"God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Prayer of Absolution, Rite of Penance)
The Sacrament of Reconciliation, confession, is an opportunity for us to publicly admit our fault, be reconciled to God, and receive some spiritual guidance from the priest. The priest will also give us a penance, an opportunity to offer remedy, for us to complete. Yet, making a "good" confession requires us to be disposed properly for the sacrament. Below find a few different Examinations of Conscience that can serve as a method of preparing to go to confession.
5 STEPS FOR A GOOD CONFESSION
Examine your conscience: think about how you have fallen short of God's will since your last confession.
Be contrite. That is be truly sorry for your sins.
Go to confession. Either go to confession at your parish during the scheduled times or go to another parish if you feel more comfortable.
Make certain that you confess all your mortal sins. If it is has been particularly long since you last went to confession you may not remember everything. Be sure to confess all that is in your consciouness and don't try to hide anything from the priest.
After confession, do the penance the priest gives to you.
A Brief Examination
Based on Catholic Social Teaching
For Children
For Youth