My 5 daily questions

January 21st, 2022

By Jim LaDoux

A ritual I developed when I when participating in a MBA was journaling on a daily basis. The process involved asking myself, and responding to 5 key questions that would shape my life and career. Since completing the degree, I've continued the practice, although I've continued to refine the questions to remain relevant to what's happening in my life and ministry setting. The five questions below are the ones that currently shape my writings.

1 | Where did I see God "show up" today?

This question helps me be mindful of God's active presence in my life and the world. My responses often include naming the things I'm grateful for, listing the bright spots, memorable moments and the difficult conversations that took place. The question I used during my MBA program was "What were the noteworthy or memorable moments?"

2 | What did I learn today?

This was a three-part question for me. What did I learn about myself? What did I learn about others? What did I learn about life and how to navigate it successfully? I am always surprised by how many insights I'd capture everyday. Many of the ideas came from phone conversations, reading the news, listening to a Ted Talk, as Youtube clip, or reading a chapter from a book. I noticed that this question helped me be more present, more curious, and more open to new ideas and approaches.

3 | What is the best thing I did today?

Things that showed up here included self-care (giving myself permission to sleep in), tying up loose ends where I may have procrastinated, checking a key item off my "Things" to do list that were related to my monthly and yearly goals, etc. Sometimes they included having a difficult conversation with a friend, making a decision that I had put off, or celebrating a mini- or major milestone in a person's life.

4 | What prevented me from doing what matters?

This question helped me realize when I was procrastinating. it made me realize how much time I spend reading the news. I also became keenly aware of when I was stuck because I was disorganized or failed to make decisions sooner.

5 | What will I do differently tomorrow?

One of the most effect things that successful people do is focus on the future and looking for areas where they can learn, grow, and improve. I focused on small changes such as limiting myself to reading the news for just 15 minutes or exercising before tending to my email inbox. This question helped me realize that one of the most important changes I needed to make was choosing what to give my attention to, and what to disregard or no longer immerse myself in.