First, imagine nothing’s in the way.

You spend a month in a cabin, with no work, no alarm and meals taken care of. By the end, when does your body want to fall asleep, and when does it wake on its own?

MIDNIGHTnoon
Asleep
11:00 PM
Awake
7:30 AM

Still imagining no constraints: no work, family or other limitations.

In your ideal week, how much variety would you want to feel most energized?

Now, people. Still envisioning your preferred state.

You’ve got 12 free hours per day. Ideally, how would you like to spend them? Choose from your natural preference.

Socializing with new people or groups 4h
Alone 4h
With people you know well 4h

How much does each of these matter in your life right now?

Family
Romantic relationship(s)
If single, rate how important developing one is to you
Raising children
If not a parent, rate how important becoming one is to you
Social relationships
(not including romance or family)
Occupation/Profession
Learning and growing
Play and fun
Your spiritual life
Contributing beyond yourself
Your health and body

Now, life as it actually is.

Which describes your schedule these days?

How many days a week do you have to be up at a set time?

On a typical working day, when do you fall asleep and wake up?

MIDNIGHTnoon
Asleep
11:15 PM
Awake
6:30 AM

A third down. Keep going.

On a day off, with nowhere to be, when do you fall asleep and wake, and do you use an alarm?

MIDNIGHTnoon
Asleep
12:00 AM
Awake
9:00 AM
Alarm?

How easy is it to get up in the morning?

Tap a rung in each column. The tilt between them is the point.

Working daysDays offVery easyFairly easyNot very easyNot at all easy

Even when you can sleep in, do you often struggle to fall or stay asleep?

Now, your sensory stimulation in life as it is.

In a typical recent week, how much variety did you actually have?

Halfway. You’re quick.

Is the amount of change in your life mostly your choice, or mostly out of your hands?

ENTIRELY MY
CHOICE
ENTIRELY OUT OF
MY HANDS

Now, in terms of your interactions with people.

Given work and life as they are now, how do those 12 hours actually get distributed?

Socializing with new people or groups 4h
Alone 4h
With people you know well 4h

In general, without judgement, how much do you want to be around other people?

NOT AT ALLVERY MUCH

How much does being around others leave you actually feeling anxious or on edge?

NOT AT ALLA LOT

How true is this: fear of being judged or embarrassed makes me hold back from people or activities.

One more look at that triangle.

If that worry weren’t there at all, what would be your ideal split of time with people? Adjust if so.

Socializing with new people or groups 4h
Alone 4h
With people you know well 4h

Back to what matters. Two-thirds through.

Looking at how you rated some life areas that matter the most such as Family, Romantic relationship(s), Raising children, how much reflects what actually matters to you, versus what you feel is expected of you?

ALL WHAT MATTERS TO MEALL WHAT’S EXPECTED

So, let’s try those once more, setting aside what anyone else wants for you, how much would each matter to you genuinely?

Family
Romantic relationship(s)
If single, rate how important developing one is to you
Raising children
If not a parent, rate how important becoming one is to you
Social relationships
(not including romance or family)
Occupation/Profession
Learning and growing
Play and fun
Your spiritual life
Contributing beyond yourself
Your health and body

Over the past month, how often did your actions day-to-day actually reflect what you value here?

Family
HARDLY EVERALMOST ALWAYS
Romantic relationship(s)
HARDLY EVERALMOST ALWAYS
Raising children
HARDLY EVERALMOST ALWAYS

Over the past month, as it relates to the areas that matter most to me…

When hard thoughts or feelings showed up, I stopped doing things that matter to me.
NOT AT ALL TRUECOMPLETELY TRUE
I let things that don’t really matter pull me away from what does.
NOT AT ALL TRUECOMPLETELY TRUE
Even when it was hard, I kept doing what mattered.
NOT AT ALL TRUECOMPLETELY TRUE

How much did outside circumstances, such as lack of time or money, work or caregiving responsibilities, keep you from what matters?

NOT AT ALLCONSTANTLY

Almost there.

Your body seems to want sleep around 11:00 PM, but you actually go to sleep at 11:15 PM on working days. How long roughly has that been true?

Last one.

If those gaps closed, what would feel different? (pick up to 3)

Analyzing your answers…