Evercoach Presents

POWERFUL QUESTIONS

64 Game-Changing Coaching Questions to Transform Your

Client’s Life

With Ajit Nawalkha

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Table of Contents

Part 1: Setting Yourself Up for Success

Introduction 5
How to get the most from this book 7
Before We Begin 9

Part 2: The Fundamentals of Powerful Questions

Chapter 1: What is a Powerful Question 11

Chapter 2: Why Powerful Questions? 12
Chapter 3: 5 Biggest Mistakes Around Powerful Questions 14
Chapter 4: 3 Conditions of Creating a Powerful Question 18

Part 3: Powerful Questions for 8 Essential Categories of Life & Work

Chapter 5: Performance 22
Chapter 6: Health 32
Chapter 7: Love Relationship 41
Chapter 8: Professional Excellence 50
Chapter 9: Business 59
Chapter 10: Money 68
Chapter 11: Managing Emotions 76
Chapter 12: Purpose 84

Conclusion: The Practice of Powerful Questions

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About Ajit Nawalkha

Ajit Nawalkha is no stranger to the world of high-level coaching and global business. He
is the co-founder of Blinkwebinars and Evercoach, and many other extraordinary
companies including Global Grit Institute, Infinite Creative and EPIC Businesses.

Early in his career, Ajit was empowered to become the best version of himself, thanks
to smart, gifted coaches and mentors. This motivated him to become a coach himself.
Today, his mission is to empower dedicated educators, coaches and teachers to
facilitate transformational changes in the world.

Ajit is recognized by the industry as a powerhouse international investor, entrepreneur,

speaker and business coach, and he built his reputation the old-fashioned way — with
persistence, grit and an unshakeable determination to succeed.

Best-selling author of "The Book of Coaching", "The Business Book of Coaching" and
"Live Big", his mission is to impact a million lives to create solutions for the world, turn
the world to learning, empower trainers and coaches to make a positive difference,
make the world safer for women and make work fun. He believes that when it comes to
creating a business and a life you love, it’s all about doing less, not more and his
methods have been proven to work again, and again.

One of Ajit’s core beliefs is that a life worth living is a life that is devoted to being of
service to others. He is profoundly passionate about helping heart-centered coaches,
authors, speakers and entrepreneurs create a powerful impact on the greater world.
Nothing makes him happier than watching honest, dedicated business owners achieve
their dreams; knowing that he played a part in making those dreams come true.

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 Part 1
Setting Yourself Up for Success

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Introduction

“The marvelous thing about a good question is that it shapes our identity as much by
the asking as it does by the answering.” -- David Whyte

Remember the movie Moneyball? It’s based on a book of the same name and it’s a true
story about the Oakland Athletics baseball team. Oakland Athletics was doing really
badly in the major leagues in the early 2000s and due to unforeseen circumstances,
they ended up losing 3 of their best players. The team was desperate. They were
already losing matches before they lost those players and they felt it would be over for
them if they didn’t find a way to replace those 3 players.

So they started to wonder, “How do we replace those players as quickly as possible?”

Their recruiters went out looking for promising new players and came back with
suggested names. These were basically undiscovered players who were killing it on the
diamond at the varsity level. Everyone was focused on choosing the best to replace
their 3 top players, specifically their outstanding first baseman, Giambi.

Then Billy Bean, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics at the time, tried a whole
new approach that transformed the entire future of the team. In the movie, Billy (played
by Brad Pitt) introduces this approach with a question. He asks, “What’s the problem
here?” The executives and managers were annoyed when they heard Billy’s question.
One of them says, “We understand the problem, Billy. The problem is we have to
replace 3 key players in our lineup.” He barely gets the words out when Billy Beane cuts
in. “Nope.” And he asks again, “What’s the problem?”

The executives and managers come up with different answers and Billy cuts them off
every time. Finally he says, “The problem is there are rich teams and there are poor
teams… then there’s 50 feet of crap and there’s us. It’s an unfair game.” He goes on to
ask, “Is there another first baseman like Giambi?” Everyone mutters “No, not really.”
Then he asks, “And if there was, could we afford him?” Nope, they all say, shaking their
heads. “Then what the f* are you talking about, man?” Billy asks, his voice rising.
“We’ve got to think differently.”

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Billy understood something no one else did -- the real problem was to figure out how
one of the poorest teams in the league could build a winning team -- and because of
that, management began exploring ideas that were out of the box even though they
were short on budget.

They started to look at non-traditional selection based on a players performance versus

traditional selection which took other elements into account like their public relations
persona, whether or not they were a fan favorite and so on. Thanks to Billy Bean’s, the
Oakland A team went on to win 20 games in a row, which was a record-breaking
winning streak at the time.

That’s a fascinating story but here’s what I want you to think about: the Oakland A team
beat the odds and went on to make history because manager Billy Beane did the one
thing that no one else did, the one thing that led to unbelievable success…

Billy Bean asked a powerful question.

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How to Get the Most From This Guide

This book is the result of thousands of hours of hands-on coaching with 1:1 clients and
group sessions as well as coaching and training courses, seminars and in-person
events at Evercoach. It captures hard-won lessons of what to do (and also what not to
do) to real results for your clients as a new or experienced coach.

