Ask better questions

The other day my daughter came to me and said, "I don't have any clean pants."

The response in my head was, "So??? And this is my problem how?"

The response out loud was , "So?"

She is old enough to solve this problem herself. She knows how to do laundry. She knows how many pairs of pants she has in her closet. She knows how many she has worn this week. She knows what our plans were for that day. The ball is in her court.

Obviously, I frustrated her with my answer. "So?" is definitely not the most supportive response to a problem. But, I reminded her, she would get better results if she asked better questions.

"Mom, do I have time to do a load of laundry and have it dry before we have to go?" is a much better question. It doesn't change the situation but it lets her get to the heart of the matter. She has moved on from the problem onto a solution she can work toward.

How many times have you asked yourself how you are going to "lose all this weight"?

What if it was as simple as "what can I do today to eat a few bites less"? Now you can focus your planning skills and hone in on what you really want to accomplish today without getting bogged down.

Don't like that question? Make one that works for you. Ask better questions and you will change the results you get.