A question box is a diary that asks: a surprising way to know yourself

Why diaries don't last

Have you ever started keeping a diary, only to give up after 3 days? One reason diaries don't last is that you don't know what to write.

You sit in front of a blank notebook and try to remember what happened today, but it ends with "Nothing much happened." You don't write because there's nothing to write, and because you don't write, it never becomes a habit.

With a question box, this problem is easier to avoid. That's because with a question box, you don't have to come up with what to write yourself. When a question arrives, all you do is answer it.

Answering questions = looking back on yourself

When you answer a question like "What made you happy recently?", you're naturally looking back on recent events. When you answer "What do you like?", you're putting your tastes into words. When you answer "What do you want to be in the future?", you're thinking about your future.

This is the same thing you do in a diary. The difference is that you have a trigger: the question. With a trigger, it gets easier to talk about yourself.

When you reread your question box answers later, you can see what you were thinking during that time. "So that's what I was worried about back then." "This is when my hobbies started changing." Answering questions in your question box also becomes a record of you without you even noticing.

Questions give you something to write about

When you don't know what to write, a diary gets hard to keep up. When you face a blank page, your hand stops.

A question box is different. Someone asks you, "How are things lately?" or "Are you into anything right now?" You have a topic, so you're less likely to get stuck on what to write.

Words come out more easily when you're answering a question than when you're creating something from nothing. A question is a gift that gives you a reason to write. Compared to a diary where you struggle with a blank page, answering questions sometimes lets you put your feelings into words naturally.

A record you can reread later

Your question box answers show your thoughts and feelings from each moment just as they were. Even if you aren't consciously keeping a diary, every answer naturally creates a record.

When you reread an answer from a while ago, you meet your past self: "So this is what I was thinking back then." You can see how your favorite things changed and how your worries shifted. That gives you clues to who you were during that time.

Unlike an ordinary diary, it's saved as questions and answers, so rereading it is fun too. Before you know it, your one-question, one-answer posts have become an album that's yours alone. On Q drop, though, questions you receive are deleted automatically once a certain period has passed since they were sent, whether you answered them or not.

The trick to keeping it up is not pressuring yourself

Even if you use it as a diary, you don't need to pressure yourself with "I have to write every day." In fact, not pressuring yourself is the best trick for keeping it up for a long time.

On days when questions come in, answer the ones that came. On days you feel like it, try asking yourself a question. That light touch is enough. Once "I have to keep going" turns into an obligation, it might get painful, just like a diary.

You don't have to try to write well. Leaving even a single line about what you felt that day is plenty. Relax and keep it up loosely. Each of those answers becomes words that reflect who you were at that moment. If you stop for a while, don't worry about it, and come back when you feel like writing again. Keeping that kind of distance is the secret to lasting.

Try asking yourself questions

When no questions come in, it can also be fun to ask yourself questions.

"If you gave yourself a score right now, what would it be?" "What would you want to tell yourself from a year ago?" "Say one thing to tomorrow's you." Ask yourself questions like these and try writing the answers in your question box.

Asking and answering your own questions might look strange, but it's one way to sort out your feelings. Putting things in the form of a question can help you notice feelings you aren't normally aware of.

A question box is a tool for connecting with others, and at the same time, a tool for connecting with yourself. While you answer other people's questions, you gradually come to understand yourself too. That's the hidden appeal of a question box.