When your find yourself thinking about making changes in your work or life, that’s a ripe time to do a bit of journaling. It’s incredibly powerful to make time and space to capture your thoughts about where you’re coming from and what matters as you move forward.

Below is a list of ten questions that I’ve found can help open up your thinking during the early stages of career or life transitions. Take out a journal or open a document … and have some fun with these questions. Answer as many as you can. And if you feel like discussing your answers with someone, reach out. I’d love to hear what you come up with!

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Describe a peak time in your professional life – one overflowing with richness and feeling alive – and explain what made it so powerful?
Think about your passions. What are they? What is it that makes engaging with your passions so important to you?
What (A) People, (B) Places and (3) Things fill you with energy? Which ones drain you of energy? Make a fill/drain list for each, and explain as appropriate.
What thing or things would you do if you absolutely knew that you couldn’t fail?
Describe your 3-4 most important strengths, and how have these served you well in your life and career? Now describe any weaknesses or challenges that you’re aware of, and how they may be holding you back?
What parts of your identity matter the most to you, and why? What parts of your identity would you be happy to release moving forward, and why?
What does the term “legacy” mean to you? How important is your legacy to you, and what are your thoughts about the legacy you want to leave.
If you were challenged to make 2-3 powerful “asks” in the coming months – asks that, if given, would have a noticeable impact on some dimension of your life– what would you ask for?
When you think about the next phase of your professional and/or personal life, what are the things that you know must be a part of it (experiences, environment, colleagues, etc.)? Similarly, what would be the nice-to-haves in your next work phase? Finally, is there anything that you want to make sure definitely is not part your next work phase?
If I were to bump into you in 3 years and you told me that you were living a life so rich that you wake up astounded every day, what would that life look like? What would have happened, both personally and professionally, for you to feel pleased with your progress getting there?