Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers. – Anthony Robbins

What is the difference between a closed-ended question and an open-ended question?

A closed-ended question is a form of question which can normally be answered using a simple “yes” or “no”, a specific simple piece of information, or a selection from multiple choices.

An open-ended question, cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”, or with a specific piece of information, and which give the person answering the question scope to give the information that seems to them to be appropriate. Open-ended questions are sometimes phrased as a statement which requires a response.

Although closed-ended questions allow for memory recall, they are not effective in solving major problems, or in achieving goals. Open-ended questions beg to be solved and don’t have definite answers. In order for each person the answer may be different, yet appropriate for that purpose.

One thing is certain and that is if you think about something the same way for a long time, and ask and the questions about it in the same way, it will lead you to the same behaviors every time. If these behaviors are unproductive or destructive it is time to change them.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. – Albert Einstein

So what do you do to get out of this circular pattern of unproductive, self-destructive thinking? The answer is to of course ask better questions, which includes asking a variety of different questions.

Benjamin Bloom is known for developing the taxonomy of higher level thinking questions. Although this formula is developed for educators you may also use it to develop questions to improve your thinking process and increase your options. The steps of this taxonomy are as follows: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. For more about this process check out the following URL: http://specialed.about.com/od/teacherchecklists/a/bloom.htm and get started on using the technique today.

Change is difficult but often essential to survival.  – Les Brown

Sometimes we must make permanent changes in the way we deal with and view certain parts of our lives such as dealing with relationships, weight management, money management and so on. This short blog post is about the main component essential to these changes, that being responsibility.

Making permanent changes in your life requires responsibility. Otherwise that change will be temporary.

That responsibility according to personal development guru Anthony Robbins is done only by accepting three core beliefs:

1). Believing we must change is not enough, it must change.
2). You must be responsible in other words say I must change it, and
3). I created what I’m experiencing, therefore I can change it.

Change your thoughts and you change your world. – Norman Vincent Peale

Are you getting what you want?

Anthony Robbins in his book Giant Steps – Small Changes to Make a Big Difference talks about the very real fact that in order for you to get what you want that you must discover what’s been preventing you from taking action. Think of something that you’ve avoided doing until the very last minute.

The example that Anthony gives is of those who put off doing their taxes until the very last minute. But what happens on April 14th? Procrastination disappears and we quickly change what we associate in our minds as bringing us pain or pleasure. Not taking action suddenly becomes more painful than simply doing your taxes.

You may ask how you can use this insight to make changes and to help you get what you want in life. It is a matter of changing the question that you ask to “If I don’t take action now, what will this ultimately cost me?”

Pain can be your friend if you use it effectively.