Why You Should Ask Yourself This Question 5 Times
Ask yourself this question 5 times. This trick is how experts solve difficult problems quickly.
It turns out, there's a quick and effective technique that experts use to solve problems. What's great about this technique is that it works for business problems just as well as it works for personal problems. It's a simple question but you have to ask yourself this question 5 times.
Ask yourself this question 5 times:
- Why are you doing all of this work?
- Why is that?
- And so why would that be?
- Why might you think that?
- Why again?
Seems ridiculous to ask yourself "why?" five times, but understanding the WHY behind your work is important.
This is the fastest way to move from surface curiosity to a root cause of a problem. This technique is well known in productivity circles like SixSigma.
One of the things I love about this is that it requires no math and it will help you call out the relationships between the problems you face.
It will also support your motivation, a constant daily battle for each of us. Here's a post I wrote about using the 5 Whys to solve business problems with a few extra tricks thrown in.
Sure, you don't need a great "why" to make money or do the things you want, but you do need a strong "why" if you want to live a life of social impact and purpose.
Audit your "why" and you will increase the chances of living a regret-free, purpose-driven life.
Audit your "why" in other areas of your work and life and you will get down to the real issue you need to address.
2 Minute Action
Ask yourself "why" 5 times.
You might be surprised at what you find.
If you have trouble doing this by yourself, enlist a friend to help push you.
No excuses.
2 Mindsets That Make (Or Break) People
There are basically two fundamental mindsets you can have.
Developmental Mindset
Someone with a developmental mindset believes that hard work builds skills and that skills are the fundamental tools for success. Sure we each have talents and are predisposed to natural advantages, but hard work and deliberation are powerful multipliers that propel people to constantly outperform themselves.People with this world view spend their time ensuring that they are the dumbest person in the room and that they are constantly redefining themselves as slightly improved versions each day.
Fixed Mindset
Someome with a fixed mindset believes that they were born with a innate traits that equip them for success. Sure we can each work hard to achieve things, but being a genius or a prodigy far outperform any efforts one could endure to reach success.People with this world view spend their time ensuring that they are the smartest person in the room and that they are constantly asserting their pre-existing brilliance to anyone who will listen.
2 Minute Action
Which are you?Commit to making a 1% improvement today and choose something small, or ask someone for feedback, today.It only has to take 2 minutes.Remember, you get to choose which of these mindsets you believe.
This Choice You Make Will Shape Your Success And Happiness
You know what helps when work gets hard?
The team of people around you.This is why we hire for aptitude, attitude, and cultural fit.It’s always a little easier to take failures on the chin when you have others sharing the burden or when they are there to get you back in the fighting ring.
The cool thing is that you get to choose those people.
You get to choose who works for you or who you work for.You get to choose with whom you share experiences.Slowly, over time, you will see the group of people around you change and grow, and it’s up to you to recognize if you’re flying among eagles.
2 Minute Action
Let a valuable friend know they are valuable, today.It’s so easy but it can be so impactful.