12 Questions You Can Ask to Gain Perspective

People typically start with a curious, open mindset when they first embark on their entrepreneurial journey. But as a business grows, it can be easy to develop tunnel vision or focus only on what’s going on immediately around you or upcoming goals.

However, the key to success is thinking beyond your own point of view and looking at the bigger picture, both in your personal life and your business. To help you gain some perspective on perspective, we asked a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members the following question.

Q. What is one question you ask yourself in order to make sure to keep your perspective in check or gain a broader perspective on what’s going on? How does it help?

Here is what they said:

1. What’s the Other Person’s Perspective?

You should always aim to put yourself in other people’s shoes to gain perspective, learn more, and understand them better. It’s ignorant to only consider your perspective and how you view the world when there are 7 billion people with walks of life different from yours. Open up your mind and be open to new thoughts and ideas. – Jared Atchison, WPForms

2. What Will Drive the Most Value for the Customer?

While your personal opinion and perspective are worth taking into consideration, the most important criteria to consider when making a business decision is how much value a certain action may drive for the customer. Rather than relying solely on your experience and ideas, you can remember that what matters most is the opportunity to deliver happiness to your buyers. – Firas Kittaneh, Zoma

3. How Have My Achievements Impacted My Business?

Take a moment to check in with your goals. From what you’ve planned, how much have you achieved? And, most importantly, are you satisfied with the outcome? Did they push you further in your business or did they have no impact whatsoever? Tracking your goals and understanding whether they move you in the right direction will help you keep your perspective in check. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS

4. What Would Happen If…?

One thing I’ve learned that helped me keep my perspective in check is called Cartesian logic. Here are four questions you can ask to not only shift your perspective but also shift the perspective of the person you are negotiating with or managing: What would happen if you did? What would happen if you didn’t? What wouldn’t happen if you did? What wouldn’t happen if you didn’t? – Klyn Elsbury, Shark School

5. What Are Those Around Me Doing and Accomplishing?

When you think you are doing it the best, it’s the time to look around you and notice what others are accomplishing. This can help you push harder and do more when you realize you aren’t as far ahead as you assumed. – Angela Ruth, Calendar

 

6. How Do Other People See Me?

If I need to control my perspective, I think of how other people see me. When you take the time to consider how other people perceive you, it’s easier to make changes to your thought processes and impulses. Reflection is important for both personal and professional growth, making this tactic a win-win situation. – Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

7. Am I Doing the Best I Can with the Information I Have?

Sometimes you don’t have all the answers, nor do you need them. You just need to make the best decisions you can with the perspective that you have at the time and be able to live with the consequences. – James Guldan, Vision Tech Team

 

8. What is Holding Me Back?

We all have hopes and dreams and goals. But sometimes, we don’t do the things we need to do in order to achieve them. So, ask yourself, “What’s holding me back?” By asking this question of yourself, it can help you determine the bad habits or negative thoughts that are preventing you from moving forward. – John Turner, SeedProd LLC

9. Am I Happy?

Being a leader is hard, but there’s a difference between grinding and doing something you hate. As people who have their own businesses, one of the most empowering things is having the ability to do things that make us happy. When you do something you have a genuine passion for, things tend to fall into place: employees and clients are excited. Make sure you’re happy. It makes things easy. – Richard Fong, Bliss Drive

10. What Do I Want My Life to Look Like in Five Years?

You should always keep in mind where you want to go and what you want your life to look like in the near future. Asking yourself this question will allow you to take a closer look at your current situation and figure out if your actions are going to lead you down the right path. If your current actions don’t line up with your future dreams, you can adjust. – Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

11. Will This Matter to Me in Six Months?

It’s easy to become overwhelmed with details both small and large when you own a business. When confronted with something that is stressing me out, I think about whether or not this problem will matter to me in six months. You have to keep time and importance in perspective if you want to stay laser-focused on the things that matter. – Blair Williams, MemberPress

12. Are These Circumstances Within My Control?

The Serenity Prayer asks for the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change what we can, and the wisdom in knowing the difference. This philosophy applies well to leaders and business owners. If you cannot change a frustrating or stressful situation, then you must refocus on the little items and tasks that you can improve. People will appreciate that introspection. – Patrick Barnhill, Specialist ID, Inc.

These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members represent nearly every industry, generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, and have created tens of thousands of jobs. Learn more at yec.co.