TLDR

In uncertain times, important questions bring clarity. 

While it’s been very hard to sit down and write anything of material substance this week, I’ve managed to put something out outlining 21 important questions that have made me make better decisions over the years. 

Making good decisions consistently is not about having good answers. It’s about asking better questions of yourself and others. 

The Whole Lesson

The world looks more uncertain and outright scary than ever. Admittedly, it’s been very hard to sit down and write anything of material substance. Despite how unhealthy I know it is for me, I can barely peel my eyes away from social media and the news. I know I’m only in my early thirties, but it seems like we are at a pivotal point in history and if things go the wrong way, well I just hope they don’t. 

The funny thing about uncertainty though is that it can bring substantive clarity to other things in your life and make you start asking yourself very different questions. 

I’ve always been a fairly reflective person but as the years have gone by, I’ve been far more deliberate about crystallizing the questions and principles that guide how I think about the short time I have on this earth. 

Today, I’m sharing some of the most important questions I’ve been asking myself over the years that have helped me make better decisions. 

Maybe they will inspire you, maybe they won’t. 

Just know that the key to making good decisions consistently is not about having good answers. It’s about asking better questions of yourself and others. 

Hopefully I’ll find more focus next week to write something more interesting. 

See below: 

1. What would you expect a real friend to do for you in a tough situation? 

2. What are your non-negotiables? 

3. Who do you want to be vs what do you want to do? 

4. When it comes to your career, finances and lifestyle, what is enough? 

5. How much of your life are you willing to pay for that? 

6. Will the worst case scenario be worse, than the best case scenario be great? 

7. How much must you work to just be average and is it worth it? 

8. What are the odds you’ll actually change their mind? 

9. How much of your outcome was driven by your process vs another variable in the system? 

10. What are you willing to give up now so you can do something else later? 

11. Do you like the idea of something or what the reality of it will be like? 

12. What are you willing to forgive?  

13. Is it the problem, the person or the system standing in your way? 

14. What are the incentives at play in this situation? 

15. How much of what you think you know is true vs your own interpretation? 

16. If you don’t do something, would you actually regret it? 

17. What are you trying to get out of this? 

18. Is the argument worth it? 

19. Do you want the easy answer or the right answer? 

20. If you can’t influence the outcome, what can you do to make yourself matter? 

21. If someone was reading an unedited book about you 100 years from now, what would you want that book to say about who you were and what you did? 

Until next time,

Ginger P.

The Ginger Professor explicitly represents the personal thoughts and views of the author only. It does not reflect the thoughts or views of any current or former employer or client of the author. All information referenced and contained in the article enclosed is for informational purposes only and does not represent advice of any kind.