What makes successful people resilient and persistent in achieving their goals and desires?
He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how. – Voltaire
In just a few words, Voltaire has answered.
Successful people take and effort to ask the right questions that drive them to answer that adds meaning to their purpose.
The more questions you ask yourself, the more you learn about yourself. It keeps you curious and grateful for life and its challenges. Your innate drive to question yourself and find answers will keep you on the path to self-growth and let you take motivated efforts to accomplish your goals.
When you know the why, the whats and hows will become clearer. And you will find all your answers only when you seek them by asking questions.
Questions that make you think are like fuel to critical thinking and problem-solving. If you cannot stop to ask questions, you will never find better ways and that will be the end of growth.
If you want to keep moving ahead, self-assessment and clarity are much required. Having the right questions will always help you have a clearer vision towards your aspirations and dreams.
Here is a compilation of 100 questions that make you think and help you get started on the path to wisdom:
Questions on Self-Reflection
Remember wisdom favors those who seek it. Everything in your life starts with you. Understanding your innate abilities, fears, desires, insecurities, and feelings is necessary to deal with them effectively. Introspect yourself and see where you stand.
1. How would you describe yourself?
2. Do you think your dreams are a reflection of something deeper within your mind?
3. How old do you feel?
4. What are the things that you do but don’t like doing?
5. What are the things you like to do but haven’t been doing?
6. How often do you zone out?
7. What are the things you are proud of?
8. What are the things that make you feel scared?
9. What makes you happy?
10. Do you feel introverted or extroverted?
11. What are the things you are most thankful for?
12. Who are you most thankful for?
13. Who are the people you trust?
14. What do you want to change in yourself?
15. What is that you like the most about yourself?
16. What one thing would you want a second chance with?
17. Do you love yourself?
18. What is the ideal version of yourself you want to be?
19. What little things make you happy?
20. Who do you enjoy being around with?
21. What do you fear the most?
22. What are the things you think you should let go of?
Questions on Behavior
Our habits, behavior patterns and how we communicate with others have a lot to say about our efficiency in any project we take up. Simple routine habits like the time you wake up every day are capable of impacting your productivity every day.
Getting an insight into your own behavior will help you understand why you feel what you feel, and how helpful or harmful it is to your growth and success.
23. How do you show your emotions — anger, sadness or happiness?
24. Which everyday routine you are better off without?
25. What do you do when you feel lost?
26. How do you celebrate your happiness and success?
27. How well do you communicate with others?
28. How well do you sleep?
29. Do you eat healthily and on time?
30. Does your work interfere with your personal life? How do you balance work and personal life?
31. How do you spend your leisure time?
32. What activities relax you?
33. What activities make you feel anxious?
34. What habits do you want to break and which ones do you want to cultivate?
Questions on Future Aspirations and Goals
Goals are like the lighthouses that guide one’s life. If they are vague and have no particular importance, you may keep wandering the sea of confusion and end up wondering what you did wrong.
Your goals need to be aligned with the long term big picture that you have for your life. Maybe if you start asking the right questions, you will get the answer to where you actually want to be.
35. What are your passions?
36. If you won the lottery today, how would you be in 5 years?
37. What work would you like to do if it’s not paid and there are no restrictions on time and resources?
38. What’s the best reality you wish for and how does it compare to your present?
39. What do you expect from your career? A promotion, raise, satisfaction or everything?
40. Are you on the job which aligns to your goals?
41. Which one event in your life has been the biggest so far?
42. What would you like to be the experience you want to share your mentees or children with?
43. How far do you think you are from achieving your big dreams?
44. What would you do if you had just a year left to live?
45. What advice would you give to your past-self 5 years ago?
46. And what do you think your future self would advise you?
47. What is the biggest priority in your life right now?
48. What is your biggest regret in your life?
49. How do you plan to deal with your regrets and successes? Do you stop trying or do you keep working for it?
50. What is your ideal career?
51. Do you want to retire? If yes, how and when?
52. How do you measure success?
53. What resolutions do you often take?
54. How many goals have you accomplished?
55. Do you have unfinished projects you have always wanted to be done?
56. How much help did you provide your loved ones in achieving their goals?
57. How many of your goals have you achieved?
58. Did you get to have the time resources you needed to complete your goals?
59. What are your immediate goals?
60. What do you need to get your goals completed?
61. Are your deadlines realistic and motivating?
62. What will be your reaction if you have accomplished a goal and vice versa?
63. What limitations are you facing in achieving your goals?
64. What steps are you taking to tackle these limitations?
Questions on Growth
Every experience, whether successful or not, teaches us something. It could be in the form of skills, knowledge, life lessons, relationships, and social interactions.
It is necessary to gauge your growth in both personal and career space in every experience you undertake so as to be aware of your capabilities and build your self-confidence.
You should also be aware of what works for you and what doesn’t when it comes to developing your skills.
65. What makes anything interesting to learn for you?
66. What are the things that you wish you are good at?
67. What actions do you regret the most?
68. What inaction or missed opportunity that you regret?
69. What do you usually say to yourself when you fail at something?
70. What experiences improved your self-confidence?
71. What do you think can improve your self-confidence?
72. How would you describe your last year in three words? And what would be the three words for your coming year?
73. What new skills did you learn last year?
74. What do you plan to learn in the coming days?
75. What are the mind blocks and difficulties that you overcame last year?
76. What are the things you wish to experience and learn about?
77. Which decision of yours turned out to be the best?
78. Which decision did not work out as you hoped? And why do you think that is?
79. What do you think you need to improve on?
80. What do you think you are really good at?
Questions on Beliefs
The way we shape our lives is very much dependent on our moral values and beliefs. One who believes honesty is paramount will not stoop low to cheat and lie to earn money.
Their meanings of success would differ from that of a con artist. The decisions you take in your life, the goals you set for yourself are all dependent on your belief system.
81. Do you believe in the concept of love at first sight?
82. What does doing good deeds mean to you?
83. What do you prefer — live to work or work to live?
84. What do you think makes life meaningful?
85. What do you think makes anything right or wrong?
86. What do you think is better — being the biggest fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?
87. What do you think inspires you?
88. What are the most important things to you in life?
89. What are your values?
90. How do you prioritize your goals and desires in life?
91. Do you believe in networking and connections to learn from peers and mentors?
92. What beliefs are holding you back from progress and which ones are helping you?
Questions on Motivation
If you cannot find yourself enjoying what you do, chances are your motivation for that job is quite weak. But not all work is jolly even if it means it will get you to achieving your big dreams.
Finding a way to motivate yourself through all the grunt work required is crucial to achieving your goals. And that also requires some self-digging.
93. What does the present mean to you?
94. When do you feel the most motivated?
95. Which methods help your motivation?
96. What makes you discouraged in pursuing your desires?
97. What are the things you do that make you lose track of time?
98. Who has had a positive impact on your life?
99. Who demotivates you?
100. What opportunities are you looking out for? How prepared are you to take up if that opportunity arrives?
Remember, the wise never stop asking questions especially to themselves. Once you have the answers, you can be rid of self-doubt and get to working your dreams to reality with conviction and undeterred commitment.
If you want to understand yourself more so as to start living the life you want, these articles can help you:
- How Self-Reflection Gives You a Happier and More Successful Life
- 8 Things to Remember When You Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life
- How to Live a Meaningful Life: 10 Inspiring Ideas to Find Meaning
Featured photo credit: Allef Vinicius via unsplash.com
