10 Questions to Help Recenter Your Life

By Warren Wong

Introspection, the examination of one’s own mental and emotional processes. Introspection has proven to be such a powerful force of change in my life. 

When you spend time reflecting on your days, weeks, and years you start noticing things about yourself that you otherwise wouldn’t have. 

As Socrates said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Here I’ve gathered 10 questions I’ve used to recenter my life. I hope these provide you with as much insight as they did for me.

Question 1: What are your biggest fears? How are they holding you back from the life you want? Will you let fear run your life?

Fear is such a powerful force in our lives. It has a way of creeping up on you and seeping through every little action we take or fail to take. I notice how fear can influence the way I speak, how I act, and the way I think. 

When we reflect on our life, try to identify your fears, limiting beliefs, and self-defeating talk. We must push past our fears in order to live the life we truly desire. On the other side of fear is everything you dream of.

Question 2: If you became rich beyond your imagination tomorrow, what would you do differently? How would you live your life? What could you get rid of and what would you keep in your life? What’s stopping you from doing that today?

What’s stopping you from living your rich life today? When I mean rich, I don’t mean money, it’s about your passions, your dreams, your calling. It’s the people you would surround yourself with, friends, community, and loved ones. 

If we weren’t so bogged down by working and surviving, how would our lives be different? Identify what doesn’t serve you anymore. Perhaps it’s the clutter in your home, or its toxic relationships, or it’s the limiting beliefs that you can’t aspire for more, for better. Whatever it is, ask yourself the tough questions, then take action. 

Question 3: What do you need to remove from your life for peace of mind? 

Over the years we collect a lot of baggage. Whether it’s how we feel about certain things, the people we hang out with, or the things sitting in our homes. They weigh us down, are noisy, and have this overhead that burdens us. It’s time to let go, to do away with those things that don’t serve us anymore. Take inventory of all the clutter in your life and ask yourself, “Do I really need this?”

Question 4: Who are your true fans? Who has been supporting, rooting for you, and has never given up on you? 

Perhaps one of our most precious sources of strength are our true fans. The people that support us not only in good times, but in bad times. They’re the ones who are rooting for us despite our mistakes. They know the foolish mistakes we’ve made, they’ve seen us at our worst, and despite all that, they still love us. What haven’t we yet expressed?

Question 5: Are you proud of the man or woman you have become? What are the values you stand for and have you been true to them?

When I was younger I had this idealized version of the man I’d like to become. A person who had good values, and strength of character. Someone I could be proud of. I believe having such goals is a way to reach for our best version of ourselves. I call it the super hero version of you.

Decide what kind of superhero you’d like to be and what values they would stand for. Become the hero of your own story. 

Question 6: What have you been waiting to do that you can do today? What have you been putting off for “someday”? 

Someday is a dangerous word. Someday I will write that book. Someday, when I have time, I’ll travel the world. Someday, I’ll do all the things I want to do. I don’t trust that word, and when I hear it I’m worried for that person. I ask myself what are they waiting for, don’t they know that someday may never happen? If there’s something you’ve been waiting to do, for the right moment, do it sooner rather than later. There will never be a “right” time.

Question 7: What are the things that you once wished for and now have that you’ve neglected? How can we better appreciate what we already have versus things that we wish to attain? 

The car in the driveway, your trusty computer, your favorite clothes on nights out, these were all things you once wished for and now have. Do you feel the same satisfaction and happiness now as you once did when you purchased them? Perhaps you don’t, but have you asked yourself why? If we’re constantly chasing the next thing, we fail to appreciate what we already have. These were all things you once tirelessly researched and agonized over buying. The person who can truly appreciate what they have versus what they want unlocks a new level of freedom and peace in their lives. 

Question 8: How was yesterday and the week before? Are you satisfied and content to live out the rest of your life like the week before? 

Days become weeks. Weeks become months. Months become years. And years become our life. What you do on a daily basis has a way of creeping up on you, becoming your weeks and months. If you don’t like how your day to day is, then this is your sign. Start small and change little by little starting with habits you’d like to incorporate and bad habits you’d like to do away with. Over time, you’ll find satisfaction in your day to day and if this was how the rest of your life was, then you’d be content. 

Question 9: What have you said you were going to do, but just haven’t had “time”? Can you start today? 

I don’t have time. Now switch it to, “It’s not a priority.” When I did this I realized that all the things I had put on hold and said I don’t have time, eventually never happened. Stored away in some dark recess of my mind are the skeletons of all the forgotten dreams that I promised I will sort out “one day”. There came a point in my life that I told myself that I won’t settle for one day anymore, that today was the day. Today was the day that I would start. 

Question 10: If you continue on the path you’re on today, where will you be in 5 years? 10 years? Are you happy with what you see? 

An exercise I like to do is to imagine myself 5 to 10 years into the future. If I were to do what I’m doing today, will I be able to reach that version of myself? It’s a powerful exercise to take account of who I am today, what I’m doing, and whether that aligns with the future. Is what I’m doing now going to bring me to where I want to be? If the answer is no, then there’s some work to be done between now and then.

Conclusion

The unexamined life is not worth living. These questions act as guide posts to recenter your life. Self reflection has been a habit that has served me well over the years. It has brought me clarity to my life. As you ask yourself these questions I hope they give you new ideas and insights to start building the life you want.