First the heat… and then the light.

It is helpful to ask yourself some questions that approach the issues you’re working on from a different angle. The questions you’ll work on in the coming weeks are subtly effective at uncovering aspirations and ambitions that you may not have declared to yourself.

As long as you explore them honestly and open-mindedly.

The purpose of this exercise is to shed light on our aspirations and the priorities and values that will enable us to achieve them. Our contention is that we don’t really know them unless we reflect on them.

We can’t force ourselves to aspire to things that we don’t really care about.

However, the world is full of triggers and persuasive forces, not to mention a multitude of opportunities and paths to consider, all of which can throw our thinking out.

Our approach is to try to get real first and then get clear later.

Getting “real”, requires feeling the discomfort of confronting yourself as you are now.

We get this idea from Thomas Friedman, the New York Times columnist, who describes a great column as one that brings both heat and light.

The purpose of the “heat” questions you’ll receive is to generate some heat, and each aligns with one of the components of the following reflection framework.

These five questions are subtly effective at uncovering aspirations and ambitions, disappointments, and regrets that you may not have declared to yourself.

The questions use the spice of a little negativity to unearth powerful reflection and insights. These are also intended to heighten your emotional response and can be very effective at creating “aha” moments.

As long as you explore them honestly and open-mindedly.