72 Self-reflection Questions To Know Yourself and Thrive

Knowing yourself is key to finding clarity and manifesting your goals. And these self-reflection questions will help you do so.

One mindful practice that keeps me on track and a sense of direction is self-reflection.

You are your best teacher. And by learning from your past and understanding your values, you guide yourself toward a more fulfilling life.

So whenever I feel stuck and don’t know what to do next, I take time to reflect on my goals, career, and well-being. It helps me to pinpoint the problem areas and make breakthroughs in life.

But what if you don’t have a specific topic in mind? This is where this post will help. I’ve put together a list of self-reflection questions on growth, career, finance, wellness, and relationship. So you can assess each aspect of your life and find your next move.

They can be the prompts for your year-end review or daily journaling. Or you can simply use them to inspire your thinking.

Before we get into the questions, let’s first figure out the meaning of self-reflection and why it is so important.

What is self-reflection?

Self-reflection may seem like a big concept. But whether you know it or not, you’ve been self-reflecting each day.

“I wonder how I can do better next time.”
“I can do well in this job because I am creative.”
“Rest is what I need now because I can’t perform when I’m burnout.”

All these thoughts and statements are the results of self-reflection. You learn from your past, listen to your gut and analyze your strength and weaknesses. The conclusions you come to help you to know more about yourself and make wiser decisions. That’s what self-reflection is.

Why is self-reflection so important?

Besides a deeper understanding of yourself, the benefits of self-reflection also include the following:

Identifying problems in your life

You have to be aware of a problem before you can solve it. By taking time to explore your current situations, you have a better chance to find what’s dragging you back.

Understanding your strengths and weaknesses

When you reflect on your past, you are more aware of what you are good at and what not. So you can maximize your potential and strategically improve your skillsets.

Gaining insights into your relationships

Your social circle plays a huge role in your life and happiness. You need to be clear about who to keep and who to stay away from.

When you develop the habit of reflecting, you are more likely to spot narcissists, fake friends, or toxic people in your life.

Personal growth

A strong self-awareness is the key to your personal and spiritual growth. And this is what self-reflection can help.

By figuring out your limiting beliefs, core values, and passion, you can find your true calling, ditching the sabotaging thoughts and thriving in life.

Thought-provoking self-reflection questions

Self-reflection questions about personal growth

• Who am I?
• What do I want to write on my epitaph?

This question will help you to find your purpose. Knowing how you want to be remembered will give you more clarity about your life goals and missions.

• What are the expectations I have for myself?
• Am I fulfilling my expectations?
• What needs to be done to take it to the next level of my life?
• What’s one thing I always want to do but haven’t? Why haven’t I?
• Am I happy with where I am currently?
• If I can become anyone in the world, who would that be and why?
• What are my core values? And is my life aligned with them?

Your core values can be anything from wealth and social status to integrity and compassion. No value is better than others. Try to be open and honest while answering this question.

• What’s one thing I wish I can change?
• Think about one life-changing event. What happened, and why was it so impactful?
• What are my strengths and weaknesses?
• Knowing what I know now, what would I have done differently in the past?
• What are my life mottos? How do they represent my values?
• If I could relive a day in the past, which day would it be, and what changes would I make?
• How do I want my (future) children to look at me?

Parents are the first teachers and role models to their kids. When you sculpt the perfect parent image in your head, you better understand your moral standards and your values.

• What are my childhood dreams, and have I fulfilled them? Why and why not?
• What’s one thing I wish I’d known earlier?
• What’s one thing I wish I’d never known?

This is not an easy question to answer. You may even recall some hurtful things you’ve heard or been through. But that’s alright.

Part of healing is knowing where your wound is. When you remove the fear and shame, you allow yourself to heal and move on.

• What are my biggest fears?
• Which of my fears actually come true in my life?
• What is a limiting belief that holds me back?

Limiting beliefs are the things you tell yourself that are not necessarily true.

For example, you may think you can’t be successful because you haven’t been to college. Or you can’t have a happy family because you come from a broken one.

They are not proven to be true. And holding onto them only makes it harder to achieve your real potential.

Here’s a workbook to help you identify and overcome your limiting beliefs. Feel free to print it out, make a plan and take action.

