A daily question practice
The L.I.F.E questions to dig into curiosity
I love how a good question can make you look at a problem through a different frame, bringing new light to old problems and helping get you unstuck from your current paradigm. I collect good questions and regularly update this post with new ones I come across and want to save for future reference.
One rich source of questions comes from Warren Berger and his book “The Book of Beautiful Questions” and his online collection of “Q-Cards”
One set of questions I really like is the L.I.F.E Exercise, which can be used for both one on ones with work colleagues or your family to prompt conversation around the dinner table.
L. What weird LITTLE thing sticks out in your mind from this week?
- The little things that we choose to remember and share with others form the narrative threads of our lives, and focusing on the “weird” helps captures children’s attention.
I. What piece of INFORMATION did you learn this week?
- Sharing something that’s news to you or a piece of learning can entertain others and solidify the information in your own brain.
F. Is there anything you tried and FAILED at this week?
- Sara Blakely, the entrepreneur who founded Spanx apparel, was inspired by this question, asked often by her father at the dinner table. Acknowledging and discussing trial-and-error in a routine way helps us realize failing happens to all of us, is not something to be afraid of, and indeed helps us become better problem solvers.
E. What memorable EXCHANGE did you have this week?
- This question reminds us to reach out once in a while beyond How you doing?, and show our curiosity about what others think and feel.
