Four Transformative Questions for Self Reflection

Four Questions to Ask Yourself Every Night

Prajula Ravichandran
ILLUMINATION
2 min readFeb 19, 2024

--

We all aspire to grow, improve, and live our best lives. What if I told you that achieving this could be as simple as answering four straightforward questions each night before bed?

Whether you mentally note your responses or prefer to jot them down, incorporating these questions into your routine can significantly enhance your life.

This image was created by the author using Canva.

1. What went well today?

Reflect on the positive aspects of your day. Even on challenging days, strive to identify at least three things that brought some brightness.

2. What upset me today?

Make a list of all the triggers you came across that day for your triggers are your blessings in disguise.

Your triggers offers you valuable insights into the areas of your life that require your attention and growth. Acknowledging your triggers is the first step to addressing them.

3. What did I learn today?

Every day there is always something to learn, whether big or small. It could be discovering a new skill or simply stumbling upon a useful life hack.

Analyze all that you learnt in your day, no matter their size, as they contribute to your continuous development.

4. What is the one thing I aim to do tomorrow?

As mentioned by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky in ‘Make Time,’ consider setting a daily highlight — an activity aligned with your long-term goals that you commit to completing each day.

Whether it’s related to your work or personal aspirations, allocate 60 to 90 minutes for this task.

Remember, you cannot delegate or postpone your highlight.

Tips for maximizing your highlight:

  1. Schedule it in advance: Add your highlight to your calendar the day before, so you can eliminate decision fatigue of having to plan your highlight and fit it into your schedule.
  2. Prioritize it in the morning: There is a huge chance that you might procrastinate on your highlight when you schedule it later in the day. So tackle your highlight earlier in the day so you can complete it and move on to the other tasks in your to-do list. It is always best to ‘eat-that-frog’ first thing in the day.

Today, when you go to bed, ask yourself these four questions. Remember, change does not happen over night but when you constantly engage with these questions, you enrich each day, paving the way for a better tomorrow.

--

--