A Great Question Will Push You Further Than Good Advice

As a business owner, it’s inevitable that you’ll encounter challenges and blocks that halt your forward momentum.?

It’s just the way things go.

Whether it’s a recession, a slow time, disappointed clients, an unexpected health issue or something else (including your own mindset), chances are you’ll run into a situation where you’re just not sure what to do next.

For some, that can feel like a daily thing - for others, it’s only when you find yourself stretching into new territory.

But either way, the quality, duration and nature of suffering you experience as a result of each challenge will depend on the steps you take to resolve that challenge.?

This is more than just the mindset of expecting things to happen, this is about using mindset first to approach your challenges in a way that builds confidence and decisiveness.

For many, challenges can feel uncomfortable, which means that you’ll want a solution as soon as possible to get back to growth - and usually that means turning to someone who is either more experienced or has gone through something similar.?

But is that the right way to go?

You might seek advice as the first course of action in any struggle because that’s what you’ve been taught to do your whole life.

Think about it for a minute - since you’ve been little, your parents and adults around you have asked the simple question, “Did you ask for help?”

Did you go seek advice from someone in the know?

And while that might have served you when you needed help learning math or solving complex problems in school - what if asking for help from others is actually delaying your ability to move past or through your current situation as an adult?

The truth is that many of us seek advice from others before we seek advice from ourselves - and as a recovered serial advice seeker - I know this can trip you up.

In my younger days, I would ask anyone from my mother, my partner, my spouse, colleagues to friends to help me “solve”whatever issue I was experiencing in whatever area of my life.?

While I would take in the advice from a variety of sources, what inevitably occurred is I’d follow my gut anyway - I didn’t necessarily take what others told me to do, I just did what I felt was right at that time.

And I wasn’t extraordinary in that way.

Most people who seek others’ advice, end up doing the same. You gather people’s opinions, you ponder over everything over and over at 3 am, and you do what you think is “best” anyway.

It’s human nature.

But what it highlights more than anything is how little we actually trust ourselves.

Back when I used to ask for a lot of options and advice, I realized that I didn’t trust myself very much. I didn’t believe I had the capability to solve the problem or tackle the challenge.

I believed instead in my limiting beliefs.

---> I don’t know how.

---> I don’t know enough.

---> I’m stupid.?

---> I’m not advanced enough.

---> Others know better.

Most people struggle with how to tackle challenges in business (and life) because essentially it comes down to this - they believe the worst things about themselves over their own abilities to overcome anything.

Now, I know you may be shaking your head thinking that others’ opinions with more experience are valuable . . . I’m not saying they’re not.

What I am saying is that if you explore your own head trash a bit, chances are you’ll encounter some belief that you’re not enough (in some form) to solve the problem you’re currently facing.

But if you really look at your last real challenge in hindsight - you probably already had all the tools to solve the problem . . . and didn’t have to advice-shop as much as you thought you did..

This isn’t only limited to advice shopping.?

Many serial course takers I’ve encountered struggle with the same thing - they don’t trust themselves enough to put themselves out there in a bigger way, so they instead keep gathering knowledge and skills before they dare take action.

It’s as if one more course or one more voice will make the difference (it doesn’t).

So, is there a better way?

Certainly.

As the title of this article suggests, sometimes a great question can beat a good piece of advice any day of the week.

But what kinds of questions are we talking about?

Well, I suppose the answer depends on the situation you're facing, but here are some great things to consider. . . some questions are better than others.

In fact, in most tough situations, there are two kinds of questions that tend to be a bit useless.

1. Why?

Why is the worst question you can ask yourself in most situations because it tends to lead you back into your stories and limiting beliefs.?

Why will leave you feeling like a victim of your circumstances. It will leave you feeling hopeless and hapless - and that’s not a really good place to tackle any challenge from.

2. What should I do next?

There are two problems with this question. One, it contains the dreadful should word - which usually leads you into thinking what others think is best, instead of trusting your own intuition.

Two, it leads automatically into doing - and a mindset that isn’t quite ready for action. As Einstein is quoted as saying, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

In other words, you’re not ready. And if you act before you take the time to ask the right questions - you’ll probably use the same flawed thinking that got you into the situation in the first place.

So, what are some questions you can ask that might lead you to better solutions?

Well, first, it’s important to decide whether the problem is one pertaining to mindset or a real tactical problem that can be supported by others.

If it’s tactical, getting help from the person who can solve your problem is usually the solution - instead of figuring out all the steps it takes to solve your problem, there’s usually someone who can help.?

So, start out by asking who, not how?

If it’s a mindset problem, then there are 10 questions you can begin to ask before taking the next step that will lead you to a more confident solution.

1. What am I currently afraid of in this situation? How are my fears informing my next steps?

2. What am I judging myself or others for? How is that informing my next steps?

3. What lessons are available for me in this challenge or situation?

4. What is really true here? Separate fact from fiction - is what I fear or resist 100% true?

5. If I look at my vision for my business, and life, what actions or next steps will align with what I most want?

6. Who do I need to be in order to overcome this challenge or situation?

7. If I don’t take any action, what will it cost me?

8. How am I trying to please people or make others happy?

9. In what ways am I playing small or staying in my comfort zone?

10. What would be possible if I could solve this situation or challenge and move forward?

The truth is that any of these questions will lead you back to the one person who knows more about your business and you than anyone else - and that’s you!

What too many business owners forget is that you are your own best advisor and know what is best for your own business - you just don’t trust in that truth.

But when you ask yourself these questions about your current situation, you begin to open up to a whole level of trust that inevitably leads you to knowing exactly what to do.

Instead of turning to others or jumping to spend more money on skills or knowledge, it can be highly beneficial to run to your local bookstore where you can buy a pretty journal and begin to answer these questions.

Taking the time to get clear on how you’re showing up, whose voice in your head you’re really listening to and what is actually aligned with your vision for your business can lead you to the exact right answer you’ve been looking for.

And instead of second guessing your next steps - you’ll know you’ve worked through the various aspects that give you the confidence to know exactly what you need.

It’s why I say that asking a great question can do so much more than asking even the most experienced person, “what should I do next”.?

Try it once this week - instead of seeking the answers outward, spend 10 minutes each day working through your biggest challenges . . . you might be surprised at what you uncover!

Linda

Need more success strategies and mindset tips? Don’t have a vision to rely on to help you know exactly where you’re going next? ?Instead of worrying your struggles, setting goals and thinking only in terms of money, build a business that brings you joy, impact, freedom, time and money based on a clear, thoughtful blueprint. As someone who completed the program recently shared - this program should come with a warning label that it will excavate dreams that have been long forgotten. Check out the details here .?

#crackthecode #successstrategies #successcoach

-------

About the Author: Linda Perry:? Linda a success strategist, speaker and recovering attorney who has helped hundreds of people crack their own success code and find greater freedom, make more money and find balance.

She spent 17 years as a federal criminal defense attorney in Chicago, and left only to to pursue her passion in coaching and business strategy after witnessing how much it impacted her life and helped her redefine success.?

With certifications from the esteemed Ford Institute, established by best selling author and teacher Debbie Ford, and from the Levin Life Coach Academy, where she is the lead business instructor guiding life coaches how to build a profitable life coach business -? Linda works with entrepreneurs, small business owners, attorneys, other professional service providers and creative entrepreneurs to help them build the business they truly love.

She is the host of the Mindset First Podcast and regularly is a guest speaker on a variety of podcasts and stages focused on using mindset tools to get further.?

She currently lives in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, dog and kids (when they’re home).