I’ve written this book to help you bypass the pitfalls and mistakes most people make
when it comes to asking great coaching questions so you can exponentially improve as
a coach and begin to create success, satisfaction, and abundance in your work.

This is more than just a book. It’s a step-by-step program that’s designed to support you
as you begin to master what is potentially the most important coaching skill of all -- the
ability to courageously ask your clients powerful, paradigm-shifting questions (don’t
worry -- you’ll learn how to cultivate this skill even if you are a brand, new coach and
you’ve never worked with a client before).

Throughout the rest of the book, you will be taken through 8 essential and challenging
categories of life and work where most people need support, guidance, and focused
coaching. The 8 categories are:

1. Performance
2. Health
3. Love Relationship
4. Professional Excellence
5. Business
6. Money
7. Managing Emotions
8. Purpose

Each chapter is dedicated to one of the 8 categories. I'll start each chapter by sharing
the context of each category and then move into 8 powerful questions related to that
category. I’ll get into why the question is important and how they work to transform your
client and create real results.

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You can use the questions for each category, verbatim, with your clients but I’d like to
invite you to explore a more interesting path. Here’s what I recommend: use the
questions in each of the 8 categories to kickstart creativity, inspiration, thoughts, and
ideas so you can start to come up with your own, unique and powerful coaching
questions for your clients.

You’ll find additional expert coaching questions, tips, ideas, techniques, and tools you
can use to take your coaching to the next level. These extras are integrated within each
chapter and you’ll see them highlighted as “Do This”, “Try This”, “Ask This” and “Know
This” segments.

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Before We Begin

Here’s something I know in my heart and soul after working with -- literally -- thousands
of coaches from all walks of life, all different backgrounds and countries. The coach who
succeeds is the coach who takes action. And that’s why the world’s best coaches take
action. Again and again. So repeat after me: I will read this book and I will take action.
Take action. Take action. Ideas without action are a waste of time and that’s NOT what I
want for you.

So let me share right off the bat, that the best way to get these powerful questions to
work for you, in the shortest time, is for you to actually answer the questions. I’ve found
that one of the fastest and most effective ways to become an extraordinary coach is to
personally go through what you share with your clients; for that reason, I’ve included an
“Actions & Reflections” segment at the end of each chapter so you can work with each
question first.

You can practice with the questions any way you want to: you could journal your
answers; ask a trusted friend to “stand in'' as your coach and ask you the questions; you
could look in the mirror and ask yourself these questions or, you could even record
yourself asking the questions on your smartphone and then listen to and answer each
one of them.

When you do this, you can look forward to 2 things:

1. You will empower yourself with deep knowledge and understanding of what it
feels like to be in your client’s shoes. You’ll know from an experiential standpoint
what it feels like to receive these questions and reflect on the answers. There’s
almost nothing else that can uplevel your ability to coach better than an
experiential understanding of what it feels like to be coached.
2. The other thing you can look forward to is that you will have a deeper
understanding and knowledge about yourself -- your hopes, dreams, resistances,
and fears. This is another element that can quickly skyrocket your coaching.
Something I like to say about coaching is this -- you can only coach your client to
the level that you are willing to be coached.

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 So now that you know what’s ahead, we’re ready to begin our journey mastering
powerful questions. Let’s do this!

Part 2
The Fundamentals of Powerful Questions

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Chapter 1
What is a Powerful Question?

You might think a powerful question is easily recognizable because of the depth and
meaning of the words within the question but you’d be mistaken! Think about Billie
Beane’s question -- what is the problem we’re trying to solve? That’s not a mind-blowing
question by any stretch of the imagination but it was the one question that transformed
how professional baseball is played, won, and lost.

Like Bille, you can ask a powerful question in a difficult circumstance and change the
story going forward, because your point of view of the problem -- your belief about what
the problem even is -- can instantly change.

You see, the real power behind a powerful question has to do not so much with the
question itself but what comes after you ask. An incredibly powerful question can often
seem ordinary -- even trivial -- but it’s because it’s a trigger point for mind-blowing shifts
and results to happen. So don’t judge a powerful question by what it is, but what it can
do, create or change. A powerful question inspires deep reflection. It invites the truth
into the light of awareness. A powerful question can start an honest dialogue or
conversation that a client can have with themselves or with you about what’s really
going on with the challenge that they’re struggling with.

Now that you know what a powerful question is, let's look at something even more
important in the next chapter-- why does it matter that you learn how to ask powerful
questions?

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​​



Chapter 2
Why Powerful Questions?

When you understand how to ask powerful questions, how much experience you have
as a coach becomes insignificant, and here’s why: you already know that mastering
foundational coaching skills like active listening, effective goal-setting, and giving
supportive feedback can take you from so-so to extraordinary coach. But after working
with and training thousands of coaches across all niches and industries and from pretty
much every part of the globe, we can confidently say that there’s one skill that is the
80/20 of great coaching and -- you guessed it -- it’s knowing how to ask powerful
questions!

With powerful questions, you're able to accelerate your coaching skills and there are
cases where a new coach can do a much better job than those who are experienced.
That’s because some experienced coaches are stuck in their own beliefs of the world
and their personal ideas on how something should be done. It’s why they are unable to
ask great questions.

