This guide makes introspecting easier by combining various approaches, such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Kaufman’s 49 questions, and Intel’s OKR. It has stood the test of time for my friends and I; we have been using it since 2018. Completing it takes about a day. If you only have time for one exercise, pick Kaufman’s 49 questions. You can duplicate this guide in [Notion](http://bit.ly/3hZxj8F) or in [Google Docs](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CMNDnVyNO6uS2WFdybAAliAn45HcNlLjKc1VNfZConM/edit?usp=sharing). The full structure is the following: ## Introduction - You must change your life Archaic torso of Apollo - Rainer Maria Rilke ![[apollo_torso.jpg.jpg]] We never knew his head and all the light that ripened in his fabled eyes. But his torso still glows like a gas lamp dimmed in which his gaze, lit long ago, holds fast and shines. Otherwise the surge of the breast could not blind you, nor a smile run through the slight twist of the loins toward that center where procreation thrived. Otherwise this stone would stand deformed and curt under the shoulders' transparent plunge and not glisten just like wild beast's fur and not burst forth from all its contours like a star: for there is no place that does not see you. **You must change your life.** # 1. Assess your situation > No man was ever wise by chance ## Past year review - 1h - On a notepad, create two columns: positive and negative. - Go through the last year to identify all the people/activities/commitments/etc that triggered peak positive or negative emotions. It can be helpful to look at your calendar, journal, phone pictures, list of books read, etc. - In each column, circle out the top 20% most impactful elements. - Take action accordingly, by creating an “avoid at all costs list” and a todo list ## Hierarchy of needs - 1.5h For every level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, identify the quality of your current state (it can be useful to use colors, like 🔴 🟡 🟢), and look for improvements. These questions can help: - How would you define each level, if you had to define it for you and you only? - How do you want to feel about each of the levels? What kind of habits, environment, or tools could get you there? - Which level do you most want to improve? - What could you do? Where could you find more ideas? ![[hierarchy_of_needs.jpg.jpg]] [https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/maslow1.jpg](https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/maslow1.jpg) ## [49 questions](https://joshkaufman.net/49-questions-better-results/) - Kaufman - 1.5h Do I use my body optimally? - What is the quality of my current diet? - Do I get enough sleep? - Am I managing my energy well each day? - How do I manage daily stress? - Do I have good posture and poise? - What can I do to improve my ability to observe the world around me? Do I know what I want? - What achievements would make me really excited? - What “states of being” do I want to experience each day? - Are my priorities and values clearly defined? - Am I capable of making decisions quickly and confidently? - Do I consistently focus my attention on what I want vs. what I don’t want? What am I afraid of? - Have I created an honest and complete list of the fears I’m holding on to? - Have I confronted each fear to imagine how I would handle it if it came to pass? - Am I capable of recognizing and correcting self-limitation? - Am I appropriately pushing my own limits? Is my mind clear and focused? - Do I systematically externalize (write or record) what I think about? - Am I making it easy to capture my thoughts quickly, as I have them? - What has my attention right now? - Am I regularly asking myself appropriate guiding questions? - Do I spend most of my time focusing on a single task, or constantly flipping between multiple tasks? - Do I spend enough time actively reflecting on my goals, projects, and progress? Am I confident, relaxed, and productive? - Have I found a planning method that works for me? - Am I “just organized enough”? - Do I have an up-to-date list of my projects and active tasks? - Do I review all of my commitments on a regular basis? - Do I take regular, genuine breaks from my work? - Am I consciously creating positive habits? - Am I working to shed non-productive habits? - Am I comfortable with telling other people “no”? How do I perform best? - What do I particularly enjoy? - What am I particularly good at doing? - What environment do I find most conducive to doing good work? - How do I tend to learn most effectively? - How do I prefer to work with and communicate with others? - What is currently holding me back? What do I really need to be happy and fulfilled? - How am I currently defining “success”? - Is there another way of defining “success” that I may find more fulfilling? - How often do I compare myself to my perceptions of other people? - Am I currently living below my means? - If I could only own 100 things, what would they be?*(You don’t have to go all the way with this one)* - Am I capable of separating necessity and luxury? - What do I feel grateful for in my life and work? **Take a break!** Good activities to activate diffuse thinking include going on a walk, taking a shower, doing sports, etc. # 2. Clarify your objectives > You act like mortals in all that you fear, and like immortals in all that you desire > ## Key questions - 1h - If you were to die in a year, what would you change about your life? - What are the things you absolutely don't want to be regretting on your deathbed? - What job would you be happy doing even if you weren't paid for it? What would it consist of? - What would you do if you received a gift of 1 million euros? 10 M€? 100M€? - Can you make these changes already ? - If no, what would be the requirements to do so? ## Define your goals - 1h - Basing yourself on the preceding questions, what’s your key objective, your mission in life, the ultimate state of being you want to reach? - In 25 years? - In 10 years? - In 5 years? - In 1 year? - Which key results would define reaching that objective? # 3. Craft your plans > Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power > Define how to reach the key results, from what you enjoy doing, what you are good at, and what you need to function optimally. ## [The 5/25 rule](https://constantrenewal.com/buffett-5-25-rule/) - 0.5h 1. List the 25 things you want to accomplish in the foreseeable future. Focus on results, not processes. 2. Rank them 3. Congrats! You now have identified your top 5 key priorities. 4. The 20 other things become your avoid-at-all-cost list, meaning you can start #6 if and only if the 5 first items are finished. ## OKR - 1.5h If you had to build the simplest possible dashboard for your life, what would it look like? Focus on items that condition your well-being: what is non-negotiable for you to be in your very best physical and mental health, every single day? If you’re not familiar with OKRs, [read this article](https://felipecastro.com/en/okr/what-is-okr/) or the book [Measure What Matters](https://www.amazon.com/Measure-What-Matters-Google-Foundation/dp/0525536221). Keep it simple. You can use [this sheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wgNtGi_8_3_XWD143FSQC1wDgztjWl8df8VtDtDVfRU/edit?usp=sharing) as an example. Consider finding accountability buddies.