Why the “Inner Commitment Question” is a Personal Development Necessity

“The essence of a question is to open up possibilities and keep them open.” – Hans-Georg Gadamer

You probably have come across a “magic” question designed to enhance your efforts to grow and succeed. Perhaps it was along the lines of “What is most important to me?” Many such questions sound good at first, but just don’t act on our thoughts the way we hope they would. Not so with these powerful and practical eight words. They seem to have awareness of the present moment and taking action encoded into them. So without further ado, here is the "Inner Commitment Question:"

“Right now, what do I need to do?”

It may not look like much, but stay tuned. What follows is a breakdown of exactly why this question can not only launch you into action, but “right” action. Initially, I wasn’t completely sold on the idea of adopting another “must-have” question to my personal development system. Nevertheless, the question had enough potential to justify my rule of placing anything I want to remember in at least two places. A short time later, the Inner Commitment Question popped into my thoughts. When it did, the words instantly began to look, sound, and feel like they contained something potent. I proceeded to say the question to myself a few times. As I did, I immediately realized that it was a keeper.

“The Awareness Opening”
The first two words of the question really stand out, both visually and orally: “Right now, what do I need to do?” The meaning they give the question is remarkable when you think about it. Without them, you are left with ‘what do I need to do?’ In this form, the sentence changes from one of taking action to paralysis. In contrast, the phrase “right now” turns the sentence into an immediate command that jumpstarts creative thoughts and actions.

After years of use, the words “right now” still jump out at me, and each time I find myself zooming in toward the present moment. I wouldn’t call it a miracle, but it’s pretty neat when it happens. I call this mode of thinking the “Awareness Opening.” The Awareness Opening can best be described as “thinking about your thinking.” The Winnie the Pooh character, Tigger, marvels at the power of this experience when he says, “Why didn’t I think of thinkin’ of that?” If only he had known about the Inner Commitment Question.

The Awareness Opening is more powerful than merely choosing between reading more emails and calling a friend. That kind of conscious action is commonplace, but it is not the same as “thinking about your thinking.” With the Awareness Opening, our mind seems to hover in the present, free from limiting beliefs or negative thoughts. You’re still thinking of course, but a door has opened and you are hyper-aware of the opportunity. During this brief span of time, it’s normal to feel the power and confidence necessary to take courageous steps in the direction of your loftiest goals. The Inner Commitment Question loves to come knocking when you are engaged in busywork or an activity that distracts you from what you “need to do.” Asking the question can help you reach the Awareness Opening and take advantage of it.

How do I know what I need to do?
Now that we understand what “right now” does for the question, we can better understand the remainder of it. The word “need” is defined in The New Oxford American Dictionary as follows: “require (something) because it is essential or very important…” It probably won’t surprise you that when you ask yourself – “Right now, what do I need to do?” – you are very seldom doing what you “need to do” (what is most essential.) As much as we love to throw the word “important” around, it just doesn’t create the urgency that “need” does.

The real beauty of the Inner Commitment Question is that we already know what action we “need” to take. Whether we are dealing with an upset customer or mentally preparing for “the talk” with our partner, we are rarely at a loss for choices. Beware of the myth that our busy lives mean that our intuition is lacking or doesn’t feed us clear insights. The greater problem is that we non-consciously block our intuition or filter it through limiting beliefs. The result is that we react with a conditioned response instead of a conscious decision. Applying the Inner Commitment Question won’t always trigger the Awareness Opening, but it will at least create the opportunity to reroute your thinking toward more positive, intuitive choices.

Conclusion
A common misconception about questions is that more often than not they “occur” to us. In actuality, questions usually force themselves on us. As Hans-Georg Gadamer points out, “A question presses itself on us; we can no longer avoid it and persist in our accustomed opinion.” Cultivating the Inner Commitment Question allows you to consistently enter a proactive mode of awareness. Asking it can be a gateway to generating more questions, which in turn lead to greater clarity of purpose.

The effectiveness of the Inner Commitment Question depends a great deal on your state of mind. For example, if you are weary or agitated, your ability to concentrate and allow the question to manifest is greatly diminished. For challenging situations, repeat the question until the words seep into the foreground of your mind, crowding out negative or distracting thoughts.

Today’s Zen Choice is between consciously shifting your thoughts to a bird’s eye view of “what needs to be done’ and settling for the present moment when it randomly shows up.

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