The following steps are taken in making a fruitful examen of conscience:

Be conscious of being in the presence of God: One who desires to do the examen of conscience should begin with the first step of bearing in mind that one is in the presence of God, no matter where one is, at home, during a short break at work, inside a church, or just taking a walk in a quiet place that is conducive for reflective prayer. God always wants us to be conscious of His constant presence in our life. He is closer to us than we can ever imagine or really articulate. One doing the examen of conscience may prefer to take a moment to relax and then become conscious of one’s breathing, both inhaling and exhaling.

Prayer of thanksgiving: Pause and take a moment to thank God for the blessings – both known and unknown – that being alive alone is a gift from God which makes all other gifts possible; hence the need to be grateful for the gift of life that we often take for granted and only realize its significance when we fall sick or are experiencing a difficult situation.

Take the time to look at all other gifts that can be recalled to mind: the gift of one’s family, friends, or any other significant person or thing in one’s life. Be grateful to God for these gifts.

Ask for the aid of the Holy Spirit: St. Ignatius in the Spiritual Exercises encourages Jesuits to always ask for a grace before beginning any form of prayer. For the examen of conscience it is fruitful to begin by asking for the aid of the Holy Spirit in making a good examen of conscience that will be fruitful and will enrich one’s life. Therefore, begin by asking the Holy Spirit to direct your heart in making a good examen of conscience so that God in His own way would reveal how He has been present and active in your life.

Examine how you have lived up to this moment today: Begin the examen of conscience by playing the events of the day from waking up to this very moment in your mind. Imagine yourself looking at you out there carrying out the various events of the day: waking up, brushing your teeth, greeting some one in the same house or room with you, then saying a short prayer or whatever you did next, and so on. This should be taken seriously as the goal of using the faculty of one’s mind is to become conscious of how all the events up to this moment connect and how they led you in a particular direction.

Questions such as did this particular event lead to the next? How did I respond to God’s invitation through this event today? Did I allow the Spirit to guide me or did I force my own personal conviction to come true in this event today? and so on might help you to properly divest your mind and discern the voice and direction of God in the events in your life up to this moment of examen of conscience.

Make a resolution: After praying through the events of your day and coming to an awareness of how you responded or did not respond to God’s direction, you next ask for pardon for those areas where you fell short of doing God’s will or responding to the promptings of the Spirit. Next, you make a resolution to be more attentive to God’s presence and action in your life for the future, and then end your examen of conscience with the sign of the cross.