Chapter 7. Inquiry And Questioning

As an accredited life coach, I know the value and the power of inquiry and asking questions. This process can provide further clarity and understanding in life. Throughout this book, I have stated that you need to get clear on what your why is. To do this, you need to ask yourself some questions. The more the better.

There is any number of ways you can do this. One common approach is to keep asking why. Ask a question, then stay with that question and keep drilling down on it. From each why question, another question will arise.

Whenever I want to do something in my life, particularly if it is a life-changing move, for example, I will ask myself a lot of questions. When I chose to make my moves into minimalism and living a life with less, that is exactly what I did.

Here Are Some Of My Questions

Am I ready to live a life with less?

Am I prepared to do what is necessary and required to follow through with this?

Can I afford to this? Do I have the resources?

Will I be able to let go of my security and live with other people?

Will this move help me to further develop my lifestyle options?

Why do I really want or need to do this?

What is the pay-off here?

Will this give me more freedom in my life?

Will this help me to be a better person and a better coach?

Will this move help me to further trust in life and develop my spirituality?

Do I have multiple options?

Can I go back to the life I had if I choose to?

Am I doing this for the right reasons?

Can I continue living and working the way I am and not change?

Can I free my life up by making this move?

Can I live without a car?

What possessions do I keep, what do I let go?

Where will I live?

What fears do I have in doing this?

What hopes and aspirations do I have?

Can I truly live my life from moment to moment?

Is this move in alignment with my values and my vision?

What are my strategies for leveraging this experience?

Do I have a plan B and plans beyond that?

I could go on here. Keep in mind that the questions above underwent further inquiry and questioning. And to be sure, there were many more questions asked than the list above. In real terms, we are talking hundreds of questions. This is the kind of approach that I recommend when faced with making some big decisions in your life.

This level of questioning will provide extra clarity and purpose. It may also identify some areas that need further exploration. Look at it as doing due diligence on your action plan. The benefit of this questioning is that when or if times do get challenging, you have your reference points and ready-made answers to face life head-on.

Another strategy is to seek out a life coach. If you are questioning your moves into any lifestyle, enlisting the services of a competent coach could be money and time well spent. Talking to friends and family can be a good idea as well. Remember, though, that if you are going to make a big shift into minimalism, your moves might not be encouraged or supported. This is a key point to be made here: the people who love you the most can hold you back. All situations are different of course.

If you are making small shifts and relatively small decisions, what I’ve written above about seeking advice is not valid. Asking your brother if you should have a garage sale to sell off some possessions for example, might be a bit over the top. At the end of the day, these processes will help you get clearer about your conviction and intention to move forward in your life in your chosen direction.

To conclude, ask questions to get clearer on why you want to do what you want to do. If an answer to a question is not clear, keep drilling down on that question and keep asking why. Once you have gone through this process, either with yourself or with others, you should be much clearer on where you stand.