I keep a series of questions on my notecard system. I’ve noticed that the questions are often more interesting than the answers. Since this might help others, I compiled my favorite ones in this article. In my case, I tend to ask myself questions regularly and answer them in my journal. That said, I’m sure the simple act of thinking about certain things is powerful enough to change the trajectory of your life. As Eugene Ionesco once wrote, “It is not the answer that enlightens us, but the question.” You’ll notice that some questions are tricky to answer (and sometimes downright impossible), but the exercise of asking them is the important part.
- “Who do I look up to that is secretly miserable?” Morgan Housel
- “How much have things outside of my control contributed to things I take credit for?” Morgan Housel
- “What are you ignoring today that will seem shockingly obvious in a year?” Morgan Housel
- “Which 20% of sources are resulting in 80% of my desired outcomes and happiness?” Tim Ferris, The 4-Hour Workweek
- “Which 20% of sources are cousin 80% of my problems and unhappiness?” Tim Ferris, The 4-Hour Workweek
- “What would you do, day to day, if you had $100 million in the bank?”Tim Ferris, The 4-Hour Workweek
- What would make you most excited to wake up in the morning to another day?” Tim Ferris, The 4-Hour Workweek
- “Why do you want to be rich?” Ramit Sethi
- “What does being rich mean to you?” Ramit Sethi
- “What “bad decisions” could I make that I’d probably be grateful for?”
- What would I like to do if I didn’t care about what others think?
- What does a perfect day look like to me?
- Where am I allowing a lack of consistent execution to hold me back?
- Where am I allowing my fear of discomfort to hold me back?
- What events from the past three months are worth celebrating?
- What am I looking forward to?