Note: This is the second of a two-part series. Click here for part one

Here are questions designed to assist you in getting to know yourself better. I urge you to do this exercise in writing, because you’ll forget your answers if you don’t write them down. After you’ve answered a question, challenge yourself to give a second and third answer to the same question, so you wind up writing down as many answers to each question as you can:

• What do you want to change about yourself? What stops you from doing it?
• What have you accomplished in the last 5 years?
• What are your biggest accomplishments in your life?
• How do you think you come across to other people? How do they see you?
• What do you like about your home or where you live? What about it expresses you?
• If you could talk to your future self of 20 years from now, what would s/he say to you?
• What are you afraid of? What are you afraid will happen?
• What or whom do you miss?
• What kind of person makes you feel inadequate, or that you don’t measure up?
• How could you enjoy your life more?
• How have your failures turned into lessons or blessings?
• Describe the silver linings in your losses or major life changes.
• Do you think of yourself as lovable? Do you love yourself? What do you think others love about you?
• What do you look forward to?
• If you could advise your child self, what would you tell him/her?
• What thoughts repeat themselves over and over again in your mind? What do you think they say about you?
• What emotions repetitively occur again and again for you?
• What do you find most challenging in your life?
• When have you been courageous? When have you shown backbone?
• When have you been resilient? How do you get through adversity?
• What are your most important priorities?
• What are you grateful for?