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The mind hates uncertainty.
It.drives.itself.nuts to answer a question. Any question. Asked or unasked.
If you paid attention: it is almost always in search mode… trying to answer a question.
That’s why it is so busy.
But it is working on questions that are bad questions… irrelevant, and there is no answer to them in the mind. Then you can’t sleep for no good reason.
This phenomenon, the questions we don’t even know we asked gives us the results (or the lack of) you are getting in life, health, relationships, and money.
This article is about asking questions that are worth asking.
Answering those questions will true our path, and make us happier.
By the way, I first met an all questions coaching book some 20 years ago. And then there was a whole book on the art of the question… if I can, I’ll dig those up for you. There is also the afformations… a ‘cult’ of asking good questions. some people do well with those… not me. A little tricky if you ask me.
Clarity starts with the questions, and often ends up in action and results. Not always, but there is more to taking actions than clarity… but that is not the subject of this article, so let’s stay with the questions.
Although you cannot take control of the mind, you can ask different questions. I want to share with you some questions that may lead you to clarity.
Clarity is powerful as it enables you to lead powerfully:
to take you from strategizing to designing, planning, deciding, focusing and acting, so that you can make things happen.
Wealth and Abundance Questions
Our wealth is unique to us: your concept of wealth is different from mine, from your partners’, colleagues’, friends’.
It is important to identify what your concept of wealth is, as I believe that our concept of wealth, our idea of wealth has many elements – being, doing and having elements. Elements that unless they are all fulfilled, you won’t experience wealth, you won’t experience abundance.
Defining your own abundance is the first step in making it happen. Start your answers with, ‘I am wealthy and abundant when I am, I do, I have X’.
- Who do I want to be?
- What do I want to do?
- What do I want to have?
Activities Questions
This series of 5 questions is amazing to evaluate your current activities, and assist you in focusing onto the next steps, or implementation.
It’s a good idea to ask these questions regularly, maybe weekly, maybe bi-weekly. This way you will never stray from the path too long. From the path that actually leads to where you want to go.
- What should I start doing?
- What should I stop doing?
- And What should I continue doing?
- What should I do more of?
- What should I do less of?
And lately I have added a sixth question: what is the one thing that will make everything easier, maybe even unnecessary?
It is not necessarily doing… it can be a context, a beingness, a focus, a purpose.
BIG PICTURE Questions
Before jumping into an activity and starting it, it is important to look if this activity is aligned with your overall BIG picture.
You’d be amazed at the number of activities that you might be doing, that are misaligned or NOT aligned with your goals, and are taking you away from your path, or keeping you away by keeping you busy.
Ask yourself the question and make your decision.
- Does (insert your activity) bring me closer to purpose?
- Does (insert your activity) keep me busy without any contribution to my real purpose?
Achievement Questions
These 3 questions will help you frame your projects, so that you get the most out of them. And, it starts, right from the onset!
The first 2 questions will help you focus on an outcome and needs – too often, people start something without having a clear idea of what it is they want to achieve and what will they need to make it happen.
The 3rd question will help you visualize the accomplished project; I recommend spending time on this one: what you see, what you hear, what you feel, this will support you along the way. This is the box-cover question: the box cover of the finished picture of a jigsaw puzzle.
You can check where you are heading any point in the process: if there is no match, if there is a discrepancy, you will know. But you must have a box cover. Most people don’t.
Why? Because it takes courage to create something specific: you can fail at it. And in today’s stupid society failure is an ugly word.
- What do I want to achieve?
- What do I need to make it happen (think of actions, resources, support)?
- How do I know when I will have achieved it?
What now?
Achieving what you want in life starts with knowing the answers to these powerful questions. When answering, be free: no limits, no filters, no judgments. In the next article I’ll talk about the filters, judgments, pretenses that mostly take the wind out of your sail, even before you start.
How could these questions help you? What other questions have you found useful for clarity?
You can listen in while I coach someone towards clarity in an audio in my mobile.
Listen in to me coaching clarity
