If asking questions is important, asking yourself the right questions at the right time is vital. So, I have made a list of questions to ask myself often and collected the questions of great people.
I am sharing the ones collected here so that you may want to add some of them to your self-reflection question list or at least get inspired.
Anything you want to ask a teacher, ask yourself, and wait for the answer in silence.
— Byron Katie
1. If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’ It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Steve Job, Founder of Apple
2. What does my heart say?
For me, the right way to make that kind of very personal decision, because those decisions are personal, they’re not like data-driven business decisions. They are, “What does your heart say?”
And for me, the best way to think about it was to project myself forward to age 80 and say, “Look, when I’m 80 years old, I want to have minimized the number of regrets that I have.” I don’t want to be 80 years old and in a quiet moment of reflection, thinking back over my life, and cataloguing a bunch of major regrets.
Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon
3. Am I being open-minded? Or am I being resistant?
Anything that requires change can be difficult. Yet in order to learn and grow and make progress, you must change. When facing a change, ask yourself: Am I being open-minded? Or am I being resistant?
Ray Dalio, Author of Principles
4. What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?
For me, the Focusing Question is a way of life. I use it to find my most leveraged priority, make the most out of my time, and get the biggest bang for my buck. Whenever the outcome absolutely matters, I ask it. I ask it when I wake up and start my day. I ask it when I get to work, and again when I get home. What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary? And when I know the answer, I continue to ask it until I can see the connections and all my dominoes are lined up.
Gary Keller, Author of The One Thing
5. Is this necessary?
If you seek tranquillity, do less.” Or (more accurately) do what’s essential—what the logos of a social being requires, and in the requisite way. Which brings a double satisfaction: to do less, better. Because most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquillity. Ask yourself at every moment, “Is this necessary?” But we need to eliminate unnecessary assumptions as well. To eliminate the unnecessary actions that follow.
Marcus Aurelius, Author of Meditations
6. Does the amount of attention I’m giving this match its importance?
A simple question that often changes my behavior:
Does the amount of attention I’m giving this match its importance?
Jame Clear, Author of Atomic Habits
7. What would it take to move 50% faster?
A question I routinely ask myself is:
“What would it take to move 50% faster?”
– Money?
– People?
– Ideas?
– Alignment?
You may not move faster, but it’s good to be aware of how you can move faster.
Romeen Sheth, President of Metasys Technologies
8. If I were beamed into my body without any memory, so all I knew was the present moment, would I be unhappy right now?
Unhappiness is predicated on the idea of what “should” be, based on your personal history.
It’s the resistance to what is.
Ask yourself this: if you were beamed into your body without any memory, so all you knew was the present moment, would you be unhappy right now?
9. Is it True? Is it Necessary? Is it Kind?
Before you speak ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful. If the answer is no, maybe what you are about to say should be left unsaid.
Bernard Meltzer, United States radio host
10. What will teach me the most?
When evaluating opportunities, ask yourself: What will teach me the most?
Ryan Holiday, Author of The Daily Stoic
11. How much time did I spend in each of those modes today?
One of the things I find helpful is to ask myself: okay how much time did I spend in each of those modes today? And I catch myself regularly going into prosecutor mode when I think somebody is wrong. I just feel like it’s my moral responsibility as a social scientist to bring them sharper logic and stronger evidence. I’ve been called a logic bully. I start bombarding people with data and with reasons and they tend to either attack or withdraw, which doesn’t go well.
So shifting into science mode for me is about reminding myself to value of humility over pride, and curiosity over conviction.
Adam Grant, Author of Think Again
12. What do I have to do to make this one of the best things that has ever happened to me?
During difficult times, ask yourself:
“What do I have to do to make this one of the best things that has ever happened to me?”
Mark Manson, Author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck
13. If I believed this, how would it affect my decisions in the next week?
Over the next 6 to 12 months?
Sometimes, you have to actually go through the complex, 10-year trajectory. But it’s at least worth asking whether that’s the story you’re telling ourself, or whether that’s the reality.
Peter Thiel, Author of Tools of Titan
14. Why do I feel like an imposter?
Ask yourself these questions to manage the self-doubt:
1. Why do you feel like an imposter?
2. Who are you comparing yourself to?
3. What are three reasons why your manager thinks you’re deserving?
Write down your response & re-read when you feel imposter syndrome.
Gagan Biyani, CEO of Maven
15. What is one thing I could do for someone close I care about?
Try adding this to your daily gratitude practice: ask yourself what is one thing you could do for someone close you care about.
Warning: involuntary thoughtfulness may ensue.
Justin Kan, Co-founder of Twitch
16. When do I feel like “I can do this forever.”?
Questions to ask yourself to find your greatness:
What makes me unique?
What do I do really well?
What gives me energy?
What type of work do I love the most?
When do I feel like “I can do this forever.”?
What do I look forward to the most?
When have you seen me happiest?
Hiten Shah, Ex co-founder of Crazy Egg
17. What prevents me from living the way I want to live my life?
There is only one important point you must keep in your mind and let it be your guide. No matter what people call you, you are just who you are. Keep to this truth. You must ask yourself how you want to live your life. We live and we die, this is the truth that we can only face alone. No one can help us, not even the Buddha. So consider carefully, what prevents you from living the way you want to live your life?