Elul is supposedly a month which is meant to be dedicated to introspection and positive change, but it often passes by without us even noticing. Weekday synagogue attendees might be inspired by the daily shofar blasts and extra prayers (called selichot), but this doesn’t seem to apply to most women.
It is easy to forget that Elul is an introspective opportunity.
To help us, I created a 29 Day Elul Introspection Challenge. There’s a reflective prompt for each day for you to consider.
I used the “wheel of life” idea (this is a coaching tool that I use with clients) to create categories. These categories are one way of describing the parts of our life.
You can write your answers in a journal or simply reflect in your head on each one for a few minutes a day. Keep the list on your fridge, on your bathroom mirror, or night table to be sure you’ll see it during the day or before you go to sleep.
Here are the 29 prompts to support you.
Health
What does my healthy life to look like?
Which food/movement habits sabotage my best intentions for health?
What physical movement activities do I enjoy the most?
What unhelpful habit would I most like to be rid of?
Work
What role does work play in the kind of life that I want this year?
What are my 3-5 primary professional interests?
What education or training do I secretly wish I could pursue?
Money
Am I spending money on things that really matter to me?
Do I set a good financial example for my children?
What was the last thing I regret buying and why?
If I am being honest with myself, which part of my finances do I need help with?
Family
What does a “happy family” life look like to me?
How does my family “play” together?
If I were to initiate a family meeting, what would my agenda be?
What does each member of my family need most? How can I help provide it?
What family rituals can I add to increase family connectedness?
Friendship
What role do friends play in my life today?
How do I most like to spend time with my friends?
What are two ways I can connect more with my community and friends?
What 2 people do I want to spend more time with in the coming months?
Joy
Name 3-5 things I love to do just for me.
How can I re-think my schedule to fit more things I love into my daily live?
What 3 specific habits are sapping my energy?
Spirituality
What are the top three blessings in my life?
What unsupportive thought would I like to banish from my mind? How can I reframe it positively?
If I could do one personal growth activity in the next 3 months, which activity would I do?
Love
What are 3-5 things I like/love about my partner?
If I asked my partner how I could be a better partner, what are 3 things they would say?
What are my 2-3 favorite things to do with my partner?
What is one thing I wish we did together every week?
Remember, you can download and type in your answers to the worksheet prompts, or you may print out the worksheet and write your answers by hand.
Your turn: What supportive introspective prompt can you add to this list?
2 Responses
A lovely idea indeed. I would love to see you develop the spirituality section more. There’s a famous analogy that during the month of Elul, the King (G-d) leaves his palace where he receives his subjects (hears our prayers) during the year, to walk among the peasants in the Field. He becomes accessible to all of us, making our ability to connect with Him, so much easier. The shofar blasts we hear during the month of Elul, reflect our cry to resolve all the issues we carry around during the year. It’s a time to reset and recalculate to understand how our individual souls can connect with our ultimate origin. This particularly is important to women who often get caught up and lost in the mundane. Women are the source of life and by connecting with our essence, we bring out the goodness in ourselves, our people, and our world. Thanks again for your thoughtful blog.
Chana: Thank you for your inspiring comment and suggestion to develop the spiritual section of this worksheet. I love what you write about “The shofar blasts we hear during the month of Elul, reflect our cry to resolve all the issues we carry around during the year. It’s a time to reset.”
I am sorry it took me so long to reply, my daughter just returned to school today and so I have more time to work on Jewish Food Hero! L’shanah Tovah