60 Self-Reflection Questions

Updated 2026-09-29 · By the Journal for iPad team

Reflection questions work best when they're tied to a moment: the end of a day, a finished project, a tough conversation. These 60 are grouped by when to use them, so you always know which ones to reach for.

How to use these questions

You don't need all ten questions in a group. Pick two or three that fit and answer them properly. For the weekly and monthly reviews, it helps to block the same time on your calendar, such as Sunday evening or the last Friday of the month.

Daily reflection questions

Five minutes at the end of the day. Choose two.

What did I spend most of my attention on today?
What did I do today that moved something forward?
Where was I on autopilot?
What did I do well that I'd like to repeat?
When was I impatient, and what was underneath it?
What did I learn about someone today?
What would I tell a friend who'd had my day?
What am I carrying into tomorrow?
Did I keep the promises I made today, including the ones to myself?
What was today's best decision?

Weekly reflection questions

Fifteen minutes at the end of the week. Look at your calendar while you answer.

What were the three most important things that happened this week?
What took longer than expected, and why?
Which plans did I keep, and which slipped?
Who did I enjoy seeing? Who do I want to see next week?
What drained me this week, and can I avoid it next week?
What did I say yes to that I should have turned down?
What did I do just for fun?
What's one thing I'll do differently next week?
How did my mood change across the week, and what seemed to move it?
What's the single most important thing for next week?

Monthly reflection questions

A longer review. Reread the month's journal entries first if you have them.

What were the highlights of this month?
What did I start, and what did I finish?
Where did my money go, and does it match what I care about?
How was my health this month: sleep, movement, food, stress?
Which relationship got better? Which one needs attention?
Which habit is working? Which one isn't?
What surprised me this month?
What did I learn that I want to remember?
What do I want to stop doing next month?
What would make next month a good one?

Yearly reflection questions

For the end of the year or your birthday. Give these an evening, not a coffee break.

Which five moments from this year will I remember?
What was the biggest change in my life this year?
What did I do this year that I was afraid to do?
Who became more important to me? Who drifted away?
What did I learn about myself?
What was my biggest mistake, and what did it teach me?
What am I proudest of?
What do I want to leave behind in this year?
What one word describes this year? What word do I want for next year?
If next year goes well, what will be different twelve months from now?

Turn the yearly answers into a plan with a goal-setting worksheet or a letter to your future self.

Reflection questions after a project

Answer these within a few days of finishing, while the details are still fresh. They work for school, work or personal projects.

What was the goal, and did I reach it?
What went better than expected?
What went worse, and when did I first see the signs?
What would I do the same way next time?
What would I do differently from day one?
Where did I lose time?
Who helped, and have I thanked them?
Which skill did I use or build?
Which decision would I make earlier next time?
What's the one lesson I want to carry into the next project?

Reflection questions after a hard conversation

Write these once you've calmed down a bit, usually later the same day or the next morning.

What did I want from this conversation before it started?
What did I actually say? Write the key lines as closely as I remember them.
What did the other person seem to want?
When did the conversation turn, and what set it off?
What did I handle well?
What would I say differently?
What am I assuming about how they feel now?
Is there anything I need to repair? What isn't mine to fix?
What do I need to do for myself after this?
What's the next step, and when?

If hard conversations keep being about the same thing, our boundaries journal prompts can help.

Make reflection a routine

The daily questions fit into a daily journal template; the weekly and monthly reviews are easier with a fixed page you fill in each time. On an iPad, Journal for iPad has 145 page templates to write on with Apple Pencil or the keyboard, and exports your reviews as PDFs if you want to keep them elsewhere. For deeper questions about who you are, see journal prompts for self-discovery.

Frequently asked questions

What are good self-reflection questions?

Good reflection questions are specific and point to something you can change. ‘What took longer than expected this week, and why?’ is more useful than ‘How was my week?’.

How often should I do a self-reflection?

A few questions daily, a longer review weekly, and a big one monthly and at the end of the year. The weekly review tends to be the most useful: recent enough to remember, long enough to see patterns.

Should I write my answers down?

Yes. Written answers are more honest and more specific than ones you think through in your head, and you can compare them over time.

What's the difference between reflection questions and journal prompts?

Not much. Reflection questions usually look back at something that already happened, while journal prompts can be about anything. Browse all our journal prompts for other themes.