Sometimes, a good question is all you need to get off the schneid, so here are five that will mess with your thinking.
What would you do if money, time, resources, people, location, circumstances, or age were not considered? This is a goal question, a question that brings focus. In other words, cut to the chase by eliminating all potential barriers in your mind. What is the answer for you? Go back to school? Change jobs? Move to another state? Start that project? Get out of debt? Start a business? Pay attention to your answer because it’s coming from your heart. You can worry about all the “what ifs” and “yeah, buts” later, but let your answer incubate for now. Perhaps, just perhaps, you were born for this.
What’s on your “I should…” list? Everyone has one of these lists. Instantly, you should know the first 2-to-3 things because they are the things you’ve thought of regularly, if not daily.
- I should write a book.
- I should call ________ (fill in the blank with the name of a person).
- I should take the risk.
- I should step out and look for that dream job.
- I should lose that weight.
- I should go back to school.
- I should let go of the past.
What is your sweet spot? Your sweet spot is all about who you are, not what you do. Don’t just gloss over that sentence because your sweet spot comes naturally. It’s where you thrive. You were born with your sweet spot; it’s not acquired. It emanates from your identity, the thing that is uniquely you.
The question is not always easy to answer, but the answer is right in front of you. The answer to the first question on the list may be a launching pad to find the answer to this question. Here are a few keys to unlocking your sweet spot:
- What comes easy for you? In other words, what do you do better than most people?
- What do you get lost in time doing? You look at the clock, and an hour is gone, and you don’t realize it.
- What problem can you solve without even thinking about it?
- If you suddenly had all the money you ever needed, what would you do with it?
Don’t just rush past this. The answer to this question holds the key to your future.
What do you need to stop if you want to go? Every rung of the ladder means you get farther away from the ground. Each step up is another step from safety, comfort and familiarity. Moving to the next level requires more focus and giving up something. What do you need to let go of or leave behind? In other words, let go of whatever makes you stop, as my friend John Mason says.
What is holding you back? What’s holding you back from making that decision if you haven’t pulled the trigger on that dream, goal or project? It’s a critical question that begs an answer. And it should follow your answer to any of the questions above. Often, what keeps us from moving forward is an excuse that keeps us in our comfort zone. Venture out, find the gate in the fence and extend the borders of your comfort zone.
If those didn’t mess a little with your thinking, you might be playing it a bit too safe. Think outside the box, don’t be “realistic”, and move on down to the deep end. Let me know how I can help.