Why Questions are the Answer...

In order to write this piece today... I had to ask myself one question. I started and re-started this article 3 times. I then got side-tracked responding to someone on issues of working-motherhood (it's own article, but not today) and then I got side-tracked from my side-track offline all together.

So I asked myself the question - "What do I need to hear today?"

And I closed my eyes - and began to type.

The power of questions is one that has shaped and changed my life.

I am always asking myself questions - it's literally been the making of me. Absolutely the changing of me - and will totally be the success of me too.

Questions are everything... which makes me wonder why we are so obsessed with answers all the time.

Because no matter how amazing an answer is - it can only ever be as good as the question you are asking.

Ask a rubbish question - then even if you invest your time in getting a brilliant answer - that's exactly what you've got - a brilliant answer to a rubbish question - what a waste of brain power. It's literally like working your butt off to climb a mountain... only to find that you climbed the wrong one.

But asking questions is something of a lost art...

Those of us who were doing it from when we were young, almost had it knocked. squeezed and squashed out of us...

And if you weren't curious when you were young - being constantly told that 'curiosity killed the cat' is hardly going to get you started is it?

But asking questions is a superpower. One that can be cultivated, and be truly life changing.

Here are 3 reasons why better questions are the answer:

Improves your Decision Making Confidence and Accuracy

Asking and answering questions is a ubiquitous skill... and many of the books about habits inform us that our decision making faculties are like muscle with finite resources. (which is where the concept of decision fatigue comes from and why Zuckerberg and Jobs and that interesting Theranos Lady all wear the same clothes all the time, to stop them taking up one of the questions of their lives being 'what am I going to wear today')

We can only ask so many questions before our brain goes 'ARRRRGGGHHH' and yet, we spend so much of our lives using that faculty for silly things. What shall we have for dinner. What shoes shall I wear. These are all little questions dipping into our well of decision making - and to be honest these questions make no difference to our bigger picture.

Asking better questions gives us practice to deal with larger, weightier issues. And in doing so, we got through the process of breaking things down, connect new dots, mental contrasting, scenario planning, masterminding and other techniques used to arrive at decisions. And with anything practiced... confidence grows and you are more able and likely to make more accurate decisions with increased practice - with repetition being the mother of all mastery.

Retains your Power and Influence in your Life

One thing that we can see in common about the experts out there, is that everyone is telling you that they have the answer. They know the right plan, the right idea, the right answer.

Their way is superior to someone else's way. And if you just follow their 10 easy steps for a mere number ending in a 7 or a 9, your life will be sorted!

They all make these promises... and hey, I'm not going to say they don't.

But what I will say is this...

If you take their answers, you keep giving them your power. Your keep needing their knowledge, their methods, their ideas... and most dangerously their validation.

The fact is that they don't live your life. They don't know your story - and no matter what they prescribe, they don't have to live the consequences of their advice.

By focusing on getting better questions, and developing your own answers, you are firmly in control, which leaves the power and influence over your life firmly in your own hands, where it should be.

When it comes to your own life, you should definitely be more 'creator' of the answers that you need rather than a 'consumer' of them.

It Builds Resilience

Asking questions builds resilience. Why?

Because they help you to deal with the tough things in life. They help you make sense and find meaning in the hard things.

They take knowledge and turn it into insight and wisdom through reflection and analysis. The fact is that experience is not the best teacher - but reflecting on experience absolutely can be with the right questions.

The habit of asking the right powerful questions gives you proof of your own power through hard times and can give you both the strength and malleability to fight another day after a set back.

Helps to Navigate Uncertain Times

Asking power questions helps you navigate uncertain times, because many of those power questions focus on your greatest and most powerful resource. You.

And self-awareness is the key to so many roads to success. Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, preferences, habits, beliefs, habits, desires, aversions helps you to be able to focus, strive and pivot quickly - and it gets even better when you've practiced more and more

By increasing your question asking muscles, you know that you can handle anything that the world throws at you, because you are the source of your solutions and you are practiced at and confident in tapping into that resource.

Over the next few weeks, a community will be gathering to join my 'Think Tank' Challenge, focused on building their question muscles and asking those power questions. If you fancy focusing on questions for a change, or getting any of the benefits outline in this article - feel free to PM me - we are looking for founding members and will be giving unprecedented opportunities to those who join at this early stage. It's not for everyone, but if you reckon it's for you - it's definitely worth checking out.

And before you ask me the question - yes... this article was exactly what I needed to hear to today - I remain the answer to my own challenges - as do you, if you know how!