Some days are better then others.
One day you find it particularly easy to eat well and be self-responsible, but the next day is a complete disaster.
Rarely do we actually stop and ask ourselves what was the difference between the two days?
And I know you have a to-do list every day but how often do you ask yourself not just-Did I accomplish that task? but also-How did I do?
Today I want to show you a technique that you can follow in just three minutes a day that will allow you to do just that…reflect on your behavior. This is a simple way to work toward reaching your full potential.
I also have created a free download for you at the end of this blog to help you create your personalized version of this technique.
Daily Questions
If you want to eat healthy food regularly, be a nicer wife or mother or be more focused during your work hours you need to have a plan that you consistently follow.
But a plan is usually just set out with specific time slots and then you execute it. So you are always just asking-Did I do this task? (yes or no). So how do we monitor our behavior?
It is one thing to check off my work meeting as complete but was i focused or distracted?
It is one thing to get three meals in each day but were they healthy or unhealthy?
It is one thing to have dinner with your family but how was the conversation at the table? Did you and your spouse just talk about your to-do lists or did you purposefully engage in meaningful conversation with your kids?
The technique that I am introducing here is called Daily Questions. I learned about it from the book “Triggers” by Marshall Goldsmith.
In the book, Marshall suggests that you think about this: If you could have someone call you at the end of everyday and ask you the most important questions about your life, what would you want them to ask you?
Would you want them to ask you about how present you were when you put the kids to bed? Would you want them to ask you if you said something kind to your partner? Would you want them to ask you if you said something kind to yourself?
The Daily Questions help you to understand your values and how you live (or do not live) them daily.
What matters to you?
Before I show you how to create your own Daily Questions, I want you to think about this:
At the end of the day, if everything was exactly as I would love for it to be, what would have gone well?
Here are some of mine:
- I did something special with the kids
- I was on time for everything and not rushing (because I planned properly)
- My to-do list for the day was all checked off
- I expressed my gratitude to Mike
- I got exercise
- My dog got exercise
So take a minute to think about what is on your checklist…
Your Daily Questions
Once you have described what is most important to you each day (the checklist you just made above), it is time to make your list of daily questions.
Well, good news…you have already made it!
You just need to add “Did I” before each of the items above and you have a list of questions to ask yourself daily!
Make sure that your questions cover every part of your life such as your health, personal goals, relationship, career, parenting and so on.
You can ask yourself five questions a day or one hundred and five questions a day. So long as you have included what is most important.
Now, to take it a step further you may wish to rate some of these on a scale of 1-10 (10 being excellent and 1 being poor). For example, I had patience with my children. Yes 7/10.
Or you may wish to track your answers using numbers. For example, I walked 10 kilometers today.
And to take it even further, you may choose to share this list of questions with someone and actually have them call you at the end of each day (which is exactly what Marshall Goldsmith does, with his list of 24 questions).
At the end of each day, get in touch with them and go through your questions and answers. This will provide you with extra accountability, better follow through and more awareness each day about what behaviors and values are most important to you.
And, when your answers indicate that you did not follow through on something, ask yourself why…and what you can do differently next time.
Hourly Questions
There are times in life that are extra challenging.
Sometimes this is a great thing, for example if you are going to a five star restaurant with loads of great food and wine and you are hoping to enjoy yourself but not go totally crazy.
Other times, this is because life can be stressful. Perhaps you are having your relatives over, people who you have a history of disagreeing with about politics, religion and life in general and you want to avoid getting sucked into the vortex of these conversations, that never, ever end well.
By creating a list of hourly questions, and then checking in every hour, you are far more likely to stay on track.
Hourly questions should be very short. You may simply ask yourself How am I doing?
How am I doing at focusing on enjoying the people who are here rather then focusing on the dessert table?
How am I doing at not bringing up the upcoming federal election?
How am I doing at pacing myself?
You can create hourly questions any time you need to. And as soon as the event is over, you can let them go!
To sum it all up…
Your daily questions will bring awareness to your actions and you will be reminded of the most important behaviours that you wish to follow in order to have the outcome you want. They will help keep you on track every day.
If you are committed to creating an extraordinary life, the Daily Questions are a great little technique to use.
We created a tool for you so that you can make your own list of Daily Questions and you can get it FREE by clicking HERE
What questions will you be asking yourself? Let us know in the comments below!
Ready to change your life? Learn more about creating a lifestyle that you LOVE and that you can sustain with Krisitn's help HERE.