Creative Workbook: 10 Questions to Reconnect with What Matters

There’s a particular irony that surrounds us today: often, the more time we spend on so-called connection-based platforms, the less connected to friends, family, and ourselves we feel. With various studies and trends showing how excessive usage of social media can negatively affect our self-esteem, self worth, and overall outlook, it seems apt to find a different sort of connection, a route back to your essential self.

 

Traveling offers prime moments for pause, reflection, and instinctive recognition of who you become when you encounter something new. To help you tap into your intuition, dreams, and confidence at 30,000 feet, we’ve developed a list of questions and activities that encourage you to assess yourself. Jot your answers down in a notebook, or copy them to your notes on a mobile device and use this uninterrupted time to reflect on your own personal journey. Remind yourself where you were, where you are, and how far you’ve come. Consider how traveling helps you to be present and reconnect with the world around you, and then check back in on your next leg.

“…it seems apt to find a different sort of connection, a route back to your essential self.”

 

Quick warm-up exercises:

1. What is making you feel disconnected in your life right now?
2. What do you feel when you engage on social media and other networking sites?
3. What is one thing you wish you had time for but don’t?

“Traveling offers prime moments for pause, reflection, and instinctive recognition of who you become when you encounter something new.”

 

The connection deep-dive, feel free to download here:

1. Picture yourself at your happiest. What are you doing? Who are you with? Where are you? List your answers.
2. What does this list tell you about who you are? What does this list indicate is missing from your life?
3. Using your list for inspiration, come up with five to 10 goals. What are the positive outcomes of achieving these goals?
4. Look back over your list and ask yourself if it’s realistic and reasonable. Can you make these things happen?
5. Plot each goal on a year-long timeline. What needs to change? When can it change?
6. What actions can you take this week, this month, and this year to achieve these goals?
7. What is preventing you from connecting with your core values and dreams? What might be difficult to step away from? What can you let go of? List any relationships, stresses, or work that come to mind.
8. Create an ideal 15-minute routine that you can do every day to feel more connected. What time of day is best for this routine? What do you do during this time—meditate, read, cook? What do you need to make this come to fruition?
9. Who do you feel most connected to? List why they make you feel most like yourself and consider how often you see them. Do you spend enough time with these people?
10. List five habits that can bring positive changes and connection into your life. How can you remind yourself to do these things? Where can you put these reminders so that you see them all the time, and can continue to manifest the deeper connection you need in your life?