Last week, I thought I was going to a seminar that taught me about teleseminars so that I can use what I’ve learned in my upcoming bootcamp.  I was surprised that when I got there that it had nothing to do with teleseminars.  I was looking for specific information and didn’t get what I was looking for.  However, I got exactly what I needed, clarity and vision for my business.  However, at the event there was a wealth of information, if I just asked people the right questions I would have gotten the answers I was looking for.

Recently, I’ve been looking for online shopping cart solutions.  I’ve heard about different solutions and when a friend told me what he was using I just followed suit.  I hired someone to set it up for me and told her exactly what I needed.  After the setup, I realized that the solution was just not going to work for me and I ended up going with another solution. I had to pay for a new solution and for the time to set it up again.  It was a great learning lesson.
As a consultant, I should have known better – don’t make assumptions, ask the right questions, determine needs, analyze solutions, make a decision.  Instead I didn’t assess my needs, I just jumped and made a decision without analyzing the situation.  I didn’t ask the experts the right questions.  I should have asked, “which solution do you recommend based on my needs?” instead of just making the assumption and getting someone to do the work.  Luckily, it only cost me a few hundred dollars but it got me thinking…where else am I doing this in my life?

I thought about my use of time.  If I asked better questions, I could better strategize how to be more productive with my time.  If I started my day asking myself “What 5 things can I do today that will get me further in my business?” instead of “Whatdo I need to get done today?”  See the difference?
The right questions can save you from going down a completely wrong path.  When we’re going the wrong way, we need to go backwards, start over and correct our course.  So much time could have been saved if the right decisions were made and the right questions were asked in the first place.
Now it’s your turn.  How much time or money are you wasting simply because you’re not asking the right questions?  Look at all areas of your life and start asking questions that will move you in the direction for your goals.