10Q

Documentation is good. Sometimes. The last two or three (or four?) years didn’t seem like they were worth reflecting on, though it’s more accurate to say that I wasn’t up to doing all the mental calisthenics required for self-reflection. Of course, the subconscious is constantly documenting and processing and analyzing and even when I think I’m giving it a rest, I can feel the reverberations from that deeper place. It’s pretty annoying.


As a result of this latest leg in the trek of life (which started with the mega car accident in January 2013), I think I’ve landed on a mesa of sorts, where I can fill my lungs with fresh air as a reward for the steadfast climb, stretch my legs and look out into the vista. I can see the path I walked to get here and I daydream about where I might go next. I’m not over-anxious to get a move on but I know I’ll get there when I need to get there. Since I’m in a reflective mood, it’s rather serendipitous timing to receive a reminder about the 10Q Project.

10Q is a personal online time capsule of sorts. Once you sign up to participate, 10 questions are emailed to you over the course of 10 consecutive days. All the questions are designed for reflection regarding the past year and the year ahead. The answers are securely and privately stored away until they are emailed to you a year later. Worst thing ever if you’re stuck in a psychological and emotional cesspool but pretty nifty if you’re in a transitional phase, happy to get all hello-past-me-why-hello-future-me on your ass. My first and only participation happened in 2009 (my answers here) and, though I have gotten reminders to do this every year since, I am only now motivated to give it another go.

10Q 2014 starts in about a week on September 24. If you decide to sign up, I’d love to hear about your 10Q experience. The questions are big and wide (you’ll see what I mean) so it may feel like a major self-reflection marathon for the 10 days. Don’t give up, though! (Or do, if you feel like it — it’s all good.) You’ll find the effort rewarding come next year and your 2014 self is saying what’s up from your inbox.

Learn more about the 10Q Project here.