1 Question to Ask Others When They Are Struggling

Have you ever had a friend reach out for advice as they deal with struggles in their life?

Sometimes they face a major decision such as a job choice or marriage crossroads.

One of the best ways to help them find their answers is through your questions 

Intentional questions help expose a person to truths and solutions that are often already within them.

Of the multiple questions you could use, this is the most helpful one: 

“What’s your next right step?” 

Your friend doesn't want to be told what to do. By asking this question, you are helping them figure out what next decision is best in their situation.

Here are the 2 keys to finding your next right step:

1. Think big picture

When faced with difficulties and big decisions, it’s key that you step back and see the bigger picture of what matters in the long run. People who fail to do this often have a lot of regrets later.

Friends on the verge of divorce or loved ones facing circumstances that seem out of their control need to think big.

They can do this by looking beyond what their current feelings are telling them and asking themselves important questions about their next right step.

Questions like:

• “Is this decision or activity worth risking my marriage?”
• “How will my decision affect my family and children for years to come?”
• “Where do I want to be 5 years from now?” (like in an interview!)

Take time out to practice and think about how your decisions can affect your life and the lives of those you love and care about over the long term.

2. Think small picture

Once you know what your long-term goals are in your situation (it can be longer than 5 yrs), it’s time to think small. This is all about movement and action.

Ask, “What can I do right now to move in the right direction in this situation?

What is my next right step?"

What often happens is when we focus on all our problems and how to solve them, we lack the specificity to do anything at all - many workplaces call this  "spinning your wheels" or "trying to boil the ocean".

We like this old proverb:

“How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.”

By adjusting your focus to be specific, to the next right step, you can get moving and on a path.

After taking that first step, the question again becomes, “What is the next right step?”

Approach all challenges with a think small mindset in order to overcome the big issues in bite-sized pieces.