Ask These 5 Questions Every Day to Skyrocket Your Success
Self-reflection is a powerful tool that will support your success and keep you on the right track.
EXPERT OPINION BY PETER ECONOMY, THE LEADERSHIP GUY @BIZZWRITER

Illustration: Getty Images
Personal growth is an essential part of every success story—in life and in business—and you can achieve the best results by regularly taking time to check in with yourself. This habit of self-reflection is a powerful tool that will support your success and keep you on the right track.
To get the most out of this practice, however, you must ask yourself the right questions. Here are five questions you should ask yourself every day to support your success:
1. What went well today?
When you finish the workday, the first thing to do before moving on is to think about the things that went right or better than expected. The goal of this question is to help you identify your strengths and the aspects of the work you do well. By building a positive foundation for self-reflection, you will more easily approach areas in which you need to improve while maintaining the level of confidence necessary to remain receptive to new ideas.
2. What could I have done differently?
Only after you take the time to celebrate your wins and identify your strengths is it time to move on to a more critical analysis. Reflect on the parts of the day that could have been better. Ask yourself: Did I miss a deadline? Lose my temper? Communicate unclearly? Make promises I couldn’t keep?
Don’t fall into the trap of ruminating over your mistakes. Instead, make a conscious effort to learn from them. Tomorrow will bring new opportunities and chances to do better.
3. How did I move closer to my long-term goals?
If you find yourself too caught up in fighting fires every day, this question is for you. Identify the things that have contributed to achieving your long-term goals and be sure to congratulate yourself on how even the smallest action can take you one step closer. Did you learn something new? Make a new connection? Complete a small portion of a long-term project? Pay close attention to these small steps and congratulate yourself on how quickly you’re getting there.
4. What was my biggest time sink?
Identify any events or activities that consumed a large portion of your time without adding significant value to your life and work. Doom scrolling social media? Idle chatter during meetings? Getting distracted? Don’t be too hard on yourself for losing focus or your time.
Everyone struggles with the limited number of hours they have in a day. The important part is that you identify your biggest time sucks and come up with ways to avoid them in the future.
5. What truly fulfilled me today?
In the hustle and bustle of day-to-day business, it is easy to lose track of what truly satisfied you or made you feel more alive or valuable than any task could. Maybe you helped a colleague with an urgent issue, you finally found a solution to an especially complex problem, or you simply performed a kind gesture for a stranger.
Look back at your day and identify what activities gave you the most energy or satisfaction. The more you allow yourself to understand what truly fulfills you, the more you will be able to put these aspects into your regular schedule.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
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