Day #231: Questions To Ask Yourself To Challenge Your Journey

Challenge
Growth comes through defeating a challenge. The real challenge is whether the challenge is self-imposed or driven externally.
Steve Jobs, whom most of us know for his work and passion of making Apple what it is today. Everyday he looked in the mirror and asked himself one question: “If today were the last day of your life, would you want to be doing what you’re doing?” Most of the time, his answer came back as a resounding yes, but for the average person, it probably varies. So passionate about his work, Jobs worked right up until the day before his death, despite suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Today I wish to challenge your thinking, your dreams and drive by asking you to start asking yourself questions each day to help you discover whether or not you’re fulfilling your full potential and working in the careers we love.

Here are 6 questions that Steve Jobs’s daily exercise can challenge us to ask ourselves:

1. Does your work make you smile?

Smiling at work reminds you that you’re doing something, however small, in your daily routine that you find fulfilling.

2. How tired do you feel at the end of the day?

Going to bed with the feeling that you’ve accomplished something means two things: that you’re using your talents in a way that you find fulfilling and that you’re contributing productively to the world around you.

3. Is your work rewarded?

Working in an environment where you feel valued not only contributes to your professional success, but helps you to avoid bringing bad vibes into your home and squandering your “downtime” with thoughts about overwork or office politics.

4. Do you have any regrets?

Sometimes you’ll succeed, sometimes you won’t, but it’s far better to try to fail than to spend your life wondering whether or not you would have succeeded.

5. Does your work consume your life?

Find ways to fill your life with variety to give yourself a reason to face each day with something to get excited about.

6. Do you feel stimulated?

Nothing compares with the satisfaction of setting yourself a task and completing it.

“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do today?” – Steve Jobs