If I could start all over - this is what I would do differently. I would read more and I would ask quality questions. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is when it comes to innovation and personal growth.

Did you know that the Apollo moon rockets were off course 97% of the time? Yet they still reached their destination. Why? Because of constant course-correction!

Our lives are very similar. We know what we want. But we don't always know exactly how to get there. We fall into the rituals of habits and daily routine, and then 6 months go by before we realize that we're no closer to our goal than when we started. The biggest casualty is when we don't know we're off track and we think we're on the right path. (It's like playing poker and not knowing you have a bad hand.)

Reading Constantly

This is where reading helps. I can't tell you how many breakthroughs I've had from reading a book that identified a solution I didn't realize I needed. I’m smart enough to know, that I don’t know everything. There’s always room for improvement, and because of that I’m constantly asking myself “How can I do this better and faster?”, “How can I scale this?”, “How can I turn this into a system?”, “How do I duplicate that result?”.

The same way the Apollo moon rockets were off course 97% of the time, our lives do the same thing. Make it a habit of constantly correcting the course in your life. Know where it is that you want to go, but always check if you’re on the right path.

Asking Quality Questions

Sometimes we don’t know what solution we’re looking for because we don’t know what the problem is. That’s where asking quality questions comes into play.

For those of you that know me, I already ask a lot of questions. But the key is to ask better questions. I like to think of questions as the combination on a lock. The right question, will unlock the answer you're looking for. The wrong question, will yield failed attempts to get the answer you need.

I’m part of a business executive coaching group, and it’s interesting to see how a group of intelligent minds are able to work together to solve one problem. Usually someone will come with an issue that they present in the form of a question. Then the group asks a succession of strategic questions that help clarify what the problem is. Once everyone can agree on what the problem is (including the subject), the team gives informed advice and action steps.

The biggest value I get from being a part of this group (aside from the smart advice), is learning how the best dissect and solve problems - because it always comes down to the questions. Of course the unparalleled experience helps, but seeing them in action is like watching a surgeon. They are precise, specific, and intentional.

There is a great book called The One Thing that talks about the power of quality questions. Everyone in life is looking for answers. But remember, that answers come from questions. “And the quality of any answer is directly determined by the quality of that question”.

Takeaway

So what’s the takeaway from this post? Reading more helps identify solutions, and asking quality questions helps create better insight. These are the practices of the successful! If anything I would love to meet someone who is successful that doesn’t read or ask good questions. I have a lot of questions for them.

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” — Voltaire

“A prudent question is one-half of wisdom” – Sir Francis Bacon

“The power to question is the basis of all human progress” – Indira Gandhi

“Sometimes questions are more important than answers” – Nancy Willard