The truth is that a powerful question comes from a place of discovery, where you are
basically saying to your client: “Hey, let's start a journey of self-discovery!” And because
of that, powerful questions become the most useful tool a coach can ever have in their
toolkit. With powerful questions, you can coach someone who may be more
experienced or knowledgeable than yourself even if they come from a different
background or culture. You can easily coach those who are more successful or
accomplished than you.

The reason is the act of asking powerful questions arises from the emotion of curiosity.
When you come from curiosity, what you’re really doing is allowing yourself to uncover
all that’s going on with the client on a mental, emotional, and sometimes even physical
level, alongside your client.

You are not leading from a place of “knowing it all” or preconceived ideas on what the
client should and should not do, say or think. Curiosity through powerful questions also

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means not judging your clients based on the actions, behavior, or decisions they have
made. Instead, you are challenging their point of view and inspiring them to reevaluate
their frame of thinking.

Knowing how to ask powerful questions takes away all of the glass ceilings that you
might have of whom you can coach and whom you cannot coach. With powerful
questions, you’ll find that you can actually coach effectively and in ways that even some
highly experienced coaches find to be challenging because your coaching comes from a
place of neutral curiosity, not judgment, or bias.

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Chapter 3
The 5 Biggest Mistakes Coaches Make With Powerful
Questions

Questions are the currency of success, but they're also your responsibility because It's
not enough to ask good questions, somebody else has to answer them! For this reason,
it's important that you learn how to ask better questions so you get better answers. This
will start with shifting your perspective about what it means "to be coached", and
learning what kind of coaching questions are best for each situation.

One thing I've learned in my journey towards mastering the art of asking powerful
coaching questions is that there are 5 big mistakes I see many people make when
coaching their clients using this incredibly valuable coaching skill. Here are the five
mistakes often made when asking powerful questions, and what you can do about each
one:

Mistake #1
Jumping in with answers

This is a common mistake that I see people making in their own lives, as well as in their
interactions with others. It's human nature to want to answer your client's question for
them - but more often than not, this just leads to confusion and missed opportunities!
And it leaves your client feeling like they haven't really gained any insight or perspective
on their situation.

The solution? Get extremely clear and plan ahead on what you need to do after you ask
a powerful question. For instance, you’ll find that a client often needs time to think
through their answer and you might find that they are sitting in silence. Your immediate
instinct might be to jump in and fill the awkward silence with an answer but hold yourself
back. Learn to stay comfortable in this silence and you’ll see your powerful question will
have a much greater impact on your client’s life.

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Mistake #2
Asking questions that lead to a particular answer

This is just a way of trying to coerce someone into thinking or feeling something that you
want them to, and it's definitely not an effective way to coach! People can usually see
through this kind of tactic, so avoid it at all costs.

Instead, what I want you to do is to focus on doing some basic research about your
client or have them answer a list of simple, background questions before you begin your
first coaching session. When you do this, you’ll be able to use this background
information to create powerful, eye-opening questions that lead your client down a new
path or into a new way of thinking.

Know This

The real art lies in getting comfortable enough with your client as a person so
you can ask questions that are relevant to their situation, but also maintain a
safe space that allows them to explore things on their own terms without
leading them toward a specific answer.

Mistake #3
Asking agreeable questions

Questions that require one-word answers or “yes” or “no” answers are also known as
“close-ended” questions. These are rarely useful and usually have no place in a
transformational coaching session. Close-ended questions serve as nothing more than
an opportunity for you both to agree on something which means little movement
towards accomplishing your client’s goals.

So make sure that most of the time you're asking questions that start with words like
"Why", "How", and "Can/Could.” These are generally open-ended questions that give

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your client the chance to talk freely about what they want without you getting in their
way (I’ll share more about open-ended questions at the end of the book).

Mistake #4
Not staying neutral

Your coaching questions will start to lose power when you have an agenda or some sort
of personal interest in helping your client. It might be that your client is trying to achieve
something that is also your dream. This means you could be unconsciously guiding your
client based on your own hopes and dreams.

The solution? Get really clear on your intention and your motivations before you work
with a client and make sure that it serves them first and foremost, always. This will
naturally keep you in a more neutral and effective space when you're asking questions.

Mistake #5
Asking too many powerful questions in a row

Sometimes coaches can get so excited about having an opportunity to ask powerful
coaching questions that they just keep firing them off one after another, even when
they're not necessary! This is usually done with good intentions but usually results in
clients getting confused by all the options they're being presented with instead of simply
clarifying what their best path forward might be.

The trick is to balance your questions between asking and waiting for the answer. You
can do this by introducing a deliberate pause between questions. Take some time to
drink a sip of water or just take a quiet breath, before following up with the next powerful
question.

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 Do This

You can avoid confusion by building your next powerful question based on
your client’s answer to your previous question. In this way, you’re creating
continuity and an easy-to-follow thread that can help your client take small
steps toward greater clarity in finding a solution or an innovative answer to
their problem.

Actions & Reflections

Out of the 5 common mistakes covered in this chapter, are there any you regularly
make during your coaching sessions?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is one thing that you commit to doing in your next session to overcome this?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is a book, video, or online course you can take to help yourself improve your
overall questioning?

