Focus on What Truly Matters

         Questions I hope will be as helpful for you as they are for me to refocus on what truly matters in your life during the rest of the life and as fall is starting to approach.

1. Is this useful?

         It's very easy to spend a lot of time on things that do not really matter much. To spend hours, days or even weeks on being angry at someone, replaying a mistake or failure in one's mind or to dwell on something negative and feeling more and more like a victim.

         You can waste a big chunk of time on that.

         So you try to ask yourself this question as often as you can to question and confront your

own thoughts. To catch yourself and to wake yourself up when you get stuck in negative thought loops going round and round.

         By doing so you suffer less.

         You waste less time on going round in circles. And you spend more of this very valuable resource on finding a practical solution.

2. What is the most important thing I can do right now?

         If you get lost in what to do in your day, week and life then this question can be

very helpful.

         It might not always give you the answer you want, because the most important thing you can do right now is often one of the harder things you can do.

         But it will help you to truly focus on the few things that matters the most in any area of your life. And if it feels too hard to get started with that then just ask yourself...

3. What is one small step I can take right now to get the ball rolling?

         This is may be your favorite question for when you want to get started with something or if you want to get going again with something that you have let fall to the side for some reason.

         Because it makes things easier. Makes them feel lighter.

         This question prevents you from trying to escape into procrastination and helps you to avoid the side-effects of that such as sinking self-esteem, self-loathing and simply a lot of time being wasted on trying to hide.

4. Is there anyone on the planet having it worse than you right now?

         This question does seldom deliver enjoyable answers, but it sure does snap you out of negative thinking or feeling sorry for myself.

         Now, I think it is natural to sometimes feel sad or sorry for yourself for a little while. If you don't take the time to process such natural responses to negative situations then those feelings can pop up later. And so you feel inexplicably sad or you might get angry or irritated at other people for no good reason.

         But some experiences is also that these things can go too far. It's easy in getting stuck in these disempowering thoughts for too long.

         So you may use this question to zoom out when you feel that your perspective has become too self-centered and narrow.

         And it has over the years taught you a lot about the things - that you may too often take for granted - you can be very grateful for in my life.

5. Will this matter in 5 years? Or even 5 weeks?

         This one helps you to simplify.

         To let go.

         To not make a mountain out of a molehill.

         To find the healthier and happier perspective.

         To not lose your focus and energy to crippling worries.

         To find a lightness in life where you do not have to carry around 5 tons of unnecessary mental baggage.

         It is a truly wonderful question.

Have a wonderful day!