10 Best Monthly Questions To Ask Yourself In Life
The monthly Q&A for personal evaluation
How often do you reflect on your goals? Is there a time of the month that you review what has been accomplished and what needs to be done in order to reach those goals?
If not, then this blog post is for you. I have compiled a list of monthly questions that will help keep you focused on the big picture so that all your actions are aligned with achieving your professional aspirations.
“Even worthwhile endeavors need evaluation in order to determine if they have become distractions from the best goals.” – Quentin L. Cook
1) Do your goals match up with your actions from the past three months?
When you have identified your goals, the next step is to ensure that actions are aligned with achieving them. If there has been a mismatch between your goals and what you’ve actually done in previous months, it might be time for reflection on whether or not this path will lead you closer to where you want to go.
If this is not the case, analyze what needs to happen in order for you to get back on track (i.e., more quality research time). Also, ask yourself if some of these tasks can be delegated; delegating specific responsibilities may allow room for new opportunities which could help advance your career.
2) What did you do well last month?
Spend some time thinking about what went well last month so that you can build upon these successes moving forward rather than dwelling on failures or mistakes made during this period of time.
At the end of every month, ask yourself: “What did I do well?” Then answer honestly! You deserve credit for all that you accomplish throughout each day — even if it seems small, success breeds more success!
3) Have any of your priorities changed since last month — for example, have you decided to focus on school or work more or less than before?
As your goals and priorities evolve, it is helpful to reflect on the changes that have occurred since last month.
For example, maybe you will decide in order to accomplish more this upcoming month, you must work less or focus on schoolwork instead of networking events.
This may be a temporary change for several months, but periods of increased productivity can lead to new opportunities! Having said this, if there has been no noticeable change, then stick with what’s working well so far. You don’t want to lose momentum by taking time away from an area that was successful last month.
4) What is the big picture in your life right now, and what are you doing to make it better?
In the bigger picture, what do you want to accomplish in your life? This can be a short-term goal or an overarching one that spans several months. The important part is doing something each month to make it better.
If this means taking a class, signing up for a volunteer opportunity, working on building leadership skills — whatever it may be — take time at the end of every month to reflect and figure out how you will improve yourself during the next thirty days. In order to get ahead, there must always be forward progress, even if it’s tiny.
5) What are your goals for the month?
Ask yourself what your goals for this upcoming month are? Don’t just set one big dream — break it down into smaller monthly ones that you can make happen. Use these questions as a roadmap in order to ensure success moving forward.
Keep up the momentum by reflecting at the end of each month on how close or far away from accomplishing your objectives you are and adjusting accordingly.
If there was anything unexpected that happened during this time period, be sure to take note of those things, so they don’t derail future plans! Preparation every day will lead towards reaching all professional aspirations throughout the year.
6) What are your monthly challenges?
Every month brings new challenges. By identifying your monthly questions & challenges, you can prepare for it more so than if you were caught off-guard.
For example, maybe the beginning of November will be extremely busy at work because there was a change in staffing due to someone leaving or an influx of projects that need attention.
This would necessitate delegating some responsibilities elsewhere and working longer hours on existing ones — but being prepared means being aware.
Now, take two minutes every day this week before bedtime to think about how you can tackle these issues during the upcoming thirty days by thinking ahead rather than reacting last minute.
7) How can you improve this month?
At the end of every month, think about how you can improve your efforts moving forward. We all have areas where we could be working harder or smarter so ask yourself what small thing you can do this next thirty days to make it happen!
For example, if there is a presentation coming up at work that will require more preparation than usual, then spend an hour each day prepping for it versus just doing “a little bit” here and there throughout the week leading up to its existence.
8) How do you feel about how things are going so far this month?
This question is an excellent way to see if the current approach you’ve been taking so far this month needs any adjustments. Maybe it’s going well, but there are some areas where things aren’t perfect, leading you towards an adjustment in your plans.
Or maybe nothing has changed since last month, and this means sticking with what works until something changes! If no change is necessary, keep doing what got you here thus far — being successful takes commitment, not just one day of effort every thirty days!
9) What will you be able to do differently next month if something doesn’t work out this month?
If something doesn’t work out these next thirty days, then it could be a sign that you need to change your approach. Take note of what isn’t working and determine how or if there’s anything else you can do in order to get the results you want moving forward!
Maybe, for example, you’ve been trying very hard at networking and aren’t getting anywhere because no one seems interested, so why not try an entirely different method instead — like online advertising via social media.
The point is to look outside the box during adversity, which will help keep up momentum consistent throughout every month!
10) What would make life easier for you this month?
Asking yourself this is an excellent way to identify things that may not be in your area of control. For example, maybe there’s something you could do which would help someone else.
Still, they’re not willing to reciprocate by helping out themselves — like asking them for advice or feedback regarding your professional development!
By identifying what will make life easier overall, you can either change the situation or look at other jobs/opportunities elsewhere if need be since it shouldn’t take more than one month (or thirty days) to find another option with similar benefits and compensation levels.
Quick recap
- Do your goals match up with your actions from the past three months?
- What did you do well last month?
- Have any of your priorities changed since last month — for example, have you decided to focus on school or work more or less than before?
- What is the big picture in your life right now, and what are you doing to make it better?
- What are your goals for the month?
- What are your monthly challenges?
- How can you improve this month?
- How do you feel about how things are going so far this month?
- What will you be able to do differently next month if something doesn’t work out this month?
- What would make life easier for you this month?
“Without proper self-evaluation, failure is inevitable.” – John Wooden
Final Thought
In summary, the most important thing to remember is that you should ask yourself these monthly questions for the best results! If not, then the whole exercise becomes pointless and a waste of time or, even worse, something that may never get done at all.
After asking them initially, spend two minutes each day writing down your answers, so they’re fresh in your mind — this will help ensure success throughout the year as well as now!
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