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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4
The 3 Conditions of a Creating Powerful Question

There is an important fundamental truth you need to know as a coach: you can change
-- and even resolve -- an issue your client is struggling with just by shining the light of
clarity on it.

A powerful question works like a spotlight. When you know how to ask the right question
at the right time, you can create a level of clarity for your client that can potentially lead
to the solution to the obstacle they are facing. This can happen in an instant, but before
you can do this as a coach, you need to have certain qualities in place that can
spontaneously spark this type of question in your mind and heart at the perfect time.

I’ve found that there are 3 specific conditions that can make this happen -- the first is
awareness, the second is organizing your mind and the third is bioengineering or
building intentional habits to elevate your coaching. Let’s take a closer look at each of
these elements.

Condition #1 Awareness

Awareness is all about bringing your focused attention into the present moment so you
can begin to have a clear look at what’s going on and what you’re dealing with.

This coaching condition requires some courage as you need to be able to continue
focusing your attention even when things get uncomfortable or you don’t agree with
what’s going on, or what your client is saying.

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Awareness allows you to see things clearly and without prejudice. You can see things
as they really are, and not as you or your client want them to be. This is the secret
sauce that lets world-class coaches laser in on hidden or insidious problems in an
instant. It’s also one of the key elements that will build your reputation as a remarkable,
results-driven coach.

Know This

Bringing your focused attention into the present moment is also known as
mindfulness.
Condition #2 Organizing Your Mind

Organizing your mind is all about getting your thoughts in order. This happens when you
have control and mastery over your emotions.

Understanding why you think the way you think will help you transcend complicated,
confusing, and chaotic thinking. This lets you arrive at a place of inner serenity and
tranquility where your thoughts can begin to arrange themselves in rational yet creative
and supportive ways.

Know This

Your thoughts are fueled by the emotions that you’re experiencing around a
particular challenge, issue or situation.

Condition #3 Bioengineering

At the core, bioengineering is about developing intentional habits so you can become an
extraordinary, results-driven coach and help your clients at the highest level.

Active listening is potentially the most important intentional habit you can cultivate to
elevate your coaching. Some of the other key coaching habits to focus on include: the
art of giving great feedback, how to create rapport, cultivating compassion for your
clients, and building authentic confidence in yourself and your coaching skills.

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 Know This

Active listening is about listening not just with your ears but with all your
senses. This means getting into the habit of observing both verbal and non-
verbal communication (such as hand gestures and facial expression) in order
to understand the message behind what your client says and what they leave
out in the coaching conversation.

Actions & Reflections

What can you start doing this week to build awareness, organize your mind, and
bioengineer transformational coaching habits? Name 3 actions you can take (eg: read a
book about coaching habits, take a class on mindfulness, etc) in the next 3 days.

Action #1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Action #2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Action #3

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 Part 3
Powerful Questions for 8 Essential Categories of
Life & Work

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Chapter 5
Performance

In general, performance is about the outstanding achievement of an individual

exceeding expectations and capabilities of delivering a task. This could be the task that
they've assigned for themselves or it could also be a task that was assigned to them by
someone else.

Your client’s level of performance is important in almost any life or work situation
because it has a direct impact on whether or not they get to achieve their desired
outcome. For instance, if an athlete performs poorly during a race, they’ll lose their
chance at a gold medal or if a chef performs badly at the opening of his restaurant, he
won’t be able to win good reviews from food critics or approval from his customers.

An individual’s level of performance has far-reaching consequences, and poor

performance can quickly result in negative outcomes such as increased failure rates in
every task, decreased reliability, and other unwanted issues such as not getting a
promotion at work. Performance also has a big influence on people’s personal
impression of who you are and what you’re capable of achieving which can have long-
term effects on your journey to achieving your goals.

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 Question # 1
What does performance mean to you?
This question lets your client get a deeper understanding and build a clear definition
of high performance.

This simple yet powerful question will allow you and your client to get on the same page
from the get-go. This means the two of you can begin to build a clear plan or blueprint
on what the client needs to do to achieve high performance in the task or role they’re
struggling with.

The truth is just about everyone has a different idea of what “performance” actually
means and your client is likely to have a different idea than you do. At the beginning of
this chapter, I defined performance as “an individual exceeding expectations and
capabilities of delivering a task” and I said it’s about “outstanding achievement.” Notice
that these are incredibly broad statements! There are many parts to this concept that
are open to interpretation. Look closely and you’ll see what we mean. For instance,
what does their “exceeding expectations and capabilities” mean, exactly? Exceeding
how and by how much?

Most people will agree on a broad definition of performance but when you laser in, you’ll
find that they have a different take on what it actually means. The reason is that we form
an idea of “performance” based on countless variables such as limiting or expansive
beliefs about the task at hand, or even cultural and societal influences based on the part
of the world we live in.

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 Do This

Consider your client’s location, culture and background when you ask this
question. The reason? What managers mean when they talk about
“ performance” in the United States is different from what managers in
Singapore mean when they talk about “ performance.” In a coaching
conversation, this can lead to misunderstandings that could cause huge
problems like disappointment, and goals that remain out of reach for your
client.

