The Question You Should Ask Yourself

I'm always striving to be better. Do better. Live better. Be a better mom. Be a better runner. And on and on and on. So what list of top 10 strategies should I be doing? Well, it turns out that it could be simpler than that. What if you could change your life for the better by only asking yourself ONE question? (caveat: You will have to ask this question more than once.)

I've been reading this book recently: Getting Back to Happy. It's written by these wonderful bloggers, Marc and Angel. You can find them at http://www.marcandangel.com/.  I'm only a few pages in and the way that I think about this concept (be better) is changing. They advise a few small morning (before noon) changes to make in your routine, like: washing your breakfast dishes, exercise 15 minutes, and meditation. Then they ask a series of questions about what you currently do in your morning routine. And the first question is "Is this bringing me closer to or further from where I want to be?"

My question is even simpler. Is this good for me? What do I mean by "good"? I mean, is this action, thought, thing going to make me healthier, wiser, better, etc.? Is it pushing me toward my goals or keeping me from them? Is it inherently good for ME?

Now, the answers to this question may be different for everyone. And some of them may be the exact same. It's important to ask the question, listen to the answer, and then decide where to go from there.

Some examples could be:
Eating donuts for breakfast - Is this good for me?
Sleeping late - Is this good for me?
Watching TV - Is this good for me?
Scrolling Facebook - Is this good for me?
Spending time with friends - Is this good for me?

You can ask this question about virtually anything in your life. The point is to ask the question. Listen for the honest answer. And then decide what to do. Ask the right questions. Then act. The change comes in both the asking and then the doing. Both are important. Both are life changing.