• What are the biggest life lessons I’ve learned so far?
• In the past 3 months, what personal achievements have made me proud?

Self-awareness questions about career and finance

• Have I been staying in my comfort zone?
• What’s one risk I’ve taken at work in the past 3 months?
• 10 years from now, what will I be doing?
• Given the resources I need, what do I want to do?
• What’s the best opportunity I’ve ever been provided?
• What am I spending time on that really shouldn’t be my priority?
• What’s one opportunity I regret not taking?
• How will I score my work-life balance on a scale from 1 to 10?
• What’s the most consuming task I have to deal with each day?
• How can I spend my time more wisely?
• What skills can I learn to massively improve my productivity and quality at work?
• How secure do I feel about my finances?
• Am I making wise purchases?

Income is only part of personal finance. You can’t accumulate wealth if you spend all you’ve earned. That’s why taking time to evaluate your spending is worth the effort. It helps you stop wasting on things you don’t need, so you can save money for things that actually matter.

• How many income streams do I have?
• What are my money goals for the next year?
• Do I have an emergency fund?
• How much money do I need to save before retirement?
• What steps do I need to take to retire with enough money?

Questions about well-being

• Am I living a life based on other people’s expectations?
• What will make me feel truly accomplished?
• What makes me forget about time?
• What pulls my heartstrings?
• How much time have I spent each week on my hobbies in the past 3 months?
• Am I taking good care of my body?

Self-care is a big part of your overall well-being. You can’t perform at your best if you neglect your body and mind. Here are some relaxing and doable self-care ideas to start taking good care of yourself today.

• What do I lack in my life right now?
• Am I a mentally healthy person? Why and why not?
• What have I done recently to improve my mental health?
• Which part of my body do I love the most?
• If I have a year off, where do I want to go, and what do I want to do?
• Name three things I can’t live without.

This question is designed to help you notice the blessings in your life. Sometimes we take things for granted because they are always there, be it essentials like electricity or our families. This prompt will guide your focus on these little things. With a grateful heart comes happiness and inner peace.

• Am I living a simple life or an excessive life?
• Am I an overthinker? If so, what do I tend to overthink?

There’s nothing wrong with thinking things through. But it’s harmful when it becomes an obsession.

If you identify yourself as an overthinker, this question will help you sort your thoughts out. You can also use a brain-dump template to put them on paper so you can stop carrying the weight around.

• What can I add to my life to make it better?
• What can I cut to make my life easier?
• What is the biggest struggle I have to deal with now? How do I plan to resolve it?
• What’s the biggest source of stress?
• How well am I handling the stress? And how can I reduce it?

Self-reflection questions about relationship

• What’s one thing or person I wish I’d never lost?
• Am I a taker or a giver?
• Who’s giving me the best positive energy?
• What’s a personal quality that I value the most?
• What’s a deal-breaker for me in romantic relationships?
• Name three family members or friends that are most important to me now.
• Who do I want to be with if today is the last day of my life?
• Is my childhood a blessing or a wound? Why?
• Do I consider myself a lucky person? Why and why not?
• How do people close to me see me? Write down 3 words that I am most often described.
• Do I have any energy vampires in my life?

How to use these self-reflection questions?

Be honest with yourself with no judgments.

The key to self-exploration is being honest and answering questions without pressure. There’s no right or wrong in your answers. And there’s no one there to judge you.

You can be completely honest with yourself. And it’s ok even if you don’t have the answer to every question. In this case, you discover a blind spot that needs more attention.

Answer 1 or 2 each time and write down your answers.

You have a massive list of questions above. But you don’t need to rush through all of them.

Self-reflection is an ongoing process that takes time and consistency. So choose one of two each time, and really dig deep.

You can write your answers on paper, in a journal, or an app where you can review them anytime. It will help you to make your progress more trackable and visual.

Come back to your answer and list actionable steps.

The end goal of self-reflection isn’t just knowing more. It’s about taking action to make your life better.

So if you identify room for improvement while answering these self-reflection questions, don’t hesitate to write down the actions needed.

Which of these self-reflection questions inspires you the most?

Leave a comment down below and share your thoughts.