8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Rosh Hashanah

Between holiday preparations, cooking, and hosting, it’s easy to lose sight of what matters most at this time of year: taking a moment for honest self-reflection. Before the year changes, set aside a few quiet minutes to look inward with these eight questions.

1. What am I most grateful for this year?

Before rushing into a list of requests for the year ahead, it’s worth pausing to appreciate what you already have. Gratitude is the starting point from which every prayer should flow, because it’s hard to ask wholeheartedly without first recognizing all that we have received.

When you enter Rosh Hashanah filled with gratitude, you arrive from a completely different place than when you focus only on what you still want or need.

2. What has changed in me since last Rosh Hashanah?

Think about how you have grown since last year. Growth is often difficult to notice in day-to-day life; sometimes, only looking back reveals how far you have come.

The year that felt the most ordinary, or even the most difficult, may have been the one in which you experienced the deepest changes. Give yourself credit for what you have already made it through before moving on to the next goal.

3. Am I carrying anger toward myself or someone else?

Old anger that goes unaddressed does not simply disappear. It can change form and find other ways to affect your mood, your home, and your relationships.

Even if you have not reached complete forgiveness yet, honestly acknowledging that the anger exists can be an important first step.

4. Is there someone I owe an apology to?

Sometimes we know exactly whom we have hurt, yet we put off asking for forgiveness because of embarrassment, pride, or fear of how the other person will respond.

Halacha teaches that Yom Kippur atones for transgressions between a person and Hashem, but not for transgressions between one person and another until we seek forgiveness from the person we hurt. One sincere conversation may begin to lift a burden you have been carrying for far too long.

5. What in my prayer feels automatic, and what feels real?

It is worth considering which parts of your service of Hashem need more intention this year. There is a significant difference between saying words out of habit and pausing, even for a moment, to recognize that someone is truly listening.

A simple question like this can bring new life to prayer that has gradually become routine.

6. Who in my life deserves more of my attention this year?

Think about a relationship that deserves more investment: a spouse, an aging parent, an old friend who has been somewhat neglected amid the exhausting routine of everyday life.

It is all too easy to let what is urgent take priority over what is important, only to realize later how much time has passed. Sometimes the greatest gift for the New Year is not a grand resolution, but simply being more present for someone who matters to you.

7. What kind of person do I want to be this year?

This is not another resolution to “do more” of something specific. It is a deeper question about the person you want to become.

The answer can take shape through small, practical choices. Begin by identifying a quality, character trait, or part of yourself that you most want to strengthen. A question like this can give direction to the entire year, rather than leaving you with a list of resolutions that fades after a few weeks.

8. Am I entering the New Year from a place of fear or hope?

Both reverence and love have a place at this time of year, and both are meaningful parts of serving Hashem. Consider honestly which one is taking up more space within you right now.

Entering the New Year consumed entirely by anxiety about judgment can make it difficult to experience the joy that Tishrei also holds. Reverence and genuine joy can exist side by side. The question is which one you choose to lean into as you begin the year ahead.