Question #2
What will “done” or “completion” look like and feel like?

This question lets your client recognize when they’ve hit their performance goals.

One of the biggest challenges most people face when it comes to performance is they
don’t know what “completion” looks like to them. They don’t define the outcome so they
don’t know what it is. They work hard, they push, they hustle and all the while they have
no idea what the end game looks like!

When defining a coaching contract with your clients, if you do not address what
completion means for them and just say, “Here’s the coaching contract, and here’s how
many coaching sessions we’ll have,” and stop there, you and your client are stuck in the
dark. You’re not sure what the client wants and you’re unclear on whether or not you’re
heading toward the right goals as you coach your client through each session.

In fact, when you fail to define what completion looks like, the client usually ends up
feeling like you didn’t deliver (this usually means they’ll leave you for another coach as
soon as they can!)

Keep in mind that this has nothing to do with your skills and abilities as a coach. It has
everything to do with not defining clear outcomes that represent whether or not you
helped your client achieve what they wanted. This question resolves all these issues
and more because it instantly highlights and clarifies the point of completion and
success.

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 Ask This
Another way of asking this question is “How will you know when you’ve
achieved high performance?” This powerful 2-part question is inspiring and
provides deep focus, energy and motivation. It’s future oriented (what will
done look like) and it brings attention inward at the same time (what will done
feel like).

Question #3
What if this was easy?
This question lets your client open the door to creativity and step into a state of flow.

This question comes from bestselling author and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss and it’s one
of my favorites because it’s so simple. But don’t be fooled by the simplicity of it!

This question is possibly the most powerful one in this section because it immediately
redirects your client's thinking and it can even rewire their worldview.
It’s a question that loosens and releases stuckness in a way that inspires creativity and
flow because it is built around the theme of “ease”.

Word of warning: This question can bring up difficult emotions for some clients
especially if they feel they’re up against an immovable obstacle, challenge, or set of
problems that are stopping them from getting to where they want to go. But that's
exactly why you want to ask this question. “What if this was easy?” The question allows
your client to step away from feeling trapped in a dead-end situation.

Ask This
A great follow up question to “What if this was easy?” is “How would it
translate into action?” This will help your client formulate next steps to start
making progress right away.

Question #4

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 Why am I a high performer today?

This question lets your client discover -- or rediscover -- extraordinary character traits
that can help achieve high performance.

A lot of the time, we don't give ourselves credit for what is already great about who we
are, including our talents, skills, and capabilities. We also don't take time to reflect on
what we would like to include in our current collection of go-to behaviors, actions, and
thoughts, in alignment with our personality that will make us a high performer based on
our personal values and benchmarks.

That’s why asking a question like, “How can you be a high performer?” isn’t effective
because the question already assumes that the client is not a high performer right now.
But what if you take that and flip it around? What if you ask a question that already
assumes your client is a high performer?

When you get your client to ask themselves this question, it creates curiosity and
inspires them to dig deeper. It gets them to shift past the thoughts that have them
feeling they are NOT where they want to be. It opens the door for them to instantly
picture what they will say and do as a high performer right now.

Know This

This question can also be used to help clients identify some of the qualities
they already have in common with high performers. For instance, the client
might be self-motivated and responsible. This is who they are today. These
crucial traits can be found in all high performers. When you help your client
see this it can get them feeling inspired and excited to immediately take
action.

Question #5
Does your environment support the expectations you have for
yourself?

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This question lets your client start to build a supportive environment that encourages
high performance.

One of the biggest factors that influence our day-to-day experiences, which has a
profound effect on our ability to achieve our goals is the environment around us. Here’s
an example from my own life that I was able to recognize and reconcile recently. It has
to do with my mom.

You see, a few years ago I decided that I want to be someone who eats mostly for
health and nutrition, not taste. I created an expectation where I would have certain
meals and foods at specific times of the day. I didn’t want to engage in the act of eating
purely for pleasure. I want food to be about increasing my energy, strength, vitality, and
longevity because that feels better to me in my body, mind, and spirit. But when my
mom is around and she’s cooking all these delicious meals for me I realized two things
-- 1. My environment had changed and 2. I was failing to achieve my own expectations
for my health.

When that reality hit home, I knew it was time to talk to my mom. I was able to have an
honest, open-hearted, and ultimately loving conversation with her. I shared my
expectations of myself and how her cooking was impacting my environment. The good
news is we found a way to meet in the middle where she could continue to express her
love with food and I enjoy some of her cooking without sacrificing my health
expectations.

Know This

When you can direct your clients to focus on their environment so they can
understand if something is creating an imbalance by not supporting their
expectations, it empowers them to make the changes, adjustments or shifts
that can bring balance back. It sheds light and offers clarity and insights to
negotiate and reshape the environment they need to thrive, meet and even
exceed their expectations in their journey to consistently achieving and
surpassing high performance levels.

Question #6

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 28 of 98




 What are events or circumstances that create fear or anxiety for
you?
This question lets your client start to overcome difficult emotions that stand in their
way.

As a coach, you’ve probably seen how fear is almost always the reason behind most of
your client’s problems including not being in a place of high performance.

