Title:  Change Your Questions, Change Your Life:  7 Powerful Tools for Life and Work
Author:  Marilee G. Adams, PhD
Paperback: 150 pages
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN-10: 1576752410
ISBN-13: 978-1576752418
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Please phrase it in the form of a question....

As Jeopardy! fans, we know the importance of putting answers in the form of a question.  But Marilee Adams showed us the importance of forgetting about answers in favor of QuestionThinking(tm). 

Her profound yet straightforward work, is showcased in her book, Change Your Questions, Change Your Life.  In fact, the title sums up the entire premise. 

According to Adams, we constantly, often unconsciously, ask ourselves questions:

Ø      what time is it?

Ø      what time do I need to leave for work?

Ø      what should I wear?

Ø      will it be appropriate for the meetings?

Ø      is this jacket warm enough/too warm?

      and so on. 

In addition to logistics, we ask ourselves other questions, such as

Ø      did I sound stupid?

Ø      what does he think of me?

Ø      why did she do it that way?

The questions we ask and how we answer them determine how we move forward.  Some Q&A pairs take us in a useful direction - what Adams calls the "leaner" path, and some take us in a not-useful direction, the "judger" path.

In Change Your Questions, Change Your Life, Adams explains her theories through the story of Ben Knight, a professional whose life seems to be crashing around him - and with whose struggles we can all identify.  By following Adams' process of identifying and changing his "Self-Qs", Ben makes positive, dramatic changes on both personal and professional fronts.

Change Your Questions, Change Your Life is a quick read and a long think.  The story is engaging and the techniques are elegantly simple, so the book's power is deceptive.  On a second or third time through, don't just read the book, work it.  Ask yourself:

Ø      What questions are you asking yourself?

Ø      Are they taking you in the direction you want?

Ø      If not, what new questions will replace the current ones?

If your experience is anything like ours, the habit of noticing your questions will in itself be life changing.  Just remember to phrase any answers in the form of new questions!

To order your personal copy of Change Your Questions, Change Your Life, click here.