What’s your question?
It’s not a trick question. It may seem like it, but the truth is that we all have a question that is uniquely ours for our current season. It reveals what matters to us and ensures everything works together to help us achieve that.
Jeanette LeBlanc, a writing coach whose mission is to help people find their words and use them well, suggests we begin here:
“What you most long for lives at the root of your becoming. Unfold the truths that live inside you like a steady drumbeat of want and need, pulsing what is most true.”
It’s a powerful launching point because it takes the angst and mystery out of so many decisions and situations we face.
What is that question?
Here it is: Will this help me [fill in the blank]?
The pre-cursor is knowing your answer for [fill in the blank].
Once you know that, everything else gets easier.
Decisions and choices are clearer because they are, in fact, already made.
Let’s face it. Decision fatigue is a real dilemma for us. We make hundreds of decisions a day, and before long, our energy for giving them our full attention is going to naturally wan, even run out. That’s when we begin to lose sight of what matters and start taking shortcuts or just going along to get along. So, it’s important to combat that, and this is how we do it.
When we know our absolute, most desired outcome for any day, which should align with our most desired outcome for our life, we can simply ask if doing something (or not) will serve that purpose.
In a recent article, Jeff Haden, a contributing editor for Inc., used Herb Kelleher’s approach as an example when launching Southwest Airlines. He (and his entire team) subjected every idea, problem, or situation to this question: “Will this help Southwest be the lowest-cost provider?” That was their focus at start-up. Everything came back to that outcome.
What is your driving purpose as you begin this new year? Is it about your health, your business, your relationships? Whatever it is, create your question and put it to work.
If you want to grow your business to a particular financial milestone, the question becomes: Will this help me reach [your financial milestone] in my business?
If your focus is your health, it just shifts the question target to that: Will this help me achieve [your health goal]?
It’s the same [fill in the blank] process or framework for everyone, regardless of your primary focus of the day.
The point is, knowing your focus and putting that to work within your question takes decision fatigue entirely out of the equation and shores up your success in every decision.
Long before you must make a choice, you will have already made the right decision.
Got it? What’s your question?
