“Questions direct our energy, attention and focus.”
As children we constantly asked questions which led us to learn about our world and ourselves. Over time, many adults fall out of the habit and stop asking questions.
Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green? Why do giraffes have such long necks? Our questions are only limited by our imagination.
Fortunately, that habit of asking questions can be strengthened. The more often you ask questions, the stronger the habit becomes. By challenging yourself to look at a problem from multiple dimensions, questions provide an excellent why to focus and reconnect your attention to any problem.
Questions have been the cornerstone of education, science and invention since the beginning of time. The greatest inventors and scientists, like Edison and Einstein where famous for the questions they would pose. And, of course, questions have tremendous value to everyday life. In this episode, Martin provides a few examples of how asking the right questions might just help you achieve your most important goals, more quickly (7:24).
A few quick tips on questions on how to improve your question-asking skills from this episode include:
Ask many questions as early as possible in the problem solving process
Be as specific as possible and tailor your questions toward the ideal outcome
Finding and using tools like search engines and Quora to help reshape and refine your skills
Daily tracking of your question-asking habit
By using questions to re-focus toward your meaninful goals, you will attain the concentration needed to add value in your life. Shaping questions around your specific goal will help you consciously rededicate yourself to your goals.
“A question well asked is half solved.”
The Habit of Asking Powerful Questions