If I had one regret it would be that I did not learn to ask more questions in my earlier years.

I have a lot of theories regarding my programming as to why I was shy to ask questions – fear of looking stupid likely being one of them – and as a 23-year-old business owner taking on a mission and staff fairly early in the game, everyone turned to me for direction and answers.  Thinking that asking questions was a sign of weakness, I did my best to always have answers and lead confidently.

It’s not that I am not naturally curious – I am, I believe we all are – but I tended to do research quietly, on my own, before I made a decision, offered advice or initiated activity.

My business took off when I realized two things:

1. I wasted time working on projects without enough information up front that resulted in less-than-favourable outcomes
2. The people I surrounded myself with were a wealth of untapped resources.

As a professional I thought people were paying me because I had the answers but when I began to make the big money, it was because I knew what questions to ask.

Aha! ~ “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” ~ Stephen Covey

We seek out providers to assist with everything from acquiring a car to reducing blood pressure encompassing health, legal, financial and spiritual advice.  But the guru who has the answers can’t guide, inform or propel you without first seeking clarity and purpose. (The second Aha! here being, to work with people who initially ask more questions than have answers.)

I would never begin my research to provide a corporation with a world-class marketing plan without asking questions about intended outcome, who is leading the project, dates, budgets, resources, lines, dislikes, restrictions, barriers, and I even like to know if they had done something similar in the past, how it went, what they learned, and what they’d like to do differently this time.  The more information shared, the less time it takes to develop a targeted proposal and the better quality the overall outcome.

For individuals seeking to improve areas of their life inside the four pillars, my favourite questions are the likes of, “What is priority to you?”, “Why is that important?” and, “What are the consequences if that is not addressed?”, then the way forward naturally reveals itself.  We often come to a shared conclusion of next steps and service.

Let’s end by turning these questions inward.  Ask yourself,

“What is priority to me?”

“Why is that important?”

“Do I worry about the consequences of not honoring this?”

Allow your spirit to inspire your highest desire then craft your time and resources around making the main thing the main thing.  Yes, it may take a serious paradigm shift and doing things differently but ultimately, don’t worry, focus on being happy.

This conversation will go next level LIVE in Human U Wednesday at 3:30 eastern.  You in?  Join here.