Two questions to ask, to improve your life
Author: Richard Gumsley

Two questions to ask, to improve your life.

If only it was that simple!

But wait a minute, maybe it could be? What if there were two questions that could improve your life. Two questions you could ask yourself no matter what the problem, issue or experience.

I think there are two such questions. Let me explain.

As a Personal Life Coach, I encounter many different people with lots of diverse problems, issues and dreams. My clients vary a great deal: some are older; some are younger; some are dealing with negative issues; some are trying to attain their dreams; some are experienced and successful; some are inexperienced and not as successful as they would like to be.

The one thing that most of these people have in common is: they don’t consistently ask themselves these two questions.

What can I do to make this better? How can I improve this?

Simple isn’t it? Yet used consistently, these are extremely powerful questions. They can take you from a position of being reactive, and enable you to become pro-active.

They can be used to help you pretty much anywhere.

• I’m feeling down - What can I do to make this better? How can I improve this?
• I’m feeling trapped - What can I do to make this better? How can I improve this?
• I’m having a bad day - What can I do to make this better? How can I improve this?
• I’m bored - What can I do to make this better? How can I improve this?
• I’m in debt - What can I do to make this better? How can I improve this?
• I’m overweight - What can I do to make this better? How can I improve this?
• I’m single and alone - What can I do to make this better? How can I improve this?
• I’m stressed - What can I do to make this better? How can I improve this?
• I don’t have time - What can I do to make this better? How can I improve this?
• I hate my job - What can I do to make this better? How can I improve this?

Do you see what I mean?

Once you take responsibility, ask these questions, and then do what is required, you can improve almost any problem/issues or experience.

I’ll share a quick example from my own experience.

Last August (2003) whist the UK was gripped by a heat wave; I was sat in my office in the sweltering heat trying to do some work on my computer. I was getting very hot and bothered and agitated by the heat, and also by the fact I had to work indoors on such a wonderful summer’s day. I needed to get this work done but couldn’t concentrate and was starting to pull my hair out! But then I realised - rather than being a victim and getting annoyed and agitated by all this, I thought ‘what could I do to make it better, how could I improve this situation?’

After a couple of minutes of thought I realised it was mainly the heat in my office and the fact that I was inside and working on such a summer’s day that was really bothering me.

What could I do to make this better? How can I improve this?

Well I realised that the work I was doing could actually also be done on my laptop, which is battery powered and can go outside! So I got my laptop and paperwork etc, put some shorts and a t-shirt on, got a nice icy cold drink, put my shades on, and went and did my work outside in my garden, on the patio table under a large umbrella! Excellent!

Do you see what I did? I took responsibility for my situation, asked myself those two simple questions, and then I took the action required to improve it. This completely changed and improved my experience for the better.

You see, asking these two questions stops you feeling helpless and stuck. You stop focusing on the symptoms, which just compounds a ‘victim’ like mentality which in turn ensures you operate from a position of weakness. Instead you become pro-active and start operating from a position of power. You’re now dealing with the issue itself, and are focusing on finding a positive outcome.

There is usually something (either large or small) you can do to improve most situations. But ultimately you have take responsibility for the situation, ask yourself the two questions, and then take the action required to improve it.

You can use these two questions in all sorts of different situations. If you’re not happy with something, give them a whirl! Use them consistently and they will start to improve your life.


Remember:

What could I do to make this better? How can I improve this?







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Richard Gumsley is a Personal Life Coach from the UK.
Website: www.startliving.org.uk
Email: rich@startliving.org.uk

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