I got the music in me

We hear a lot of music incidentally — on the radio, in an office or store, in a friend's car — but what's the last music you deliberately chose and listened to?

First time (5)

Think of the times when someone else made plans for you, set goals for you, picked out clothes for you to wear, or decided what you should say. What is the earliest time you remember saying no and insisting on doing things your own way?

Highlights of 2012 (2)

What was your biggest question or biggest decision this year?

Do-over

Suppose there were a chance to tinker with your life story, to change your attitude or choices for one short period of your life in hopes of creating a better life story overall. What point in your life would be the best place to intercede to make the biggest difference?  And what hypothetical change would you make during that time period to nudge your life in a more positive direction?

Food (3)

How much control do you have over what you eat?  Do you sometimes end up eating things that you don't particularly like, or that you know are unhealthy, because you have to work with a limited range of choices? 

Tell us a story: I changed my mind

What was one time when you did your research, weighed pros and cons, and made a careful and logical decision — and then, when the time came, you went ahead and did something else anyway?

Calling it done

What is one thing you're almost ready to cross off your to-do list and admit you're never going to do it?

This week's theme is unfinished business.

Tell us a story: resolved

What was one thing you successfully resolved to change in your life (whether at a new year or on some other occasion)? What is one example of something that's different in your life today as a result of that decision?

Turning back around

Think about an important relationship of yours that seemed to be falling apart but that somehow got back onto a solid footing. What was the pivotal moment that seemed to steer things onto a happier course?

This week's theme is turning points.

Pick a team

If you had to sign up for a team, choosing just by the team names, which would you choose: the Rock team, the Paper team, or the Scissors team?

Tell us a story: spilling it

What was an uncomfortable secret that you carried for years, until you found that it was okay to let it go and tell the truth? What made the difference that made it okay to drop the secrecy?

Half past quitting time

When you're right in the middle of a mess, it can be hard to decide when to muddle through and hope things work out, and when to give up and start over from scratch. Which is more your style: doggedly persisting when it's long past time to give up, or impulsive quitting too quickly without giving things a fair chance to hit their stride?

This week's theme is beginning again.

Tell us a story: the job not taken

What was a business that you made tentative plans to launch, or a career that you started preparing for, or a job offer that you seriously considered, before deciding to go in a different direction instead? What ultimately helped you make your decision?

Extremely extreme

What's one time when you took extreme action that may not exactly have been warranted? Did you book a flight to Europe to avoid a family get-together? Expose yourself to a friend with the flu to get out of the company Christmas party? Break a leg to prove you were right about something?

This week's theme is extremes.

Tell us a story: tough decisions

What was the hardest decision you ever made? What made it so difficult?

Tell us a story: "No, really, I can do this..."

Did you ever take on a daunting responsibility, only to realize quickly that it was too much for you? What did you do? Did you continue on, nonetheless? Or did you quit, leave, or otherwise bail on the responsibility?

Hard-earned lessons about learning

When you look back at your education, thinking both about what you studied and about how you approached it, what decisions do you regret? What would you do differently if you had a second chance?

This week's theme is education.

Take me away!

On the whole, which do you prefer, when vacation plans are up to you: being pampered and surrounded by luxury, or getting away from it all in a rustic place of natural beauty?

This week's theme is your preferences and tendencies.

Life story: edits

This week we're having fun with your life story, re-imagining it in a historical time period. Though the point of the exercise is to retain the main narrative of your life while putting it in a wholly different context, no one could fault you for making a few little, let's say, improvements in the story. What is one major mistake you made that you'd like to edit out of your alternate life story? What are a few choices that the historical you could make differently to get on a faster track to a happier, more successful, more dramatic life?

This week's theme is your life as a historical novel.

Opportunity knocks

Every day brings us so many opportunities that we can't pursue all of them. We can't give each one careful thought; there just isn't enough time. With so many opportunities around us all the time, just being able to pay attention to the right ones might be the key to success.

What are some of the things you already do to become aware of opportunities and keep track of them?
How do you decide which opportunities to take, and which to leave behind?
What could you do that would help you notice and pay more attention to your most valuable opportunities?

This week's theme is missed opportunities.