Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of self-reflection by asking six thought-provoking questions to foster personal growth and self-improvement.

Abstract

The article "6 Questions To Ask Yourself EVERYDAY" by Tom underscores the significance of daily self-examination through a set of pivotal questions aimed at enhancing self-awareness, accountability, clarity, and the identification of personal strengths and weaknesses. It encourages readers to evaluate the necessity of their actions, distinguish between 'alive' and 'dead' time, recognize what lies within their control, align actions with personal values rather than societal expectations, act with urgency, and commit to daily self-improvement. By doing so, individuals can lead a more purposeful and fulfilling life, free from the clutter of non-essential activities and the constraints of external validation.

Opinions

The author believes that honest self-assessment, despite being challenging, is crucial for personal development and becoming a better person.
Tom suggests that much of what we do daily is unnecessary and that by questioning the necessity of our actions, we can focus on what truly matters.
The concept of 'alive time' versus 'dead time,' as introduced by Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday, is advocated as a means to take control of one's life and make the most of every moment.
Drawing from Epictetus' teachings, the article emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between what we can and cannot control to reduce frustration and lead a happier life.
The author opines that people are generally too preoccupied with their own lives to judge others, and thus, we should act according to our own values without seeking approval.
Tom echoes Michele De Montaigne's sentiment that procrastination is a risky habit, and that taking action now is essential since the future is uncertain.
The article concludes with the idea that consistent, incremental improvements lead to significant progress over time, as highlighted by Arnold Schwarzenegger's philosophy of daily self-improvement.

6 Questions To Ask Yourself EVERYDAY

Ask yourself these questions

Questioning yourself is hard. It’s hard because if you’re honest in answering them, more often than not, you’ll often get an answer you don’t like. But it’s only after getting an answer you don’t like, can you start to take action, improve, and become a better person.

Questioning yourself helps you to:

Understand yourself better
Stay accountable
Gain clarity
Identify your strengths and weaknesses

When you answer your own questions honestly, it can be a real dent to your precious ego, but that’s a good thing, it shows that you have room for self-improvement.

So, here are 6 Questions To Ask Yourself EVERYDAY…

1. Is this necessary?

Just sit back and reflect for a moment. Think of the last day. How many unnecessary and none progressive things did you do? If you’re anything like me, there will probably be quite a lot! Realize that an awful lot of things we do throughout the day aren’t necessary at all. By questioning yourself whether something is necessary or not, only then can you begin to differentiate between what’s essential and non-essential to YOU. It’s only after you separate the non-essential from the essential, that you can start to live a better, less cluttered life.

2. Alive time, or dead time?

Alive and dead time is a concept I learned from Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday. Alive time is when you are in control, trying your best to make the most of every second, trying to learn, improve yourself, grow, and take action. Dead time, on the other hand, is the time when you’re sitting around, waiting for things to happen to you, and not taking action, in effect wasting your time.

We can either take a firm grip and take some responsibility for our lives and try to make things happen in the short time given to us, or we can sit around, wallow, and wait for someone to save us. Reality check: nobody is coming to save you. You’re responsible for yourself and you control your own time.

Life is always giving us the choice to decide: Are you choosing alive time or dead time?

3. Is this within my control?

In Discourses, Epictetus wrote, “The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control.”

Someone cuts in front of you when you’re driving or someone says something which is totally contrary to your beliefs. This kind of thing might make you feel p****d off, angry, upset, and frustrated, hell, it might even ruin your day. But understand: you can never control other people’s actions, but you always have the power to control your own. It’s up to you to change your attitude to how you feel towards something and it’s up to you to change your perspectives.

We possess nowhere near as much control over the world as we think, that’s why it’s so important that we differentiate between what we can and cannot control. The only thing we can actually control is ourselves, and the more we understand that, the happier, less worrisome lives we can live.

4. What are the things that I truly value, that are not done just to please or impress the people around me?

What are you currently doing just to be a people pleaser, just to fit into the ‘crowd’? Now ask yourself: What are the things I truly love and value, which I’ll continue to do no matter what other people think of me?

We procrastinate on the things that truly matter to us because we’re far too concerned and worried about what other people might think of us. I mean nobody wants to be classed as an outcast or a weirdo for doing something different to the ‘normal’, right? But that’s really not the case.

David Foster Wallace said, “You will become way less concerned with what other people think of you when you realize how seldom they do.” It’s surprising just how little people actually think about you or genuinely care what you do with yourself. It’s not that people are awful, they’re just busy. They’re busy thinking about themselves because they’ve got their own s**t to deal with and worry about.

5. If not now, then when?

Just think of the one thing you’ve been longing to do for such a long time, but you just can’t bring yourself to do it. Is it taking that trip you’ve been wanting to take for such a long time? Starting that blog? (Guilty!) Buying a gym membership?

Michele De Montaigne wrote, “I ceaselessly chant the refrain, anything you can do another day can be done now.” Putting things off is a dangerous game to play. We think we have all the time in the world, but it’s ignorant and arrogant to think we do because we don’t. If you’ve been putting something off, do it NOW, because now is the only time you’ll ever have. There’s no guarantee for tomorrow or even ten minutes from now. Have some urgency because time is passing you by much quicker than you think.

6. What am I doing today, to make myself a better person for tomorrow?

What have you done today to benefit and improve tomorrow’s you? Did you exercise today? Did you smoke one less cigarette than what you did yesterday? Did you read an extra page to what you normally do? It doesn’t matter how big or small today's gain is, progress is progress and any progress is good progress.

Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “Just as long as you do something every day, that is the most important thing.” The most important thing is that you’re moving forward in the right direction. Just focus on becoming 1% better every day. Whilst 1% a day doesn’t seem like much, a year from now, them small, incremental gains will accumulate into something much bigger.

See you next time,

Yours sincerely,

Tom