Important Questions About Life

“He who asks a question remains a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask remains a fool forever.”
– Anonymous

Over the years I have realized that questions matter far more than answers. Without asking the right questions, we can never expect the answers that will guide us toward a better life.

It took me a while even to understand which questions I should be asking myself. Some of those doubts always lingered in the background, floating there and underscoring that I did not understand life. I had a vague sense that I was upset about things that did not matter while ignoring the universal realities that would pull me out of my little bubble.

One of the most important lessons I have learned from reading books, interviewing smart people, and holding conversations with my mentors is that questions are more important than answers. That runs counter to everything you learn in school, where you are rewarded for the quality of your answers.

The right question at the right moment can produce the right answer that changes your life. I have experienced this over the past few years, and I have gotten used to asking myself questions all the time. In this article I want to share some of these questions that have the potential to change everything you do.

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Questions to Ask Yourself to Improve Your Life

Grab a sheet of paper and answer these questions honestly with yourself. Analyze your answers so you can start developing strategies that let you keep growing and improving your life.

1: What are my values? Am I living according to my values?
What matters most to you in this world, what you will fight for passionately, and whether there is congruence between what you say is important and what you are actually doing.

2: Looking back over the last 1-5 years, what did I get right?
Especially in difficult times it is hard to recognize our good decisions and our wins. Acknowledging them as we intentionally move toward the future lets us seek out people and experiences that set us up for success.

3: Looking back over the last 1-5 years, what did I get wrong?
In the same way, where did you experience setbacks? Recognizing those setbacks within the full range of all your experiences allows you to avoid those mistakes in the future.

4: What scares me or makes me put off my projects?
What stops you from making an important decision or taking risks. What circumstance is keeping you in a comfort zone and preventing you from both taking a call and chasing a dream.

5: Do I have the right people around me?
We are the average of the 5-10 people closest to us. Are your closest friends a reflection of your value system and your life goals?

6: How am I improving other people’s lives?
In what ways do you contribute, even in a small measure, to improving other people’s lives? How are you living your life so that it is not only about your own personal benefit? Serving others is the easiest way to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, which is directly linked to happiness.

7: Who do I need to apologize to?
If, for example, you have offended someone, that remains an open wound for both parties. Step forward to apologize and find closure.

8: Why should I forgive myself?
How have you been punishing yourself? Can you reach a place of self-forgiveness through self-compassion?

9: What do I finally need to accept and embrace about myself instead of seeing it as a weakness?
We are all our own worst critics. That inner critic never serves us. What can you finally accept about yourself and perhaps even come to love and appreciate? Can you start now?