Change Your Path With a Simple Question

I'm a fan of simple mental models or simple questions that immediately put things in perspective.

Here's one versatile question that can serve to put you on the right path:

Is what I'm about to decide going to move me closer or further away from the person I aspire to be?

Before All Else

The word “Priority” existed for 600+ years before “priorities” appeared about a century ago. Originally, it meant one thing above all else.

Asking what your priorities were would have been like asking "who is your one best friends." Modern life rarely allows for just one focus. But many of the things that matter most get sacrificed for things that are merely urgent.

If you’re busy but not fulfilled, it may be time to narrow your priorities, not expand them.

You're Solving For the Wrong Goal

Most goals are proxies.

“I want to make more money.” Why?

“For more freedom.” Why?

“So I don’t miss my son’s baseball games.”

Now you’re solving the right problem.

Ask “why” a few times, and the goal often changes. When it does, better solutions appear, often simpler than the one you started with.