49 Questions to Improve Your Results

Josh Kaufman, author of The Personal MBA (among other fantastic books), would think the two years I spent in an MBA program was a waste of time and money. I get that. And I would rebut - for me, it was a jumping off point for so many things in my life. But that's for another discussion.

Josh believes there is a 'better, faster, more efficient way' and that 'the world would be a heck of a lot better if those people taught themselves what they need to know and then just went out and did it.' I can't say he's wrong. I'm a lifelong learner and the MBA is just one of the many channels I chose for my education.

If you are interested in learning how businesses, people, and systems work pick up The Personal MBA. You'll be amazed at the amount of useful, actionable information one human can pack into 400 pages. Josh has done the research for you already - it's all there.

Side bonus, in addition to Marketing, Sales, Finance and Value Delivery (to name a few chapters), the end of the book includes the below list (49 Questions to Improve Your Results) that Josh suggests you devote an hour to in an effort to level set.

Even with my choice to take a formal route to an MBA, I found this book to be an extremely useful supplement. And the 49 questions aren't as easy to answer as you might think. Find an hour and remember to externalize (record your thoughts).

Do I use my body optimally? 

• What is the quality of my current diet? 
• Do I get enough sleep? 
• Am I managing my energy well enough each day? 
• How well am I managing daily stress? 
• Do I have good posture and poise? 
• What can I do to improve my ability to observe the world around me?  

Do I know what I want? 

• What achievements would make me really excited? 
• What “states of being” do I want to experience each day? 
• Are my priorities and values clearly defined? 
• Am I capable of making decisions quickly and confidently? 
• Do I consistently focus my attention on what I want versus what I don’t want? 

 What am I afraid of? 

• Have I created an honest and complete list of the fears I’m holding on to? 
• Have I confronted each fear to imagine how I would handle it if it came to pass? 
• Am I capable of recognizing and correcting self-limitation? 
• Am I appropriately pushing my own limits? 

 Is my mind clear and focused? 

• Do I systematically externalize (write or record) what I’m thinking about? 
• Am I making it easy to capture my thoughts quickly, as I have them? 
• What has my attention right now? 
• Am I regularly asking myself appropriate guiding questions? 
• Do I spend most of my time focusing on a single task, or am I constantly flipping between multiple tasks? 
• Do I spend enough time actively reflecting on my goals, projects, and progress? 

Am I confident, relaxed, and productive? 

• Have I found a planning method that works for me? 
• Am I ‘just organized enough?’ 
• Do I have an up to date list of my projects and active tasks? 
• Do I review all of my commitments on a regular basis? 
• Do I take regular, genuine breaks from my work? 
• Am I consciously creating positive habits? 
• Am I working to shed nonproductive habits? 
• Am I comfortable telling other people no? 

 How do I perform best? 

• What do I particularly enjoy? 
• What am I particularly good at doing? 
• What environments do I find most conducive to doing good work? 
• How do I tend to learn most effectively? 
• How do I prefer to work with and communicate with others? 
• What is currently holding me back? 

 What do I really need to be happy and fulfilled? 

• How am I currently defining success? 
• Is there another way of defining success that I may find more fulfilling? 
• How often do I compare myself with my perceptions of other people? 
• Am I currently living below my means? 
• If I could only own 100 things what would they be? 
• Am I capable of separating necessity and luxury? 
• What do I feel grateful for in my life?