You may read self-help books, watch motivational videos and listen to experts but ultimately, it is you, who is responsible for your own growth.

A big part of life coaching is about looking differently at the challenges in your life. Asking yourself the following 5 kinds of questions can retrain your mind to seek alternate solutions, and achieve what you desire.
Discovery Questions
Most people resort to a ‘why me’ question when things don’t go as planned.

However, any answer to a ‘why’ question is likely to lead you to negative thinking. On the other hand, ‘what’ and ‘how’ questions will reveal a new perspective.

The purpose of a discovery question is to discover alternate perspectives and solutions. Some examples include –

What can I learn from this?
How can I do it differently the next time?
Who can help me with this?
Where can I find out more?
Whom should I consult?

Discovery questions take you from a victim mindset to growth and acceptance.
Focusing Questions
Focusing questions redirect you to action.

Whenever you hit a roadblock, like losing a job, most people get caught up in a ‘why’ question, but we already know that won’t help you resolve the situation.

Ask yourself –

What do I need to do first?
What do I need to get where I truly want to be?

For example, the first answer could be to apply for a new job, but the second may reveal that you need to build skills to turn your passion into a financially fulfilling career.
Exploratory Questions
Exploratory questions are great to use if you are exploring new ideas. Here are some examples –

What if I could turn my passion (dancing, fitness, painting, gardening….) into a financially rewarding line of work?
What if I express love differently to my partner today?
What if I come up with an alternate schedule?
What would change if I spend some time every week doing (activity)?

Endless possibilities may emerge if you keep expanding on your previous answer!
Probing Questions
Probing questions help you get dive deeper and find more information about something specific. These questions can help you ensure that you are not falling in an assumption, judgment, or generalization trap. We often assume a lot, like –

• how other people are feeling
• cause and effect
• one thing being equal to another
• necessity
• possibility
• comparison

If your inner voice says, ‘They hate me,” ask yourself how you know that. Or if you feel, “My boss irritates me,” you may ask, “How do her actions make me feel irritated?”

Asking yourself these 4 types of questions may be challenging, but it isn’t harder than staying stuck with limiting beliefs and unhelpful thinking. You may be able to do some of this work on your own, but a life coach, can help guide you through this journey of self-discovery.

If you are looking for the best motivational coach online life coach or great Leadership Coaching programs in New York City, call Edna J White at 6312958631 or write at [email protected] today!