The Inner Compass
Day One:
The Backdoor Inquiry
The Backdoor Inquiry is a journaling practice designed to bypass your logical mind and bring to light the beliefs that are quietly shaping your life from behind the scenes. These beliefs often run on autopilot — influencing your decisions, your self-perception, and even your limits — without you ever realizing they’re there.
Rather than going through the front door of the conscious mind, this exercise invites you to slip around the back and uncover the thoughts you didn’t even know you were thinking.
Instructions
Read each prompt and write down whatever comes forward — quickly, without overthinking. Trust your first response. It doesn't need to make sense or be polished. Just let the truth spill out.
The quality of your beliefs determines the quality of your life. Awareness is your first portal to change.
There is no wrong way to do this — your only job is to be honest. Let your pen move, and trust what shows up.
Life is…
I never have enough…
Joyful people…
Wanting more than I actually need is…
When I speak my truth, I…
When I fail, I…
Doing what I really want to do in the world is…
Achieving my biggest, wildest dream is…
If I surrendered control, I would…
Freedom is…
If I were completely free, I would…
Self-doubt stops me from…
The part of myself I’ve been neglecting is…
The feeling I long for most is…
If my safety and success were guaranteed, I’d…
After this exercise, take some time to think through these journal prompts:
What came up when I did the inquiry?
What beliefs were hiding beneath the surface?
Are there any thoughts or narratives that surprised me?