20 Questions for Your Diary
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If you have a diary, or, even if you don’t, here are 20 important questions to ask yourself that will help you figure out where you are in your life right now and where you might want to go from here.
Maybe you’re unhappy because you haven’t achieved much of what you set out to yet. But, what if you have and just don’t realize it?
These questions are designed to help you distinguish between your own personal desires and those that have been pushed onto you by a society that teaches people to always want more, more, more!
Some people really don’t want a million dollars because there’s a lot of stress that comes with that. If you already know that you are happy with yourself exactly as you are, then no need to read further. However, if you’re not sure, read on.
1. CAREER AND MONEY
a. Do I enjoy my work?
b. Do I feel I am making a contribution to society?
c. Am I living up to my potential?
d. Have I achieved a satisfying standard of living?
e. Have I planned for my retirement?
2. FRIENDS AND HOBBIES
a. Do my friends enrich my life and add to my sense of fulfillment and happiness?
b. Do I have at least one person I can discuss important life experiences with?
c. Do I have interests other than career or family (sports, movies, etc.)?
3. RELIGION AND VALUES
a. Have I ever articulated my specific personal values?
b. Am I living up to those personal values?
c. Is religion important to me?
d. If not, have I reconciled my relationship with the universe in general?
4. FAMILY AND HOME
a. Have I realized my own personal dream in terms of my home?
b. Have I realized my own personal dream in terms of my family?
5. EDUCATION AND LEARNING
a. Did I accomplish the educational goals I set for myself after high school?
b. Am I still growing and learning?
c. Do I invest in continuing my education on a regular basis?
6. HEALTH AND FITNESS
a. How satisfied am I with my current level of physical health?
b. Am I living up to my own standards in terms of diet and exercise?
c. Am I fit enough to do the things I want to do?
CONCLUSION
If you answered “yes” to most of the questions above, you are already happy! To borrow a line from Shakespeare, “Why then, rejoice therefore!” Congratulations on achieving what the rest of us are all still working towards! You succeeded!
As for the rest of us, did you notice that a lot of the questions depend on personal standards, goals, and levels of satisfaction? If we have very high standards, goals, and expectations, it will take a lot longer for us to get there from here. But, that doesn’t mean we’re not happy. As long as we are working toward our ultimate goals, we could be just as happy as those who have already reached their goals because we are doing something we consider vitally important to our existence and well-being. However, if we are not satisfied with our lives but still do absolutely nothing to achieve our own personal goals, chances are we will remain unhappy for the rest of our lives. And, that is a very unhappy predicament indeed.
[For “10 Reasons to Keep a Diary,” click here.]
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August 12th, 2008 at 11:13 am
This is another great article. Sometimes you don’t realize how happy you are until you stop and take stock in your life. It’s always nice to have another good friend but my focus now is career. In fact, it’s been my biggest struggle in the last 5 years.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Hi Jude! Thanks for your comment and positive feedback! Might I suggest that you think about your career as having been a “challenge” instead of a “struggle” during the past 5 years? The difference may seem merely semantic, but the power of words is immeasurable! If you go one step further and think about all the positive lessons you have learned from those challenges — really analyze them — then, not only will you realize how far you’ve come, which should give you valuable perspective, but, also, hopefully, how you can more efficiently spend the next 5 years in your career. Honestly, I’ve never found better self help books for all goals than the 2 grand-daddies of them all: Think and Grow Rich and How to Win Friends and Influence People. Every practical tip you need is in there! Best of luck to you!
August 13th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Thanks!
August 18th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Hi Shanel,
Nice questions in the article. However I have something to say. Hope you will not mind.
There may be time when a person is facing a situation when he got frustrated with his life. Every thing goes wrong in his life. He can saw only failure around himself. He may be full of negative thought at that time. At that moment most of above question have a negative answer.
You said in your article if we don’t have mostly positive answer then that does’nt mean that we are not happy. However as per my experience I can have positive answer of the questions if I am satisfied.
But I like one thing about these questions. It makes very easy for a person to identify why he is not satisfied. Now he can work hard in that particular area and very soon he can change all neagtive answer into positive and satisfied situation.
Thanks and regards.
Gaurav Bhatnagar
August 18th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Hi Gaurav! Thanks for your comment and feedback! I don’t mind anyone speaking their mind on this blog — whether they agree with anything I say or not. As long as the comment is not full of profanity, completely nonsensical, spam, or otherwise inappropriate (e.g., contains rude or hateful language), I always post them and try to respond to as many as I can, as time allows. The point of this post was to see if you might already be happy with the most important areas of your life. If you are not, then definitely this list will help you target the areas you want to improve. : )
September 10th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Dear Ms. Yang:
I came across your blog today and felt a load come off my shoulders. I have finally found answers to all of my questions..even answers to issues that were there, but I ddn’t know how to articulate them.
I am a blog newbie and have created my own…see address in the website area.
What I would like to do is share your wonderful, insightful blog with my friends that I know would benefit from reading it. I would like to get your permission to place your address in my blog.
Thank you again.
Donna
September 10th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Hi Donna! Thank you so much for your amazingly positive and encouraging comment! Of course, I would love for you to link to my blog from your blog! : )
I read your first post and must say that you have a beautifully gentle, yet powerfully moving, voice! Wow! You’ve got a promising blogging career ahead of you! Best of luck to you, all your new activities (they sound so fun and challenging!), and, of course, your terrific new blog! Can’t wait for your next post!