It started as a way to have "introvert time" - time to journal, read, stare into space, think bigger picture thoughts. Coffee has always been a great thought stimulant. And for me, there's something about being an anonymous other in a coffee shop that gives me the freedom to indulge in the deeper thoughts that help me to see where I am coming from and where I am going.
While daily journaling is something I very much enjoy, and that helps me process all the things that float into and out of my mind, this past year or two, I've been looking for something a little different - a way to reflect on the past week, and prepare for the coming week.
I Googled "reflection questions" many times, and found some good questions that could help me look deeper into my life, but nothing really scratched the itch that I had.
So I finally came up with a series of questions that I call my "Weekly Reflection." I've been doing this reflection every Sunday for the past 8 months, and it's been something that helps me to excavate a little bit - to see patterns, to see the meaning behind occurrences, to catch bad habits before they begin.
I'd like to share this document here in the hopes that if anyone out there who might find value or help in it, might find it. (See link below to download it):
Weekly Reflection Template
Weekday, Month Day, Year
What happened over the week?
If I were to pick out some of this week’s themes, what would they be?
Where did I sense God speaking to me this week, in big or small ways?
What did I savor over the past week?
What challenged me over the past week?
What media (books, music, movies, television, etc), affected me? And in what ways?
What things (random facts, life lessons, etc) did I learn over the past week?
What am I using as distractions, or fillers, right now? What am I trying to distract myself from, or what emptinesses am I trying to fill?
What is new in my closest relationships this week? How am I being challenged to love more, or differently?
What inspired me this week, or excited me?
What are my hopes for the coming week?
Where am I sensing invitations in my life? Where am I sensing closed doors?
Has anything started to move in a certain direction over the past length of time?
Below is a link to the document in Word format, so that you are free to do any editing or custom-work you'd like:
