# Until the Day I Die

Participants think of one surprising or quirky personal fact and take turns sharing it with the group so others can recall it later.

**Time:** 15 minutes. Source recommends 10 to 20 minutes for 5 to 20 people. UWT standardizes to 15 minutes.
**People:** 4 to 20. Whole group for up to 10 participants, or split into small circles of 4 to 6 for larger groups.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Enable group members to learn one memorable, self-chosen personal detail about each other through lighthearted sharing.
**Use it when:** Use at the start of a meeting, training cohort, or workshop series when participants need an easy personal check-in that aids recall.
**Skip it when:** Skip when participants are navigating acute conflict, when time is under ten minutes for a large group, or when participants prefer strictly task-focused meetings.

## Materials and tools

- Blank sticky notes or scratch paper (1 sheet per person)
- Pens or pencils (1 per person)
- Digital timer (1 for facilitator)
- Flipchart or whiteboard and markers (optional, to capture highlights)

## Before participants arrive

1. Distribute sticky notes and pens to seats.
2. Prepare the flipchart or digital board if recording memorable notes.
3. Have a personal example ready to model the expected tone.

## Say this to open

We are going to do a quick warm-up called Until the Day I Die. The goal is simple: pick one curious, unusual, or lighthearted fact about yourself that you think people will still remember by the end of today, or even down the road. Keep it safe for work and comfortable to share. I will give an example, then give you two minutes of quiet thinking time before we share.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce and model (3 minutes)

Explain the prompt. Share a clear, lighthearted model fact about yourself (for example: 'I once won a regional watermelon seed-spitting contest in 2012'). Emphasize that entries must be comfortable for public sharing.

### 2. Draft individual facts (2 minutes)

Give participants two minutes of quiet time to write their chosen fact on their sticky note or scratch paper. Remind them that they can pass or choose a very simple hobby or minor preference instead.

### 3. Share round-robin (7 minutes)

Go around the room in sequence. Each person has up to 30 seconds to read their fact aloud. Allow brief spontaneous reactions from others before moving promptly to the next person. If groups exceed 10 people, run this step in parallel small groups of 4 to 6.

### 4. Recall and reflect (3 minutes)

Call the full group back together. Ask 2 or 3 volunteers to name one fact shared by someone else that stood out to them. Close the activity.


## Debrief questions

- Which fact surprised you the most, and why did it stick in your mind?
- What common patterns or unexpected themes showed up across our answers?

**Finished output:** A shared set of personal facts recalled by peers to help anchor names and personalities.

## Remote

Run via video meeting. Have participants draft their fact on paper or in a private notepad during the thinking step. Call on speakers one by one or allow popcorn turns using the raise hand feature. Optionally have them paste their statement into the meeting chat or a shared digital board (such as Miro or Padlet) after speaking.

## Hybrid

Establish a single spoken order that alternates between in-person attendees and remote participants. Project remote attendees on screen so the physical room can see them, and place a shared microphone near room speakers so remote attendees hear every entry clearly. All participants can post their written facts to a single online board.

## Access and participation choices

- Offer written entry in the chat or on a flipchart for participants who prefer not to speak aloud.
- Allow participants to share an ordinary fact, such as a favorite breakfast food or pet name, or simply say 'pass' without giving a reason.

## If the session gets stuck

**A participant overshares heavy personal trauma or sensitive medical history.**

Acknowledge the share with a brief, warm thank you, gently remind the group to stick to lighthearted or quirky items, and move directly to the next person.

**One person takes several minutes telling a long backstory.**

Step in after 30 seconds with a polite time reminder: 'Thank you, let us make sure we leave enough room for every voice before our time runs out.'


## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Participatory Methods (participatorymethods.com) under the title 'Until the day I die'.

Retained core mechanic and questions from Participatory Methods: participants share a quirky or memorable fact designed to be remembered, the facilitator models first, and the group reflects on what was most memorable. UWT structured the duration into explicit minutes (3-2-7-3), added group size splitting thresholds, provided practical boundary management scripts, and detailed remote and hybrid procedures.

[Participatory Methods](https://participatorymethods.com/activities/until)

[Participatory Methods](https://participatorymethods.com/activities/until-the-day-i-die/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/until-the-day-i-die/