So, my husband and I were talking about my business plan and I was kind of confused. So, he suggested using the 5ws and how questions to develop my plan. By the way, if you don’t know those questions are who, when, where, why, what, and how. It was a game-changer. Then I wondered how I could use those types of questions to improve my life not just my business plans, so I started writing out questions starting with what, why, where, who, when, and how to see what happened. It was kind of like one of those experiments you all know I love.
To say that it was mind-blowing was a gigantic, enormous understatement. I was absolutely shocked at the possibilities and how they could change the way I live each day.
You may be saying, “Mrs. Tea, you can’t create a huge amount of change by just making questions starting with just 6 different words.”
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am here to change your mind. You know that was coming, didn’t you? I mean it’s Mrs. Tea’s blog post we're talking about.
So, to start by talking a bit about these types of questions. Most of the questions are open-ended. That means they want an answer that isn’t just one-word.
Questions that start with is or does usually end up with an answer of yes or no. I don’t want an answer of yes or no. I don’t want to use those kinds of questions right now because I want you to come up with unbelievable answers. Ones that make you think.
I have noticed that just writing the questions without a doubt, created a change in my mindset in the morning, which is the hardest part of the day.
The questions I want to ask myself each morning are, ”Who do I want to be today?” and “What kind of person do I want to be today?"
They give me the blueprint of how I want to create my day. Then I can use those answers to create a list of things I need to do that day to make me the person that will make me the best person I can be for myself and my family.
Of course, there are a lot of things I have to do that don’t fit into those answers, but doing those things still matters, in some way.
Let’s look at those two questions and I’ll show you a few examples. With the question “Who do I want to be today?” I might answer that I want to be a good and loving parent. I can then look at my priorities a little differently. For example, going outside and kicking around a soccer ball is significant when you think my son enjoys it.
Also if I answer the question “What kind of person do I want to be?” with a the the idea that I want to be a healthy person, I know that playing with the soccer ball is great physical activity. And too, I know that I love physical activity because it creates endorphins, the feel-good chemicals of the body. And who doesn’t want to feel good?
Now I know you may have tasks that don’t fit into the healthy person category or the type of person you want to be. For example, if you want to be a healthy person you might be asking how taking out the trash, doing a project for work, or even studying for an exam can put you in that category. Well, I, Mrs. Tea am here to tell you amazing deers how that is possible. First of all, let's look at the trash example. When we take out the trash, it’s not really exciting, but it is worth doing if you want to be a healthy person and I am going to tell you why.
Have you ever considered how your mind and body feel when you put off something and you see it glaring at you saying, “Come on? Why aren’t you fixing this? I only take 5 minutes to accomplish?”
Well, when I need to take out the trash, it feels like a icky task. But if I procrastinate on it, I feel crummy every time I walk around the kitchen. It just stands out like a sore thumb.
We’ve all been there. If it’s something important like a project, your stomach might hurt or it might be queasy. You might feel bad for not doing it. It just eats at you.
Now, let’s look at this differently. How do you feel once the trash has been taken out or the project has been done? I have actually pondered that recently just for this post. I’ve decided the thing I feel the most is tranquility. You are probably asking, “Mrs. Tea, it’s just the trash for goodness' sake. How does that little task being completed bring you tranquility?” Well, I’m going to tell you. I was pretty surprised myself. I decided that yes I feel that way because I feel accomplished. I can look at the empty trash can and, I see how much easier it is to throw stuff away when it’s empty. It takes up so little of my mind now compared to before. It looks much better. So, I decided tranquility fits the bill.
Now, there are a ton more questions you can ask. At the end of this post, I’m going to give you several options of these types of questions. I really loved coming up with them. They made me think a lot. I know that a lot of them are going to go in the second journal project I am thinking about.
I hope that you find these questions helpful. They really made me think differently.
So after you read the questions, write in the comments which one made the most impact on your thinking.
I’m thinking you’re in a good spot to move forward in all areas of your life already because you’re awesome. But maybe you could find one of these helpful to be incredible.
So go now. Be safe. Know that you are not alone.
Here are my suggestions:
How can I create smaller steps to accomplish my goal?
When is a realistic time that I can aim to meet my goal?
Why am I worried in this moment about my next step?
Who can help me with this problem?
What do I need right now in this moment to change my mindset?
When is the smartest time to start my day tomorrow?
What is the most valuable thing that I can do first?
Who do I need to talk to today to improve my mindset?
Where is the best place in my home to come up with novel ideas to improve my existence on this big blue marble of a planet?
When is a good time to think in that spot knowing there will be times even that isn’t the perfect time? So, do I need to stay patient with life?
PS. I have quite a few more. If you want me to create a post with just more of these questions, just put a message in the comments and I will do that.
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