Examen Practice - Remember the Future Pages

Developing a Rhythm and Practice of Writing - Part 18

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” - Socrates

All of my daily practices are important but the Examen Practice is the most essential. It’s where I discover meaning and actionable insights. 

We may learn through experiences but we grow only through examined experiences. The practice of review, reflection, refinement and response is key to personal growth. It has become such a vital practice, I created a rhythm for the Examen practices.

• Daily - Morning Examen and Evening Examen
  •  In the morning, I begin the day with Morning Pages and 2x2 Focus Grid. 
  • In the evening, I close out the day by reviewing, reflecting, refining and responding to the days. 
    
    
• Weekly Review and Preview (1 hour)
  • Usually on Saturday night, I will do a review and reflect on the week by going over the daily Evening Examen. I will organize, edit, delete and prioritize the unresolved action steps and carry it over the the next week. 
  • Then I will preview the focus, events, and projects slated for the week ahead. 
  • I will also assess the alignment of my projects to the goals I have set.
     
• Monthly Examen (4 hours)
  • Usually on the last Friday of every month, I will do a half-day examen on the month and look ahead to the next month. 
  • Similar to the Weekly Review and Preview. I will review and preview the month ahead. 
    
    
• Quarterly Examen (8 hours or a full day)
  • Usually on the last Friday of every quarter (3 months), instead of a monthly examen, I will do a full day Quarterly Examen.
  • Normally it is designated as a day of Silence and Solitude. 
    
    
• Yearly Examen (December)
  • What was once a 2-3 day practice, I expanded to become a month long process.
  • "Remember the Future" Practice starts the day after Thanksgiving - where I am reviewing all of my journals from the year and transferring a summary to next years journal. This usually takes me the whole month. The December months summary is transferred on New Years Day. 
  • "Envisioning" Process also starts in December, where I review, update, and design my "Field Guide". I choose a One Word Focus for the year ahead and refine my "Guiding Principles", "Clarifying Questions", Projects and Goals. I also will review my personal Vision, Mission, Values and Identity statements. 

This Rhythm and Practice has been developed over 10 years and I'm sure it will continue to need refinement. You don't have to do all that I do - but you can choose to start with one. 

This entry is for Month-long writing challenge for our The Beautiful Future Members. Every weekday, we write and share with one another to build and strengthen our practice of writing.