Questions are a powerful tool used to open up human consciousness to more possibilities. A business owner can use the right questions to forge ahead successfully.
In my personal life, I have used some vital questions to decide what is best for me from the myriads of opportunities knocking on my door. I have no doubt that you also would have used questions to sift through clouded reasoning at least once or twice in the past. Though this may have happened to you accidentally, it is a great way to cut through blurred lines of reasoning that sometimes hold us down, and choose what is best.
“Questions are the laser of human consciousness. Use their power to cut through any obstacle or challenge”
You may be going through a bad time in your business right now. You may have even identified where the faults come from and how they can be corrected; but you would like to prioritize appropriately. I recently passed through a bad time; so much that I felt owning a business is too much of a task, but this little exercise pulled me back to my feet and helped me prioritize properly.
“A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices”
William James
Answer these questions honestly, and see where they will lead you:
1. What are my dreams?
For me, I had to think back to my childhood – the kind of life I imagined, the people I wanted around me, and where I loved to live.
2. Where do I want to be in 10 years (20__)?
Leave your diary or notepads where they are for now. Write out exactly what is coming to your mind. For me, when I eventually checked my diary after this exercise, I wrote out the same things I had written about 2 years ago.
3. Who would I have become in 5 years?
Aside your career goals, think about the kind of person you would like to be in 5 years – a speaker, writer, marketer or preacher?
4. What would I have in 5 years?
This refers to your material possessions – houses, cars, businesses -, academic degrees – MBA, M Sc, PhD – , physical health – lost 10 pounds, etc.
5. Where would I be in 5 years?
Do you still want to be living where you are now? Which part of the country do you want to be residing?
Time to Be Realistic about Achieving Your Dreams
6. How much progress would I have made in 5 years?
How much of these things would you have achieved in 5 years? Are they realistic enough or too small to achieve?
7. What skills do I need to develop?
Do you need to improve your writing skills, speaking skills or mentoring ability? You have to be very decisive and take action.
8. What values do I need to realize this?
Do you have to develop a competitive spirit, team spirit or freethinking?
9. What do I need to let go to realize this?
This is the difficult and most important part. For me, I needed to let go of other good business ideas, indiscriminate search for information etc
10. What is my role to make this happen?
You can rephrase this question as, ‘what must I do to make this happen?’ Remember, whether you can or you can’t you are right; If it’s going to be, it’s up to you.
Don’t let the sunset of life catch you without achieving your dream. I’d like to leave you with something said by Lily Tomlin;
“All my life I wanted to be somebody. Now, I see I should have been more specific”
