I’ve received consistent feedback from Lifestyle Poll participants suggesting that they really enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on their lives while contributing to the Lifestyle Poll. It makes my day every time I hear this because I was hoping that my participants might benefit in exactly this way when I conceived and launched this project.

Some participants also indicated a desire to say more than the multiple-choice format of the survey allowed. As one participant put it, ‘even though there was real diversity in the type and focus of the questions (likert; yes/no; multiple options), I kept wanting to tell a story yet felt restricted in doing so.’

These open-ended questions are designed to allow you to tell your story, state your opinions, and share your wisdom. I read all of your feedback, and some of these open-ended questions are directly derived from topics that past participants have suggested might be important to explore in more depth.

I am excited about this follow-up question set because I believe that the narratives you share here will lend depth and clarity to the Lifestyle Poll findings. As with the Lifestyle Poll, I hope that these questions will provide an opportunity for you to evaluate your past decisions and reflect on important aspects of your lives. One of the two core goals of the Lifestyle Poll project involves providing a way for people to learn from each other and I may include your perspectives and opinions in printed or published materials. If you have already contributed to quantitative poll, or plan to contribute in the future, there is no way to link your narrative responses here to your Lifestyle Poll data, and as with the Lifestyle Poll, your confidentiality and anonymity will be honored at all times as the highest priority.

Finally, there is NO expectation that you will complete all of these questions. If 5-10 of them, or even just 1 or 2 of them grab your interest, please consider contributing your thoughts and experiences. Feel free to log on at any time and respond to additional questions as you have time and interest.
Thanks very much for your contributions to this project!

Dr. Springer

Photo by Judy Sheen

Click here to respond to open-ended questions on topics related to Lifestyle Poll