Building and uncovering your true sense of identity is one of the hardest yet most crucial things we can take our time to figure out.

Having this identity means that you, as a person, know yourself better in terms of what you want, what drives you, what aspects you want to grow, and where your goals lie. With this knowledge, you are much better able to steer and direct your actions, and thus your life path, in a way that aligns with the values and goals that you have clarified for yourself. In short, taking the time to know yourself ensures that you make more aligned choices and, in the end, live life in accordance with your true self and what feels right to you. You are living your own life for yourself, as opposed to following others' definitions of success or happiness.

It is not about becoming fully self-sufficient or completely independent from others, as interdependence is always beneficial and healthy. Rather, it is about having a comfortable and assured footing in who you are as a person and knowing what you truly stand for.

The questions below are timeless and can be used to navigate and shape your personal journey or exploration. These questions are in no specific order of importance and do not need to be answered in their written order. Spend some time pondering each question, noting what comes to mind, and identifying what resonates as true. There is no pressure of right or wrong answers here; the only correct answer is one that feels truthful and genuine to you.

CORE QUESTIONS

Describe your current self in 3-5 words. Are you happy with that description, or would you like to change it in some way?
What are your top 5 values as an individual, and are you living in accordance with those values?
What are your top skills and strengths?
What are you truly passionate about, and what makes you feel fully immersed?
Which activities do you find fun and consider to be your hobbies or side interests?
Are you more of an extrovert or introvert, and how could you organize your life so that it would better suit those needs?
Who are your main inspirations and why?
Which people in your life matter most to you, and how can you further nurture your relationship with them?
What are some of your short and long-term goals in the following categories: Career/academics, health, relationships, finances, and spirituality.
In which areas and how specifically would you like to grow or improve as an individual (Health, career, academics, spirituality, relationships, finances, etc.)?
At what time of the day do you find that you function or work best, and what changes in your current lifestyle could you make to assist those preferences?
Would you consider that you are managing your time well?
What are some of your main fears or worries which are currently holding you back from exercising your true potential?
What are you ashamed of or feel insecure about?
Do you concern yourself a lot with how others view you or think of you?
What were some of your biggest mistakes that you’ve made, and what were you able to learn from them?
Up to this date, what are some of your proudest accomplishments and also some of the biggest failures?
Since one year ago, how have you changed or grown as a person?
If you continued going down your current path, where do you imagine yourself in 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years?
How do you want people to remember you? What kind of impression do you want to leave behind?

FINAL THOUGHTS

I hope that you find these questions useful and that you find them helpful in your journey of personal discovery and growth. You can always return back to these questions whenever you feel that you have fallen slightly out of touch or out of alignment with yourself and in doing so will make sure to get yourself back on the right path once again.

Thank you for taking your time to read this 😊