journal Prompts
- 34 Journal Prompts for Depression Relief
- 53 Self Compassion Quotes to Inspire Kindness to Yourself
And don’t forget to pin this post for later!
Esther is the founder of Through the Phases. Her mission is to guide others to grow to their full potential and create their dream life using spiritual and personal growth practices. Read more about her story here!