People sometimes want to review their past - that is, their life as it has been up to this point.  The following is a way to do so.  If you are doing this as a writing exercise, here are the guidelines. 

​

Instructions: Divide your life into phases.  Growing up might be a phase, high school might be a phase, etc.  Generally, adults have 5 to 7 phases.  If you are writing over several days (per the advanced writing exercise) then do one part per day. 

 

Part 1: Think of yourself as a child.    

• What word(s) would adults use to describe you?  Did you agree or did you disagree with that description?

• How were things different when you were with your family compared to outside your family?  

• What were you doing most days? 

• If there was one key memory of this time in your life, what would it be?  How were you thinking about it as a child and what do you think about it now looking back?

​

Part 2: Same, thinking of yourself as a teenager.

​

Part 3: Thinking of yourself as a young adult.  Describe yourself as you were back then: 

• What did you want for yourself?

• What word(s) would other people use to describe you?  Did you agree or did you disagree with that description?

• What were you doing most days when you were not working or in school?  

• If you could summarize this period of your life in terms of one key challenge, one key achievement and one big thing that was unrealized during that time, what would they be?  How were you thinking about it at the time and what do you think about it now looking back?

​

Part 4: Same, covering the other phases of your life. 

​

Part 5: Same, covering the last few years.