The Examen
A short review of the day: give thanks, notice where you felt alive and where you felt drained, own where you fell short, and pick one thing for tomorrow.
Key takeaways
- Ignatius of Loyola's Examen is a ten-minute review of the day, in five steps. It starts with gratitude and ends looking forward.
- Its key move is noticing consolation (where you felt alive, connected, more yourself) and desolation (where you felt drained or cut off). Over weeks, the pattern shows you what gives you life.
- Owning where you fell short is part of it, but it isn't a list of failures. It moves from honesty to forgiveness to one small step for tomorrow.
Skip this one if you live with OCD or scrupulosity: a nightly review of where you fell short can feed it.
The cannonball
In 1521, a young Basque soldier named Ignatius of Loyola was badly wounded by a cannonball while defending the fortress of Pamplona. During his long recovery, there was little to read except a life of Christ and stories of the saints, and he spent hours daydreaming.
He began to notice something. Dreams of glory and romance were thrilling at the time, but afterward left him dry and restless. Imagining a life like the saints' left him peaceful long after. Paying attention to these inner movements became the heart of what he called discernment. Years later, he founded the Jesuits, and he built a short daily review, the Examen, into his Spiritual Exercises. He reportedly told his companions that if they had to drop every other prayer, they should keep this one.
Consolation and desolation
Ignatius used two words for what he noticed. Consolation: moments when you feel alive, grateful, connected, more yourself. Desolation: moments when you feel drained, cut off, restless or heavy.
They aren't the same as pleasant and unpleasant. A hard conversation with a friend can leave you consoled. An evening of easy scrolling can leave you desolate. That's why they're worth tracking: they show you what actually feeds you, which isn't always what you'd guess.
Question 1 of 2
Looking back on a day, which of these sound like consolation, and which sound like desolation?
- Finally having the difficult talk with my sister. It was hard, and afterward I felt closer to her.
- Two hours of videos after dinner. Fun at the time, but I went to bed flat and a bit empty.
- Helping a new colleague find her feet. I lost track of time.
- Rereading the same work email five times, getting more anxious each time.
0 of 4 sorted
The five steps
About ten minutes, at the end of the day
- Give thanks
Start with one or two things from today you're grateful for, however small.
- Ask for light
Ask to see the day honestly, as it was. Without faith, simply decide to look at it straight.
- Review the day
Go through it hour by hour. Where did you feel most alive? Most drained? Where did you fall short?
- Ask forgiveness
For where you fell short. Name it plainly and let it go for tonight. Without faith, forgive yourself as you would a friend.
- Look to tomorrow
Choose one concrete thing to do differently tomorrow.
The order matters. Gratitude comes first so that the honest look at the day doesn't turn into an indictment. And it ends with one step, not a full plan, because one is what you'll actually do.
Dan's evening
Dan has decided to start an evening review. Here is his first one, written in his notes app:
"Today: was late for standup. Didn't finish the report. Snapped at Priya over the dishes. Skipped the gym again. Ate junk for lunch. Need to be way more disciplined. Tomorrow: wake up at 5, gym, finish report, meal prep, call Mom, clean apartment."
Question 2 of 2
Sources and further reading
- Ignatius of Loyola. The Spiritual Exercises, paragraph 43. Translated by L. J. Puhl (1951). Chicago: Loyola Press.
- Manney, J. (2011). A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer: Discovering the Power of St. Ignatius Loyola's Examen. Chicago: Loyola Press.
Finish the lesson
0 of 2 questions done. Answer the rest to finish.