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Using GenAI for Personal Reflection

In Monday’s article, we discussed the importance of using GenAI as a companion for self-exploration. Today, we’ll walk through how you can use your Thinking Buddy to draft your personal mission and vision statements, and define your concept of success. By prompting GenAI to ask you questions, you’ll create a dialogue that deepens your introspection and clarifies your goals.

The Tool of the Week: Prompt the GenAI to Ask Questions

Our featured tool for this week is:

Prompt the GenAI to Ask Questions

Sometimes, we don’t know where to start about presenting information upfront in our prompts. Instead, we ca prompt our Thinking Buddy to engage in conversation by instructing it something along the lines of: “Ask me questions about this topic.” This approach ensures the AI gathers necessary context, promoting richer, more focused dialogue.

Step-by-Step: Defining Your Mission, Vision, and Success

Step 1: Define Your Core Values

Start by identifying the values that guide your life and decision-making. Your Thinking Buddy can help you articulate these values by prompting reflective questions.

    
Help me define my core values. Guide me with questions to identify the principles that are most important to me and to explain why they matter.

Copy the prompt and try it with ChatGPT

Example Questions from GenAI:

  • “What moments have made you feel most fulfilled and why?”
  • “What qualities do you admire in people around you?”

Why This Helps: By answering these questions, you can pinpoint the values that matter most to you, laying the foundation for your mission and vision.

Step 2: Craft Your Personal Mission Statement

Once your core values are clear, you can use them to build your mission statement. This statement should focus on what you do, who you serve, and how you approach your life and work.

    
Based on my identified core values, guide me to create a personal mission statement. Ask follow-up questions if more details are needed.

Copy the prompt and try it with ChatGPT

Sample Follow-Up Prompts:

  • “What activities or contributions make you feel accomplished?”
  • “Who do you want to impact most, and in what way?”

Result: By combining your values and responses, GenAI can draft a mission statement that reflects your current intentions and guides your everyday actions.

Step 3: Build Your Vision Statement

The vision statement projects into the future, showcasing what you aspire to achieve and the impact you hope to have.

    
Based on my mission statement and core values, help me create a vision for my future. Guide me with questions to ensure it captures my long-term aspirations.

Copy the prompt and try it with ChatGPT

Questions You May Get:

  • “What do you hope your life looks like in 10 years?”
  • “What change do you want to inspire in others?”

Outcome: This helps create a forward-thinking statement that serves as your life’s guiding star.

Step 4: Define Your Concept of Success

Success is subjective and can encompass personal, professional, and social dimensions. GenAI can prompt you to reflect on what success means for you.

    
Help me define my personal concept of success. Please ask questions to better understand my perspective.

Copy the prompt and try it with ChatGPT

Sample GenAI Questions:

  • “Is success for you more about achievement or continuous growth?”
  • “How do relationships, career, and well-being factor into your idea of success?”

Step 5: Ensure Alignment and Synergy

Review your mission, vision, and definition of success to confirm they align seamlessly with your core values. GenAI can guide you through this process by posing questions that identify inconsistencies and highlight areas for refinement.

    
Based on our entire conversation, let’s review my mission, vision, and success statements to make sure they are coherent and align seamlessly with my core values. Ask questions to help me spot areas that need adjustment.

Copy the prompt and try it with ChatGPT

Why This Helps: Engaging in this step ensures all components align and reinforce each other, creating cohesive guidance for personal growth.

Here is my full conversation with my Thinking Buddy in case you want to take a look!

Final Thoughts: Making GenAI Your Reflection Partner

Using GenAI to craft your core values, mission, vision, and success definition provides a structured approach to self-reflection. By prompting it to ask questions, you engage in a dynamic dialogue that pushes you to think deeper and gain clarity.

Your Turn: Follow these steps and let GenAI guide you through the process. Take time to review, refine, and integrate these insights into your life.