A question for self-reflection that can lead to an epiphany

We all have blocks that hold us back. In this post, I will describe a technique to unblock yourself by getting to the root cause.

Imagine this scenario: Ashley has always wanted to be able to draw portraits. She can imagine having a good time with friends and family in her drawing. She can clearly imagine giving photos to people as a personal gift that will make them feel special and special.

Although she wanted it for a long time, she never learned.

How to get to the root cause of your blocks

Ashley hears about a technique called… 5 why Which can get to the root cause of the blocks. She asks herself five questions starting with: Why. Everyone bounces back from her initial answer. Here’s what this looks like.

1. Why didn’t you learn how to draw portraits? It never seemed like a priority.

2. Why did it never seem like a priority? Work and Parenting It always seems more important.

3. Why do these things seem more important? They seem like reasonable, logical priorities.

4. Why do you think you can only focus on reasonable and logical priorities? They feel safe and responsible.

5. Why do you feel uncomfortable prioritizing something that doesn’t quite make sense or logic? I feel like I always need to be doing something productive.

At the end of this exploration, Ashley finds that she has a firm belief that she always needs to be doing something productive. Its view of what constituted a product was narrow. She realizes that learning to paint portraits is valuable to her and sees creating joy as inherently rewarding. This enables it to ultimately prioritize images.

Aim for useful answers, not correct answers

the 5 why There is no single correct answer. It can go in different directions. This happens because your initial answer will vary based on what comes to your mind first.

Let’s see how the process would have changed if Ashley’s first answer had been different.

1. Why didn’t you learn how to draw portraits? Because it scares me. I’m not sure if I’d be good at it.

2. Why does it scare you? Because I’m not sure about all the steps to learn.

3. Why are you not sure what steps to learn? Because I didn’t specify it in black and white. I never thought about what a specific learning plan actually was.

4. Why did you not specify a specific educational plan? Because I never approached this as a serious educational goal.

5. Why didn’t you treat it as a serious educational goal? Because it seems trivial, even though it is not. This is important to me.

You don’t have to ask exactly 5 questions

In the last example, the appropriate place for Ashley to pause might have been at her fourth answer: Because I never approached this as a serious educational goal.

This insight probably made Ashley realize that she needed a structured learning plan, as she would for any business venture.

If the epiphany you need happens before you order five rounds WhyThen stop. On the other hand, sometimes you may need to ask the sixth or seventh question Why Question to get to the root cause of your block.

Play with this technique

When people ruminate, they often question themselves Why Questions but does not answer them. This framework forces you to answer, and therein lies the power.

Let’s look at another example: Hannah wants to turn her crafts into a business. Like many people, Hannah He blames lack of discipline And he just ruminates about it. She’s trying 5 why instead of.

1. Why didn’t you do that? I’m not disciplined enough.

2. Why aren’t you disciplined enough? Because I feel exhausted.

3. Why do you overwhelm? Everything seems difficult.

4. Why does everything seem so difficult? Because I try to get everything done at once.

5. Why try to get everything done at once? Because it’s hard to see where small milestones will lead us.

Hannah sees it Sabotage pattern Where does it come from? Its style is not like that Break down your goal into small milestones. The source of this style is a lack of self-confidence and clarity.

Tips and tricks

Follow the process even if you guess your answers again: It is important that you actually answer the questions, even if you find yourself guessing your answers. Follow the path and see where it leads. You can always try other variations later, but once you’ve given an initial answer, follow the entire process if you can.

Restart or go back to the steps if you stopped: If you get stuck, go back a few steps or start over. Or give it a few days and try again.

Try imaginary scenarios: If you want to practice, try creating vignettes like I did with Ashley and Hannah. Use those for practice.

Variations can help: Your vary Why The questions differ from the traditional version of this framework, but can yield useful insights. These questions can help you draw different insights from yourself, provided you answer them and continue to dig deeper Why:

• Why do you think so?
• Why does this stop you?
• Why does this seem so far-fetched?
• Why do you think you can’t learn that?
• Why can’t you make progress?
• Why can’t you handle that?
• Why does this keep happening?
• Why do you think others can but you can’t?

We can solve problems we understand and create

Why Questions we don’t answer become rumination. Why The questions we answer become plans. Most blocks stay that way because they are so vague and self-deprecating. They do not light the way forward. This simple framework gives you a way to arrive at a suitable solution. As you create your own solution, you will feel more ownership of it. Blocks can feel so big when they make us feel stuck. Solutions are often more tangible and practical than you think. By making your specific blocks concrete, solutions will emerge naturally.