5 Questions for a More Meaningful Day
Have you ever limped through the day only to realize that you were too distracted, or too focused on merely surviving the day, to give any thought or attention to the things that matter most? Congratulations! It’s a new day. You have been gifted with opportunities to learn, grow, and improve any potentially troubling areas of your life today. To take advantage of those opportunities, begin by asking yourself a few meaningful questions that will give intention and purpose to your decisions today.
What is the most important thing I need to accomplish? You don’t want to look back at the end of the day and realize that the tasks with the highest priority weren’t completed. How often have you found your time sucked up by urgent, but unimportant, situations? Too many. To ensure that the highest priority tasks don’t get pushed aside, give yourself time to mentally prioritize what is of most importance to you today. Asking yourself this question each morning will give you the chance to direct your day around your most important goals. After all, how you spend your time impacts the quality of your life.
For suggestions on how to make the most of your time, check out our blog post 5 Time Management Mistakes You’re Probably Making.
What am I tolerating? Are there things in your life that annoy, inconvenience, or upset you, but for one reason or another, you haven’t devoted the energy to correcting them? It’s incredible what we will learn to tolerate when we could exercise a little effort and improve or correct the situation altogether. What are you tolerating today?
● A stove with a broken burner?
● A dead bush in front of your house?
● A fractured friendship?
● An extra 30 pounds?
What step or steps could you take today to improve or eliminate something that you are tolerating today?
Are there any problems or challenges I foresee happening in the near future? This isn’t an open invitation to dredge up the worst possible scenarios for the day. And this definitely isn’t a time to let worry take charge of your morning and control your day. However, when we think about it, many of the challenges we face in life aren’t surprises.
Is there a difficult conversation you’ve been putting off that could be growing bigger by the day?
Is there time-consuming project that could be more easily maintained with some forward thinking and planning?
Are there any specific events that need to be planned, organized, or addressed now to ensure a smooth execution later?
Remember, it’s often easier to prevent a disaster from happening in the first place than to manage the aftereffects. Take a moment to reflect on upcoming projects, deadlines, or irritations that could be easily remedied. What small step could you take today to produce a more peaceful, productive future?
What mistakes did I make yesterday? Growth and character development opportunities arise when we practice self-awareness and are willing to be completely honest with ourselves. And let’s face it, we all have plenty of mistakes to learn from. Take a minute to think through your day yesterday. Pick one mistake that you could be intentional about correcting today. Do you need to pack a healthy snack to avoid afternoon irritability? Do you need to make the effort to hold a conversation in person or over the phone to avoid missing verbal cues or tone in the other person and offer a more appropriate response? Do you need to put in for a specific training opportunity to allow you to complete your job more successfully or more safely?
Identifying your mistakes and taking a proactive approach to minimizing those mistakes in the future will pay you back with stronger relationships, more success in your job, and more confidence in your decision-making over time.
What am I grateful for? This is my favorite question and oftentimes the most overlooked in our busy day. It doesn’t matter how difficult the day is, if you have air in your lungs, you have something to be grateful for.
Spending time intentionally reviewing the blessings you have to be grateful for is a great way to energize your day. It puts you in a positive, confident frame of mind. It reminds you that this day is worth looking forward to. If you have something to look forward to, you’ll feel a rush of excitement and enthusiasm. Gratitude gives you the courage to take smart risks. It provides strength and perspective that allows you to recognize the many opportunities for thankfulness that come to you each day. It motivates you to look to the future with anticipation and gives you the confidence to make time for the important things in life.
We have been given the gift of mindfulness and intentionality in our thought life, but with that gift comes the responsibility to use it wisely. These questions only need to take a few minutes each day, but the discipline of beginning your day with intention can do so many wonderful things for your life. If you have been to any of my courses, you know I teach on the importance of mindset. You choose how you will begin your day. Be intentional. Be present. Be purposeful. And you will begin to see the benefits of personal growth and increased joy become a regular part of your day.
