Want better Control Over Your Life? Start Asking Yourself Great Questions!

 

 

 

 

 “ Who am I?” was the question which an Indian mystic Ramana Mahrishi asked himself which brought him enlightenment.

“ What is the main cause of sufferings in the world?”

“ How can one end sufferings?” were the questions Siddharth Gautam asked himself which transformed him into Gautam Buddha.

 

Good Leaders Ask Great Questions- John C Maxwell

 

We have heard this so many times, if you want to be a good leader ask good questions. I have discovered that if you want to have more control over life then you must ask great question of yourself.

 

Many of us are good at asking probing and intelligent questions to our colleagues, subordinates, clients, friends etc to find solutions to our problems.

 

However, a very few people actually ask themselves probing and intelligent questions to improve the quality of life they are leading. Or to improve their response to an event.

 

There is a great power in asking great question to oneself. When you ask right questions you will be forced to find answers to these questions. But if you don’t ask the right question it may worsen the situation, for example if you face an adversity and you ask “Why me?”. You know what happens after that.

 

Your answers to the questions will determine how you feel and how you act. Therefore, how your life would be.

I recommend, you make a list of questions you may like to ask at different situations and be aware of it so that when you face that situation these questions come to your mind automatically.

 

Let us see what these situations could be and what questions we can ask ourselves?

 

Morning Questions

Before you move out of the bed you may ask yourself questions which sets the tone for the day. These could be :

 What do I want to achieve today?

How do I want to feel today?

 What would I like to focus on?

 

These questions will give you a framework to live your life during the day. You may frame your own questions which resonate with you. Limit the questions to 2-3, remember it is not a To Do list.

 

Evening Questions

How do you know that you have lived a worthwhile day? For that you must set yourself a parameter based on which you can judge whether you truly lived your day or the day lived you.

 

 Asking questions before you sleep will help in that. These questions should be around what you truly value in life.

 Did I give my best today?

Did I have fun today?

 Did I help someone today?

  Did I improve myself today?

 

Once again the aim of asking question is not to know whether you were able to complete your To Do list or not. Completing the task on your list does not amount to living a worthwhile day.

 

 

At Work

If you feel that you are not as successful as you would like to be at your work, then you must ask yourself following questions.

 

Asking these questions will ensure that you are making best use of your time and are on course?

 

How can I add more value to my work?

 How can I be more valuable to the organization?

 Is this task worthy of my time?

 Am I focusing on important tasks or urgent?

 Is there a better way of doing this task?

 Why should my job be done this way?

 Am I enjoying my job?

 

These questions will set you towards the path of success at your work.

 

For Financial Independence

Financial independence is essential to live a stress free and a happy life. People who are not financially independent may have to work even after their retirement. They will live in constant worry of paying their bills an0d not saving enough for their financial goals.

  How much money do I need for different financial goals i.e. retirement, kids educations etc?

 Am I spending more than my earnings?

 Am I spending money on my needs or wants?

 Why am I buying this item?

 How can I increase my income?

 How can I reduce my expenditure?

What skill sets I have which I can monetize?

  

Facing Fear

These are the situation where your mind is besieged with strong emotions and it stops thinking rationally. Most of the people often dwell upon the negative aspects of the situation. In these circumstances asking right questions can alter your mental state and help you think straight.

 

  What is the problem here?

  Are my fears real or imaginary?

  What are the chances of this happening?

  What worse can happen?

  Can I handle the consequences?

  What can I do right now to change the situation?

 

Facing Unpleasant/Stressful Situation

Majority of unhappiness in our life is self-created. It is in our control to change the state by focusing on right things.

  How am I feeling right now?

 What are my dominant thoughts right now?

  Am I ok the way I am feeling & thinking right now?

  How do I want to feel?

  How can I find humour in the situation?

 

Facing Adversity

Adversity is the time when the individual comes to face to face with his true self.  It can make or break a person. Hence, it makes sense to be aware of the questions that arise in your mind. Instead of asking standard “ Why me?” you may ask:

 

  How can I covert this into an opportunity?

  Is there a different perspective?

How can I overcome it?

What resources/skills would be required?

Where can I get these resources from?

What can I learn from this?

 Has someone else in the world faced and overcome such a situation?

 

These are a few examples of type of questions one can ask on different occasions. You would be able to ask right questions if you have formulated them in the first place.

 

So pick up a pen and a paper and make a list of questions which you can carry along with you during the day.

 

I would strongly recommend that you start your day with asking yourself “Morning Questions” and end your day with asking “Evening Questions”.