3 Questions To Ask Yourself Daily To Stay On Course

I’m a big believer in “think time.” Processing your day every day to close it out. Some people like to journal. That’s cool. But I’m horrible at that. At the least, here’s some questions to ask yourself daily.

While writing this I read some other articles on the same subject and found them to often be long and kind of depressing. I’ll leave the big meaning of life questions to another article! I’ll keep it simple when it comes to questions to ask yourself daily.

1. What did my actions say about me today?

I’m all about self-awareness. I hope that people think I’m kind and considerate.

Think about rude people. Some know they’re rude. But often the meanest and most consistently rude are people that have no idea. They’re so self-focused that they can’t perceive how others experience them.[smartads]

Everyday, take a moment and think about what you’re saying and doing, and how people may receive you. I promise, it will make life easier for you and keep doors open.

2. Did I fulfill what I set out to accomplish today?

Questions to Ask Yourself

Me, thinking. right before bedtime.

We’ve all got to-do lists that are much too long. What are the things that at today’s start were your biggest “must-get-dones?” It’s not just the deadlines you had to fulfill. What were the things you really wanted to knockout?

If you finished those things, well done. But it’s a good idea to look back every day and think about what you aimed to get done that you didn’t. I then like to ask myself this: What happened to my will to get that done?

3. Did I spend my day like I wanted to?

8 years ago I read a verse, written by a King. He asked God to teach him to number his days so he would grow wiser.

I figured out how many days I had left to live if I made it to 120 years old (a personal goal). I wrote that number on a whiteboard. I had over 30,000 days left I think. I didn’t do it for long, but each day I erased one day from the countdown.

My perspective has been much different since then. Knowing that I can’t get a day back, I ask, “Did I spend it like I wanted?”

Other writers may have questions to ask yourself like did you do nice things for people and tell your family you love them. That’s paramount, but I’m not here to repeat that. Here’s what I look for-did I enjoy today, did I improve today, and is my life moving forward because of today?

Welp, that ended way deeper than I set out to write. But I know it’s important to put our life in perspective. We have limited time. By having questions to ask yourself and evaluate yourself, it’ll be a lot easier to stay on course as you invest your life into something intentional.

Remember-whatever you aim to do, you won’t get there on accident, but on purpose.

What are your questions to ask yourself daily?

Comments

  1. I try to think during my commutes between job sites about stuff like this, but I always end up getting caught up in thinking about the d*ckhead driver in front of me or how I’m going to pay XYZ bill or explain to my girls why a vacation isnt’ in our budget. It’s hard to think about the big overall picture and step back and ask these questions! I guess it probably takes practice though.

    • Todd Mayfield says

      How many jobs do you work TB??

      I know lots of people that get phone calls, thinking, and other stuff done while driving. I can’t. I don’t even like talking on the phone while I’m driving. While I’m on the road, I’m essentially a zombie steering a car.

  2. This is an awesome idea. I currently do number 2 on your list but can see the benefits of incorporating number 3 and especially number 1.

    You are correct, It would be extremely rewarding to reflect on what our actions say about us on a day-to-day basis. Most of us probably have no idea what our interactions are like with certain people or events that we encounter. I am going to try this out as I am interested in the results!

    • Todd Mayfield says

      On point number 2, I read an article last night (can’t remember where!) that talked about having “focused points” rather than a “to-do” list. It also introduced the idea of having a “to-don’t” list. Something I probably need to incorporate!

  3. Great idea. Especially the question about your actions today. Actions say more than words. Sometimes we forget that…

  4. Great post! I printed it out! Super simple, but powerful for staying focused and on track!
    Writing Pad Dad

    • Todd Mayfield says

      Thanks Justin! Yeah, when I need something to keep me on track it’s got to be as simple as possible. Really, this article should probably be only 1 question!!

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