10 Powerful Questions To Ask Yourself To Achieve Your Goals

In this article, we’ll explore ten questions about goals you can ask yourself to get more clear about the things you want to achieve.

Questions (the right questions) are a powerful way to get our own answers without consulting with a second person.

Of course, human interactions are necessary, and if we talk to the right person, they can help us see things more clearly.

I have a friend who’s around 30 years older than me. He’s more like a second dad to me.

He once told me that he doesn’t like psychologists, that they’re useless. I asked him why.

He said that talking to a therapist is like talking to a tree. He said you might as well talk to yourself.

And at the end of the day, he said, therapists only ask questions. You can ask those questions yourself and spend that money somewhere.

Although I disagree with him because I believe therapists and psychologists are extremely helpful, something caught my attention after he said that.

I started noticing this with my therapist: Around 80% of the things she said were questions.

But not any question.

They were good, deep, thought-provoking questions that helped me let out everything I had on my mind.

These questions, I noticed, were the core of our sessions.

Then, when I started journaling consistently, I discovered that my journaling sessions were more effective when asking myself questions and writing down the answers.

Here’s why.

The Power Of Questions

The power of questions is undeniable.

Questions help us dig deeper, beyond our usual thoughts.

Asking yourself the right questions can help you find the right solutions, prioritize, and even increase your self-awareness.

Questions clarify our thinking.

The questions in this post can help you achieve your goals because they:

• make you get to your real why, the real motive behind your wanting to achieve that goal
• help you come up with solutions tailored to your obstacles
• help you clarify your feelings and everything you need to tackle to work effectively towards your goals
• increase your sense of self-awareness.

10 Powerful Questions About Goals To Ask Yourself

1. Which specific goal do I want to achieve?

Be specific and realistic.

Don’t say you want to be in better shape. Instead, say:

“I need to lose/gain XX amount of pounds,” for example.

Being specific brings your goal from the abstract world to reality, and it helps you put things in perspective.

Besides, it’s the best way to make sure you’re thinking ahead and figuring out what you need to do even before you start taking action.

2. What are the necessary steps I need to take to get there?

If you don’t know, then researching is part of the steps.

Take pen and paper, and brainstorm all the possible steps you may need to take to get where you want to be.

Also, keep in mind that this first list isn’t set in stone: it’s okay not to have a definite list of steps.

However, it is important to do that preliminary research and brainstorm and then iterate as you go.

3. Why do I want to reach that goal?

Be honest: What do you expect to get out of reaching that goal?

If you want a big house and your goal is to make enough money to buy it, why do you want that big house?

Is it to fit your whole family? To look wealthy?

Is it because it’s important to you? Or because somebody else planted the idea in your mind?

For example: “Do I want that Ferrari because I need a car, or because I want to impress people?”

4. How would my life change if I achieved that goal?

Both negatively and positively.

Use your imagination and picture your life after you’ve reached that goal.

How different is it?

5. How do I expect to feel after I reach that goal?

Do you think that reaching that goal will make you feel happy?

Satisfied with life? More valuable? Inspired? More empowered?

6. Which problem do I want to solve by reaching this goal?

Is it a material problem?

Is it an emotional problem?

Are you expecting to feel better about yourself thanks to that goal?

Feelings move us. In fact, emotions are strong motivators, and we could argue they’re the main reason why we do everything we do: to feel BETTER.

Whatever better means to you at the moment, no matter if it’s good or not for you in the long run.

So, understanding how your goal is going to help you feel better about a specific aspect of your life can help you get clearer about the goal and also motivate you.

7. What do I expect to get out of achieving this goal?

If you want to change careers, for example, what do you expect to get out of it?

More money?

New friends?

A lifestyle change?

All of the above?

8. What have I done so far?

Which steps have you taken to get there?

Which skills or knowledge do you already have that could help you reach that goal?

9. What is the first thing I need to do to move towards that goal?

Look at all the steps you listed above and prioritize.

What are the tasks that are going to have the highest impact of all? Which ones are urgent?

Which ones could you postpone or even delete completely?

10. What can I do today to start working toward that goal?

Be realistic, but also push yourself.

Can you start taking action tomorrow or next week?

When you think about taking action, do excuses pop into your head?

Start today. Use the resources you already have on hand.

The Bottom Line

Asking yourself these deep questions can do wonders during your goal-setting process, especially if it’s a big goal or dream.

The best parts? It’s free, and it’s private.

So, take your journal and pen, and start writing down. You’ll be super motivated afterward.