Fear and its “ugly cousins” worry and anxiety create 3 specific behaviors that inhibit
performance: fearful action, inadequate action, and inaction. All 3 of these are massive
deterrents when it comes to creating what you want and it’s why this question is
absolutely critical in your client’s quest to achieve high performance.

This is a future-paced question because it requires a projection or visualization into the

future so your client can prepare for the obstacles and situations that can inspire fear,
anxiety, and worry. This question also allows you to coach your client through potential
problems so they can find comfort and confidence in overcoming their fear as they
begin to achieve a consistent state of high performance.

Try This

Have your clients create a list of fears and anxieties that they anticipate or
that they currently feel around improving their performance so you can help
them work through each one of them.

Question #7
What are the unhelpful habits that I fall back on when times get
tough?
This question lets your client identify “alert signals” that help them get back to a state
of high performance when they fall off track.

The best quote I've heard about habits comes from the bestselling author of Atomic
Habits, James Clear. He says, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the
level of your systems. Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection
of daily habits that will get you there.”

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 29 of 98




I agree 100% because as someone who has thousands of hours of training and
coaching under my belt, if there’s one thing I know is always true it’s this: our habits are
natural and easy because we’ve done it again and again and when something doesn’t
go our way, we will always fall back to what is natural and easy… and that’s our habits.

Having your client identify unhelpful and unsupportive habits they fall back on when they
are stressed or when things become difficult or challenging can help them recognize
when they’re getting off track. Have them see these negative habits as “alert signals” or
“alarm bells” that tell them they’re moving away from being a high performer and falling
back into routines, behaviors, and actions that are holding them back from their goals.

Know This

Do not ask your client to reflect on this question when they are in the middle
of a stressful situation. Their minds must be relaxed and at ease so they can
accurately identify the negative habits that are working against them during
hard times.

Question #8
What are the habits that I need to create for the outcomes that I
want?

This question lets your client adopt daily behaviors and actions that lead to high
performance.

This question is a natural progression from the previous question. Our daily experiences
are based on our habits and our habits arise from a network of actions, behaviors, and
routines that influence our life.

For instance, if your client aims to be a high performer in the area of health so they can
reach their goal of being a youthful, energized individual, then it’s clear that an
unhealthy eating habit can -- and will -- get in their way. No question about that!

To put it another way, your client will find that it’s impossible to build a healthy lifestyle
when their goal is in conflict with their daily habits. Flipping that around, it’s also clear

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 30 of 98




that building a healthy lifestyle can become easy -- and even fun -- when daily habits
are in support of that goal.

Try This

Have your client answer question #7 and question #8 independently and then
together as well. This allows you and your client to identify the cross section --
What is the conflict that they have between supportive and unsupportive
habits? This will help your clients start creating significant changes in their
habits to speed up the process of becoming a high performer.

Actions & Reflections

Answer the questions in this chapter so you can become familiar with how they work
from your client’s point of view. This will allow you to coach with deeper authenticity,
confidence, and understanding. The added benefit is you’ll give yourself powerful clarity
on becoming a high-performing coach.

Question #1
What does performance mean to you?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #2
What will “done” or “completion” look like and feel like?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #3
What if this was easy?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 31 of 98




---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #4
Why am I a high performer today?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #5
Does your environment support the expectations you have for yourself?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #6
What are events or circumstances that create fear or anxiety for me?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #7
What are the unhelpful habits that I fall back into when times get tough?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #8
What are the habits that I need to create for the outcomes that I want?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 32 of 98




Chapter 6
Health

Health and happiness are inextricably tied but health needs to come first. Why?
Because you can’t experience happiness (at least not for long) when you’re in pain or in
poor health. We all know this but health continues to be a challenging area of
improvement for so many.

The reason is that so much of what people think of as fun and exciting is in direct
opposition to what is healthy or good for them. Not many people can get themselves
excited about going to the gym when they can meet their friends for drinks at their
favorite bar. Not many people will wake up every morning to take a walk when they can
hit the snooze button and stay in bed for an extra 45 minutes.

Your job as a coach is to use the following powerful questions to get your clients
inspired and excited to achieve their health-related goals. The questions are designed
to enable your clients to experience significant positive shifts and changes in their minds
and emotions so they can stay motivated and inspired to continue making progress
towards their health goals.

Question #1
What is your philosophy on health?

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 33 of 98




This question lets your client define what’s true for them when it comes to their health
and well-being.

The concept of philosophy here refers to systems, ideas, beliefs, and the overall view of
your client on health and well-being. When you ask your client to define what their
philosophy on health is, they can begin to see the truth of what they want and the
outcomes that they truly desire in this area.

A follow-up question that works well for this exercise is, “Who do you believe is a great
example of a healthy, happy individual?” Let your client know that this individual could
be someone they know in person, it could be a celebrity or even an imaginary being
who does everything the client wishes they could in their quest to become the healthiest
version of themselves.

When your client has identified the person, it’s time to go to the next level to look at the
fitness and eating habits plus character traits, behaviors, and actions that help your
client’s “health mentor” achieve high levels of health and vitality. Once they’ve identified
various elements your client will have a lot more clarity on building their personal
philosophy on health.

