Practice the Examen daily and briefly

Do a short Examen most days rather than a long one occasionally.

Why it works

The Examen’s benefit comes from repeated self-knowledge over time — the patterns of consolation and desolation visible across weeks are not visible in a single session. Keeping the practice brief enough to be sustainable daily is not a compromise; it is what makes the compounding effect possible. Ignatius’s own recommendation was 15 minutes; the pattern-recognition benefit requires frequency, not duration.

How to do it

1. Target 10–15 minutes, not longer; brevity protects the daily cadence.
2. Anchor the practice to an existing evening cue — after dinner, after brushing teeth, before sleep.
3. If you have only five minutes, do the first and last movements (gratitude and resolve) and leave the others.
4. Prioritize showing up over doing every step perfectly.

Evidence

Habit formation research shows that consistency and cue-anchoring are the primary determinants of whether a practice becomes habitual. The Examen has been practiced in this brief-daily form for nearly five centuries of Jesuit tradition. (anecdotal)

The frequency recommendation draws on habit research by analogy; the specific cadence is practitioner tradition. The compounding self-knowledge benefit is plausible but not formally measured.

Common mistake

Treating the Examen as a long, demanding practice and skipping it when busy — which is exactly when its grounding function is most needed. Make it brief enough to be undeniable.