We all have seasons where we feel stuck. Progress slows down, motivation fades, and the climb ahead starts to look a little too steep.
Sometimes, what we really need isn’t more effort or strategy — it’s better questions.
Watch the short video below where I share how I rediscovered this lesson the hard way, and how shifting just one question helped me rebuild focus, confidence, and momentum.
Beware Self-Sabotaging Reflection
We’ve all been there—stuck in a rut, frustrated by slow progress, or overwhelmed by the noise of everyday life. In those moments, it’s easy to start questioning ourselves in ways that actually drain our energy instead of refueling it.
Questions like “Do I feel as good as I want to feel?” or “Am I where I want to be in my career?” sound productive on the surface, but they often pull us toward comparison and self-criticism. And when that happens, our perspective narrows, our confidence dips, and our momentum starts to stall.
Here’s the truth: the quality of your questions determines the quality of your results.
Great leaders, climbers, and creators all share one thing in common. They learn to ask better questions. Because the right question doesn’t just reveal an answer; it shifts your focus from frustration to possibility.
A Lesson I Relearned the Hard Way
Not long ago, I caught myself breaking my own rule. I wrote about this idea in Vertical Lesson #5: Ask the Right Questions, yet I realized I wasn’t living it.
After the pandemic, like many of you, I was rebuilding. I was trying to regain rhythm and focus after months of uncertainty. But my inner dialogue wasn’t helping. I kept asking questions like:
- Am I where I want to be?
- Do I feel as strong, confident, or creative as I used to?
Every answer was “no.” No, not yet. No, not quite. And every “no” chipped away at my motivation.
Then it hit me. My questions were the problem, not my progress.
So I reframed them. Instead of focusing on the outcome, I shifted to direction. I asked:
- Am I on the right track?
- Compared to a year ago, do I feel better today?
That tiny shift changed everything. The answer was a clear “yes.”
No, I wasn’t where I ultimately wanted to be. But I was moving toward it. I could see growth. I could feel improvement. And just like that, my momentum returned.
Perspective Creates Progress
Here’s what I rediscovered that day: progress is rarely loud. It doesn’t always look dramatic or come with fireworks. Sometimes it’s quiet, steady, and easy to overlook unless you stop and notice.
When you take a step back and look at how far you’ve come—not just how far you have left to go—you start to see your own strength more clearly.
Maybe you’re not standing at the summit yet, but if you’re still climbing, still learning, still trying, that’s victory. That’s commitment.
And that kind of quiet commitment is what defines real leadership. Leaders don’t wait until conditions are perfect; they move forward even when the path isn’t clear.
A Simple Practice to Reclaim Momentum
Try this exercise the next time you feel stuck:
- Reflect on where you were 6–12 months ago.
- Identify one or two areas where you’ve grown.
- Reframe your questions to focus on direction, not perfection.
It takes only a few minutes, but it can completely reset your mindset. This is how you start to rebuild momentum. It’s not through massive breakthroughs, but through daily awareness of the progress you’re already making.
You’ll begin to notice something powerful: once your questions shift, your energy follows. Optimism comes back. Creativity reawakens. And before long, others around you start to feel it too.
That’s what leadership looks like at its core. It’s not having every answer, but guiding others by the way you handle your own climb.
Keep Climbing
Wherever you are today, remember, you don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to be asking better questions.
The right questions don’t only shape your mindset, they shape your movement.
Stay committed. Keep your focus on direction, not perfection. And keep building the kind of momentum that inspires others to climb alongside you.
You’re already further along than you think. Keep going.
