Questions are like targets, they give something us concrete to solve.

  • In my creative work, whenever I’m confused or scattered, I define a question — for example, who does my character meet on his first day of work — then I work on that until I have found a satisfying answer. That’s a complete packet of information now.
  • In my reading, I’ll often drag certain questions along, trying to answer them throughout the book. How do I blog more efficiently? I’ll read about writing and productivity, trying to answer that.
  • In my therapy, I’ll keep a few different questions running on how to behave, such as how to express myself honestly. I’ll keep a log of my thoughts, searching for an answer.

Each of these helps me take something abstract and make it concrete, by giving a simple purpose: answer this question. And in the end, I’m left with a little packet of information showing what I learned.

Where do you use questions?