Questions to ask ourselves often

Facing our fears

1. What’s the worst that can happen?
2. How was I a coward today?
3. What would I do today if I weren’t so afraid?
4. What am I worrying about? What can I do about it? (these two questions come from Dale Carnegie’s book  How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.  Carnegie went on to say:  “I used to try to answer those questions without writing them down. But I stopped that years ago. I found that writing down both the questions and the answers clarifies my thinking.”

Challenging assumptions and conventional thinking

1. Why the hell not?
2. What’s another solution to this problem, apart from this obvious solution?
3. What am I deluding myself about because  I refuse to face up to facts?
4. Is this a fact or an assumption?
5. What is the real, underlying problem here?

Encouraging curiosity and personal growth

1. I wonder what will happen if I….?
2. What can I learn from this?
3. Have I learned anything new today?
4. Have I stretched myself today?
5. Did I try something new today?

Choosing the ethical higher road

1. What is the right thing to do here?
2. What things did I do today that I’m proud of?
3. How did I disappoint myself today?

Using our time wisely

1. Is this the best way I could be spending my time right now?
2. What is the best way I can spend the next 10 minutes?
3. What did I achieve today?
4. Is there anything in my life that, knowing what I now know, I would not start up again today, if I had to do it over?  And if yes, how fast can I get out of it? (Brian Tracy questions)

Working out what’s important

1. If not now, then when?
2. What do I want?
3. What should I be doing differently if I want things to be better than they are?
4. What am I hoping to achieve here?
5. Will this really matter next year — or even tomorrow?

Being self-aware and other-focused

1. What am I doing to contribute to this problem?
2. What do I have control over  here? What can I change?  What can’t I change?
3. Did I add value and happiness to the person I just talked with? Or did I make them feel bad?
4. What would it be like to be on the receiving end of me right now?
5. Have I made anybody feel bad today?

Looking after myself

1. What’s the best thing to do for my self-respect? (when deciding what to do)
2. How did I care for my body today?