The quality of questions you ask yourself become the foundation of everything you create in your life. We’ve all heard the expression that there is no such thing as a dumb question. In some cases, this might indeed be true and there is certainly one way this is not. Sometimes we get caught asking ourselves “Barricading” questions that can be really harmful because they “dumb” down our potential and hold us back.
Consider that one thing keeping you from getting more of what you want in your life could be your reaction to personal events. What you can or cannot do, what you consider possible or impossible, is much less a function of your true capability and more likely a function of your perspectives.
Your perspectives are essentially the way you choose to view things that happen to you in your life and this view is heavily influenced by the kinds of questions you ask yourself as a result of what happens to you. Questions direct our minds and set trains of thought into motion that can either be helpful or harmful. Questions are both powerful and generative, because they generate thoughts which dictate our actions. And because they are so powerful, it really makes a difference to pay attention to the questions you ask yourself. Barricading questions are unhelpful questions that typically begin with you asking “why” and leave you feeling helpless and ‘closed’ in with no solutions in sight. Gateway questions on the other hand, are questions that open the door to productive and forward thinking. They typically begin with you asking ‘what’ or ‘how’ and keep you focused away from your current situation or dilemma towards what you can do to improve it. In essence, Gateway questions are to forward progress what wings are to a bird in flight.
Below are examples highlighting the difference between unproductive and unhelpful questions versus productive and helpful ones:
| BARRICADING QUESTIONS (unhelpful) | GATEWAY QUESTIONS (helpful) |
| Why did I have to move to another department? | What is one thing I can do to make the most of my experience in this new department? |
| Why can’t I find good people to fill positions? | How can I think differently about staff recruiting? |
| Why do I feel so drained? | What are healthy sources of energy that I can tap into? |
| Why don’t I have any time for myself? | What am I willing to give up for more “me” time? |
I once heard motivational speaker and coach, Tony Robbins say that “our past does not have to equal our future unless we choose to live there”. If you want to propel your life forward, consider the quality of questions you ask yourself. It is obvious that some questions will keep you barricaded in or rooted in the past while other questions will move you in the direction of your desires by opening your mind to more productive thoughts. Eliminate your use of barricading questions that ‘dumb’ down your potential and keep you from fulfilling your dreams and desires. Focus instead on the habit of always asking yourself gateway questions which open doors and move you towards solutions for your life!