Try This

If “what is your philosophy on health” feels like too big a question, start by
asking your client “What does a long and healthy life look like to you?” Laser
in on their answer and break it down to habits, behaviors and actions that can
be used to define an overall health philosophy.

Question #2
How would you like to be, act, and operate when you’re 90?
This question lets your client reevaluate and redirect their actions and behaviors for
positive outcomes.

This question triggers 2 mental shifts. First, it’s pretty much guaranteed to push your
client’s boundaries because 90 is above the average life expectancy in the United
States (currently it’s about 78 years) and in the rest of the world (about 72 years).

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 34 of 98




What’s interesting here is this question already assumes that your client will live longer
than most people.

Second, the question gets your client to redefine their thinking around what it means to
be older. When you ask how your client would like to act when they are 90, it inspires
them to aim for something awesome, for instance: “I’d like to go on long hikes in the
mountains” or “ I would like to be independent and live comfortably,” or “I’d love to enjoy
playtime with my grandkids and great-grandkids.” You’ll hear this type of response from
just about everyone.

These two mental shifts: to become aware of how long they can live and what entitles
get to an older age, which they may have not experienced before, will challenge your
client’s current reality and will also make them take a fresh look at where they are now
and where they need to be, in order to be, act and operate the way they desire when
they are 90.

Ask This

A great follow up question is “What needs to happen today so you can live the
way you said you want to live at 90? This creates genuine curiosity and self-
inquiry so your client can start to take a serious look at what they are doing or
not doing when it comes to their health. It also creates inspiration and
motivation to change what needs to change so they can experience the life
they want to live as a healthy, happy 90-year-old.

Question #3
How long do you think you will live and how do you see yourself
at that age?

This question lets your client define and begin to live their ideal life today.

What you’re doing here is seeking to find what your client unconsciously believes about
their personal life span, and also longevity in general. People often set themselves up
for how long they’ll live based on beliefs and thoughts which are often built on their
family's reality and other conscious and subconscious beliefs that they may have
around health.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 35 of 98




When we picture ourselves at 70, 80, 90, or more, we usually see ourselves as healthy,
active, and independent. We are living a good life and having fun. In a subtle yet
significant way this question also brings a crucial element to the top of your client’s
mind: If you are not living that life today, how do you expect to live like that when you
are close to the end of your time on this planet?

So within this single question, you are traveling back and forth in time with your client.
You are expanding on their behaviors in their current reality, by getting them to project
into an ideal future and define their ideal future self. Then, you are working with this
ideal future self to identify what their current self needs to be to get there.

Try This

Another way of ask this question is to be literal. Ask your client, “What is your
ideal lifestyle when you’re closer to the end of your life?” and get them to
visualize that lifestyle. Have your client describe what they see in their inner
mental vision so they have a clear, visual goal to aim at.

Question #4
How do you talk to your body -- do you love it or do you shame it
and if you shame it how can you go from shame to love?
This question lets your client cultivate a healthy, loving relationship with their body.

Most people no matter how they look or how fit they are, end up shaming their body
which can hold them back from doing what’s best for their health. Think about it, if you
hate something, why would you want to take care of it, right? That is why this question
is important and it has 2 parts that gently introduce your client to the concept of having a
healthy relationship with their body and also connecting with their body in a way that is
supportive and loving.

With this question you can get your client to tune into their body. It lets you check-in if
they are communicating with their body from a place of love or from a place of shame.
If your client is coming from a place of shame, follow up with this question, “What are
some of the behaviors and habits we can set up so you can go from shaming your body
to loving your body?”

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 36 of 98




 Try This

If your client is unable to identify if they’re coming from a place of love or

shame in relation to their body, have them pay close attention to their
conversations with other people around it. Do they put their body down every
chance they get? Are they regularly talking about how they need to lose a few
pounds or how bad they look because they’re overweight? Constantly talking
about where the body is falling short is a clear sign it is shame and not love
what is fueling these remarks.

Question #5
If there was a magical genie with the power to fulfill your wishes
about your body, what would you ask for?
This question lets your client overcome limiting beliefs about their health and explore
what’s possible for them

The power of this question lies in the possibility that it opens up for the client. It invites
your client to move past what they believe is not possible for them. It gets your client to
think about the body transformation they really want without limiting beliefs getting in the
way.

For most people, health, and fitness goals feel out of reach because of a core belief that
says it’s not possible for them. They think, “Lifting these weights” or “Running a
marathon” or “Getting flexible at my age” is just not possible for me.
But everything becomes possible when your genie is on hand to grant your wishes! It
creates clarity and an open mind as your clients think about where they really want to
go with their health goals.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 37 of 98




 Ask This

This question is powerful on its own but you can take things to a whole new
level for your clients with a follow-up question: Would you be willing to follow
the genie's instructions for 100 days to make your wishes come true? This
follow-up frames your client’s body transformation into a specific timeframe. It
can get them excited about taking action in a reasonable amount of time to
make their body and health wishes come true.

Question #6
What are the events or circumstances that can lead you to trail off
from your health goals and ambitions?

This question lets your client recognize events that take them off track on their
journey to becoming their happiest, healthiest selves.

