What is the Most Important Question You Can Ask?

It all started out so innocently.

I was preparing for an interview and the interviewer had sent me some of the questions to help me prepare. I was successfully thinking about how I would answer each question until I got to this one:

What is the most important question we can ask?

I didn’t have an immediate answer.

This may seem strange. After all, I have been training and telling people for years that better questions will get us better results, and I’ve encouraged people to collect great questions – to ask ourselves and others at the appropriate times.

I’ll admit when I first read the question I started thinking of ways to squirm out of answering it; rationalizing that it would be impossible to pick just one.

In the end, I did pick one (I’ll get to it in a minute). But after another week of reflection and thought I’ve added two more. I forced myself to stop at three, trying to focus on some core principles that would underlie these great questions.

I picked these questions for the power they can have in helping us lead happier, more productive and successful lives. I believe these questions apply to us at any age, at work, at home and every place in between.

So I hope you will excuse me for having more than the one question advertised in the title. If you do, here we go . . .

What is most important to me?

This was my answer during the interview. Asking this question can help us set goals, help us prioritize our tasks for better time management, and helps us create a better balance in our lives – work, family and personal balance.

But it’s not just about setting goals. Asking this question helps us set better goals; goals that are truly important to us (as opposed to a goal that you feel someone else wants you to attain or you somehow think you “should” attain). From a time management and balance perspective, the question is effective globally (what are my overall priorities? How will I leave my legacy) or more directly, as in what is most important, right now? Both are important versions of the question that may provide very different answers. But asking both version of the question will help you have a clearer perspective.

Why?

“Why?” is the question of our children, who we would all recognize as tremendously proficient learners. “Why?” is the question of curiosity. When we ask the “Why?” question we open our minds to possibilities and options – and allow ourselves to find solutions to problems.

Our brains are designed to solve problems; to find answers to questions. Asking “Why?” creates a gap and identifies a problem to be solved. Asking “Why?” is a valuable way to increase our curiosity about the world around us, and therefore increase our learning – about anything we are curious about!

In addition the “Why?” question helps us better understand our intention for any action we might take. When we have a clearer and more powerful answer to why, we literally begin to catapult towards change, learning and our goals.

What can I or did I learn?

As human beings we are learning beings, and yet we don’t always learn as intentionally and consciously as we could. The “Why?” question can get us on that path, but this question helps us take advantage of the learning opportunities that surround us every day.

Asking “What can I or did I learn?” is the great question that allows us to reflect, learn, grow and improve.

Are these the most important questions we can ask? I believe they certainly are among the most important questions we can ask. As you can see they can have a tremendously powerful impact on all phases of our lives.

I encourage you to do two things as you finish reading this article. First, I urge you to ask yourself a personalized version of the question I was originally asked; what is the most important question you can ask?

And secondly, ask yourself that question, and the ones I’ve suggested, more often. The questions are powerful, but it is your answers that will change your results and your life for the better.