Feeling Stuck? 5 Questions to Level-Up Your Life

Does any part of you feel stuck or like you've hit this plateau? In today's video, we're diving into five surprisingly straightforward questions that have the power to transform your life fast.

Hey, if you're new here, I'm Marie. I'm based in New York City, and I'm the author of the number one New York Times bestseller, Everything Is Figureoutable. And on this channel, we're going to explore the strategies and tools that'll help you create a business and life you love.

Now, before we dive in, I want to remind you of something that many of us forget in our very busy and overstimulated lives. Inside of you right now is a source of loving guidance and what I like to consider, divine wisdom, that's always there supporting you to live your best and most magnificent life possible. So whether you call it intuition, you call it your higher self, soul, source, God, or any other name, I got to tell you, it is real, it's available 24/7, it doesn't cost you a thing, and it is always on your side.

The best way I've found to really hear this guidance is to first get out of my typical everyday environment. So while you don't have to take this step, I got to tell you, it really does help. Whether it's a coffee shop or you go to a library or even a park bench, I want you to make sure that you're away from your typical interruptions and all the distractions that usually get in the way of your day.

Second, I want you to write this down, you have to write your answers down by hand. This is key. There are actually countless studies out there that show that writing by hand is better for your brain, it's better for your memory, your cognition, and your creativity. But what I've found is that by writing by hand is really one of the best ways to gain profound and accurate life guidance for myself. So grab a pen, grab your favorite journal, and let's do this.

Powerful question number one. Write this down. Where am I craving something better in my business or life? You know, Thomas Edison once said, and it's one of my favorite quotes of all time, "Discontent is the first necessity of progress." Meaning, wherever you're finding yourself repeatedly frustrated or irritated or dissatisfied, there is likely a huge opportunity there for your growth and your progress. You know, so many times, I think in the realm of personal development, we're taught to just be grateful for what we have, right? And to be fair, gratitude, it's freaking miraculous. And often that sentiment is right on, but not always.

There's some nuance here, because wherever you find yourself constantly repeating some type of experience or frustration or dissatisfaction in your business or life, guess what? That warrants your attention. I believe it's your soul nudging you to evolve, to grow and to make something better. So whether it's two things or 20 things, here's what I want you to do, write down whatever first pops into your mind and your heart when you ask yourself the question, where am I craving something better in my business or life?

Powerful question number two. What truth am I pretending not to know? Oh, boy, this is a big one. So in other words, what are you avoiding looking at because it's too hard or it's too scary? What is your inconvenient truth? What is uncomfortable or massively embarrassing or disruptive to face or tell yourself the truth about? Now, I know we're diving into the deep end here, but guess what? You're strong, you are capable, and I know you can handle this.

You know, oftentimes, this question can point us towards the areas of our life that, frankly, we don't want to look at, right? That we don't want to deal with. But if we're honest, we know this thing is creating massive pain that's only going to get worse over time if we stay in denial about it. For instance, a truth might be that it's finally time to get a grip on your finances, whether that's getting out of debt or creating a living will, or just looking at your bills and your bank statements. Or maybe it's about getting honest about an addiction, whether that's to an app, to an emotional pattern, or even to a substance. Or it might have to be about telling the truth about a relationship that you're in, whether it's time to move on or maybe it's time to have some real talk and make some real changes.

You know, Richard Bach has this amazing quote that says, "The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves," and I could not agree more. So no matter what comes up for you after asking this question, please, for the love of all things holy, I want you to borrow my life motto, which is this, and it saves my butt every single day, everything is figureoutable. I'm going to say that again. Everything is figureoutable. Because I promise you and I pinky swear this, there is no problem, there is no challenge, there is no circumstance that you cannot transform or transcend. That is how powerful you truly are.

What rules in business or life have I been told that I have to follow, but they don't feel right for me? I remember years ago when friends and colleagues thought I was nuts, like banana pants, for walking away from over a million dollars in revenue. Why did I do such a thing? Partly because I was pretty tired of doing the same offering and doing the same kinds of things that everyone else was doing in my industry.

You see, back then in the world of online business, everyone followed this very similar ascension model, right, where they had super low-priced products and they went very up to these high-priced offerings, kind of up an ascension ladder, and it makes sense and it works, and it's valid and it's cool. But when I told myself my truth, I was kind of done with it. It no longer felt like the right fit for me. I wanted something simpler and more unique. So I changed our entire business model. I simplified massively, and before long, our profits and our impact soared. So it is really, really important that you answer this question because as a business person and as a human being, you have to question the status quo. You have to challenge the so-called rules that everyone tells you that you have to follow because guess what? Maybe you don't.

Powerful question number four. If I don't change my daily habits, will my life be better or worse three years from now? You know, look, the next 36 months are going to pass no matter what. And the truth is, when those thirty-six months are over, your life is either going to be in better shape or worse shape than it is right now. And while, yes, of course, there are outside forces that impact all of us, we would be so foolish to not also recognize that our daily habits end up playing a huge out-sized role in the outcomes we experience across our entire lives, often without us even noticing it. In fact, research has shown that up to 40%- 40%, of our daily behaviors are habits. That means they're automatic. They largely are unconscious habits which run on autopilot, which is why it's so worth it to just take a closer look at what your habits are right now and get honest about which habits, if any, you want to change.

Finally, powerful question number five. What do I need to let go of? Oh my goodness, this is one of my favorite questions ever. Now, I don't know about you, but I love letting things go, especially physical clutter. Nothing gives me more joy than doing a major clean out, whether it's of my closet or my work area or my kitchen drawer, whatever, that surge in energy and that surge in clarity, oh my God, it is so amazing. But I also love letting go of non-physical things too, like outdated ideas, limiting beliefs, crappy habits, even old projects that I just don't care about anymore.

So ask yourself this, "What do I need to let go of?" Is it an attitude, an emotional pattern, a habit, a relationship, a goal, a project, or an expectation of yourself or other people? Letting things go, it makes space. It creates an opening. It generates spaciousness for more peace and more possibility. It creates a doorway for the next best version of you to emerge. So don't censor yourself, just ask that question, "What do I need to let go of?" and write down whatever comes into your mind and your heart.

All right, those are five powerful questions that can transform your life starting right now. Now, if you've got some of your own great questions that you want to share, let me know in the comments below. If you enjoyed this video, go ahead and hit that subscribe button, it helps us reach more incredible people just like you. And if you want a free audio coaching session with me, that'll teach you three steps to get anything you want, head on over to marieforleo.com/subscribe. Until next time, stay on your game and keep going for your big dreams, because the world needs that very special gift that only you have. I'll catch you next time.