10 Questions to Discover Your Personal Path

Because your Life’s Work starts with asking the right questions.

Introduction

Before you can build your Life’s Work, you have to know who you are and what truly matters to you.

In a previous post, we explored how clarity and intentionality are key ingredients for creating something meaningful.

Today, we go deeper—with 10 powerful questions designed to help you uncover your personal path.

These aren’t surface-level prompts. They’re compass-setters.

If you take time to answer them with honesty and curiosity, you’ll gain insight into the work you were meant to do—not just what pays the bills.

Let’s begin.

1. What energizes you—without fail?

Forget about job titles, résumés, or what’s trending on LinkedIn.

What lights you up—even after a long day?

That’s your personal energy signature, and it often points to your natural gifts.

If you’re constantly energized by teaching, creating, problem-solving, or helping others—it’s worth digging deeper.

Your personal path is often hiding in plain sight

2. Are you wired to be an Employee, Solopreneur, or Hybrid?

This is the career fork in the road. And no, there’s no right or wrong answer—just what’s right for you.

Ask yourself:

• Do you crave stability, structure, and team collaboration? You might thrive as an employee or a professional.
  
  
• Do you feel called to build something of your own, on your own terms? That’s a solopreneur path.
  
  
• Or maybe you’re a hybrid—someone who values a steady paycheck and wants a side project or business that expresses your creativity or mission.
  
  
  On that last point, we seem to live in a binary world where is either “this” or “that.” Considering a hybrid path is a very viable option that many never consider.
  

Pros and cons?

• Employee: Predictability, benefits, support—but sometimes slower growth or less autonomy.
  
  
• Solopreneur: Freedom, control, unlimited potential—but also risk, loneliness, and full responsibility.
  
  I deliberately use the word “solopreneur“, which I first heard from one of my online mentors, Justin Welsh, because “entrepreneurship” (as most people know it) is not a path I personally follow, nor recommend.
  
  I’ll explain why in a future post.
  
  
• Hybrid: Best of both worlds… until you drop from exhaustion. (So: balance is key.)
  
  Many call this last option a “side hustle” but that’s not a phrase I want to include in my vocabulary.
  
  I believe in “Calm Productivity” and that’s what I will teach you on this site.
  

This question isn’t just about business—it’s about listening to what your soul whispers when the world goes quiet.

It’s about finding your ideal personal path.

3. What are your non-negotiables—your personal anchors?

These are your values that do not budge.

Things like: honesty, family time, Sabbath rest, creative freedom, health boundaries, or financial independence.

Knowing your anchors helps filter out the noise when flashy opportunities or difficult decisions come your way.

They act as your internal GPS when external pressures try to reroute you.

Try this: List your top 3 non-negotiables.

Then ask: “How do these show up in my daily life?”

If they don’t… it’s time for a recalibration.

4. Who’s on your Personal Board of Directors?

You don’t need to make life’s biggest decisions alone.

Behind every fulfilled human is a crew of wise, trusted voices—mentors, partners, close friends, maybe even your kids or a former boss who just gets you.

This is your personal board of directors. And yes, you’re the CEO.

Ask yourself:

• Who will be directly impacted by my next move?
  
• Who will tell me the truth, even if it’s uncomfortable?
  
• Who has a track record of walking a similar path?
  

Even entrepreneurs like Sara Blakely (Spanx) and Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn) have talked about their inner circle of advisors.

I’m building mine right now—and I can already feel the difference.

5. What shiny objects keep pulling you off-course?

Let’s face it—we live in a world that glorifies “more.”

More revenue streams. More followers. More hacks.

But every “yes” pulls energy away from your true mission.

The trick isn’t to say no to everything—it’s to say yes with discernment.

Some examples:

• You’re a writer, but someone offers you a chance to run their ecommerce startup.
  
  
• You love deep work, but your inbox is full of influencer collab requests.
  
  
• You’re building your business slowly and intentionally—but the algorithm says, “Post more! Be louder!”
  

These might look like opportunities.

But your calm, focused self will know which ones are misaligned.

6. What does your ideal day actually look like?

Not your ideal vacation—your ideal Tuesday.

When do you wake up?

Who do you interact with?

What do you create, contribute, or consume?

This one question helps strip away outside expectations and get honest about what kind of life you’re building.

Spoiler: most of us don’t actually want 10-hour workdays or nonstop meetings.

Your ideal day reveals what freedom really looks like to you.

7. What are the themes in your past “detours”?

Maybe you’ve job-hopped, pivoted industries, or tried three different side businesses.

That’s not failure—it’s data.

Zoom out and look for patterns:

• Do you keep choosing people-centered roles?
  
  
• Do you always drift back to creativity or strategy?
  
  
• Are your “failures” trying to steer you somewhere clearer?
  

Your personal path isn’t a straight road.

It’s a scenic roller coaster that eventually smooths out—once you realize what really matters to you.

8. What are you protecting—and why?

This question hits deep.

Are you protecting your time?

Your values?

Your peace of mind?

Your reputation?

Here’s the deal: Protecting your energy doesn’t make you selfish.

It makes you strategic.

When you protect what matters, you can create what matters.

Practice saying:

• “That’s not aligned with my focus right now.”
  
  
• “I’m honored, but I’ll pass.”
  
  
• “Let me think on it.”
  

You’ll avoid regret and attract better-fit opportunities.

9. Who are you becoming—and are you proud of them?

Future You is watching.

Are you moving toward the person you admire, respect, and feel aligned with?

This isn’t about being perfect.

It’s about progress.

If the answer is “yes,” beautiful—keep going.

If the answer is “not yet,” beautiful—you’ve just spotted the next turn on your personal path.

10. What story do you want to tell?

One day, someone will ask: “How did you end up here?” Your story could be:

“I played it safe. I climbed the ladder. I was always exhausted.”
or
“I asked hard questions. I made bold decisions. And I built something that mattered.”

You’re the storyteller.

You’re the builder.

You’re the spark.

So what will you choose?

Final Thoughts

This isn’t a checklist—it’s a compass.

You don’t need to answer all 10 questions today.

But keep them somewhere close.

Revisit them as you grow.

Your personal path isn’t something you discover once and for all—it’s something you return to, again and again, with deeper clarity each time.

So here’s my invitation: carve out 30 quiet minutes this week.

Grab a journal.

Breathe.

And listen.

Because the answers aren’t out there.

They’ve been inside you all along.