There are 100 days left in 2022.
What’s one thing you can accomplish between now and the end of the year that will make your year?
Maybe it’s something you’ve wanted to do for a long time, but somehow you never found the time? Or something new that you’re excited to start? Maybe this is the time to do something that will change everything…
You already know the answer. Now’s the time to commit and make it happen.
Quality Questions make it easy to apply the key lessons from the best self improvement books and talks to your life.
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What decision have you been putting off for a while?
Maybe you’re on the fence about quitting your job, changing something in your relationship, or embarking on a new adventure.
Can you make that decision today?
As Chris Guillebeau reminds us:
…people will often say “You know, I wish I’d made that change sooner.”
Almost no one ever says “I wish I’d made that change later.”
David Deida wrote, “Every moment of your life is either a test or a celebration.”
Even if you don’t accept that as literally true, it’s still a useful frame.
Ask yourself:
Right now, is this moment in your life a test or a celebration?
If it’s a test, who is testing you? What do you have to do to pass? And how will you celebrate once you’ve passed?
Most of our Quality Questions are adapted from lessons we’ve learned from books, courses, and life experience.
But this week’s question comes straight from James Clear’s popular 3-2-1 newsletter:
“Children are joyful and treat each day as a miracle—in part because they are continually surprised.
Each day, they hear a new word or listen to a new song or learn about a new animal. It’s their first time visiting that restaurant or jumping in that pool or riding that rollercoaster. The world is continually unfolding before them.
How can you introduce more surprise into your life as an adult? How can you renew your sense of childlike wonder?”
This week’s Quality Question is inspired by Sara Schonfeld’s tweet:
I had a therapist who once told me, “if you don’t schedule a break, your body will take one for you. And it probably won’t be at a convenient time.”
Ask yourself: When is your next break?
Bonus Question: What activity leaves you feeling the most recharged?
In The Way of the Superior Man, David Deida writes:
Each purpose, each mission, is meant to be fully lived to the point where it becomes empty, boring, and useless. Then it should be discarded. This is a sign of growth, but you may mistake it for a sign of failure.
Ask yourself:
What mission can you graduate from and discard now?
You failed.
It happens to all of us. Or at least, it should happen.
Failing is an important part of learning and growing. Children fall down over and over again as they learn to walk, but eventually they get the hang of it.
As adults, we’re afraid to fail, especially in a world where it seems like every moment is captured on camera and streamed live on social media.
Our ego kicks in, “What will everyone think? It’s safer not to try…”
There is a difference between failing and failure. Failing is trying something that you learn doesn’t work. Failure is throwing in the towel and giving up.
— Jay Samit, Disrupt You!
When was the last time you failed? What did you learn?
Last week we encouraged you to take one step in pursuit of your dream.
Often what holds us back from pursuing and achieving our highest goals is not a lack of opportunity or ability, but a lack of time and focus.
We waste our precious time, energy, and focus doing things that don’t bring us joy or move us closer to our goals.
What do you need to stop doing?
Is there something that sucks up your valuable time and energy that you can cut out? Maybe something like scrolling through TikTok or the news…
Perhaps there’s something that feels productive but isn’t serving your highest purpose? Maybe something like checking your email or Slack every five minutes, instead of focusing on more important, deep work?
Maybe it’s something that is important, but that you could delegate?
Take a few minutes now to make yourself a “Not To Do List” so you can free up time for what truly matters.
Last week we asked what’s on your one line bucket list.
One thing that would make your life more meaningful, fulfilling, or just fun.
This week’s Quality Question is about pushing forward on your dreams and taking action.
What’s holding you back from actually doing it?
If you had nothing else to do but work on this exciting goal, what would the next step be?
Maybe its signing up for a class, booking the trip, or telling a loved one about your plan.
It can be scary to turn dreams into concrete steps. We fear that we won’t be good enough, that other people will try to stop us, or the reality won’t live up to the fantasy.
Let go of those fears for just a moment and take one concrete step in pursuit of your dream.
What’s one thing that you would like to do before you die?
Something that would make your life more meaningful, fulfilling, or just fun.
Perhaps it’s something that you have always wanted to do, but never made it a priority. Maybe you were afraid to even admit that you wanted to do it, so you never wrote it down before.
Or maybe you already have a long list of such things…
For now, just choose one.