It always begins with an event, situation, or circumstance that we don’t want. For
instance, your boss yells at you for not doing a task right. This gets you into a pre-
established pattern of thinking that might start with something like, “Oh no! I didn’t do a
good job. The boss hates me!” This thought is followed by “ Can I blame her? I never
do a good job. Ever.”

Everything escalates from there. You think, “I’m never good at what I do. I’m just not
good enough. I’ll never be good enough for anything….” and on and on it goes. Next
thing you know you’re reaching for the doughnuts your co-worker brought to work or you
find yourself skipping your lunchtime walk because you feel frustrated and
overwhelmed.

This question helps your client identify these “trigger” events that can create slip-ups
and distractions so they don’t end up abandoning their fitness goals and their hard-won
health habits.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 38 of 98




 Know This

It’s important that you have your client identify seemingly unrelated trigger
events so they can be mindful of their emotions and unhelpful thinking
patterns. Bringing awareness to what’s going on inside creates space for your
clients to take a breath and make a different and much better, healthier choice
the next time they feel stressed and triggered.

Question #7
Do you believe you can have the body of your dreams?
This question lets your client uncover hidden beliefs that hold them back from
achieving their dream body.

A “dream body” can feel like a beautiful fantasy for your client but you can use this
question as a transformational tool to help bring that fantasy into your client’s reality.
The thing is, a dream remains a dream only when there is no action to support it!

Coach your client to uncover the beliefs that say they can’t have the body of their
dreams. Have them list these beliefs so you can work through each one and offer
practical steps and tools they can use to overcome them.

Try This

If your client is having trouble with this question, lead them into a visualization
exercise that helps them picture their dream body. You can do this with a
quick guided meditation or using journaling questions that allow them to call
up the vision of an ideal body, in their mind. For many people, having a strong
vision works as a powerful inspirational tool that can help them take action
and progress toward their ultimate goal.

Question #8
What would the body of your dreams feel like?

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 39 of 98




This question lets your client work with powerful emotional cues to stay excited and
motivated.

The final question in this chapter is a natural progression from the question above. It
brings in a powerful emotional element of being in the body your client desires. This
adds to the visual element that they created and it allows them to use their emotions as
a strong activating force.

The question also allows your client to mentally “step” into their dream body and feel
good within themselves so they feel excited and motivated to choose the actions,
behaviors, and habits that will allow them to finally experience their dream body in their
reality.
Do This

Coach your client to virtually “step into” their dream body by guiding them
through it step by step. You can use follow up questions like “What does it
feel like to wear a fantastic outfit that fits you perfectly?” and “What are some
of the physical sensations that you feel when you run, dance, or pick up
heavy grocery bags?” This puts them into “real-world” scenarios that can help
them call up the physical sensations and feelings associated with being inside
the healthy, beautiful body that they dream of.
Actions & Reflections

Answer the questions in this chapter so you can become familiar with how they work
from your client’s point of view. This will allow you to coach with deeper authenticity,
confidence, and understanding. You’ll also gain inspiration and excitement that can help
you pursue and reach your personal health goals.

Question #1
What is your philosophy on health?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #2
How would you like to be, act, operate like when you are 90 years old?

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 40 of 98




---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #3
How long do you think you will live and how do you see yourself when you turn that
age?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #4
How do you talk to your body -- do you love it or do you shame it and if you shame it
how can you go from shame to love?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #5
If there was a magical genie with the power to fulfill your wishes about your body, what
would you ask for?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #6
What are the events or circumstances that can lead you to trail off from your health
goals and ambitions?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #7
Do you believe you can have the body of your dreams?

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 41 of 98




---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #8
What would the body of your dreams feel like?

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Chapter 7
Love Relationship

Romantic love can help us rise up to the heights of passion and ecstasy and it can also
take us all the way down to the depths of despair and disillusion. It’s important to know
how you can support your coaching clients in this area because love can have a
tremendous positive impact on all other areas of life including health, work, and
relationships with family and friends. In this section, we’re exploring powerful questions
that can shift, expand and potentially heal the central love relationship in your client’s
life.

Question #1
What does being loved feels like?

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 42 of 98




This question lets your client make the unconscious conscious to improve
communication and connection.

Most people have some kind of awareness of what being loved feels like but this is
usually unconscious, which means they cannot communicate it to their partner. This can
create all kinds of problems. If you don’t know what being loved feels like to you, how
can you know if your partner is expressing their love for you or not?

Not knowing exactly how to describe what it feels like to be loved can also stand in the
way of your client’s search for a soulmate. They have no idea if the person they’re with
is giving them the love that they desire and need and this can lead to them staying with
someone who isn’t a good match for them or leaving a relationship that has the potential
to become a lifelong love.

This question takes care of those issues and helps give your client the clarity they need
to begin experiencing love in a way that is supportive, transformational, and even
transcendental

Try This

If your client has difficulty answering this question, include a somatic or body-
based element in your coaching. Invite them to drop into their body and
explore the question through their body sensations. You can help them to do
this by asking “What does being loved feel like in your body” or “What are
some of the sensations that arise when you feel you are truly loved?

Question #2
What is your love language?

This question lets your clients express and receive love in ways that are supportive
and nurturing for themselves and for their partners.

Love languages are essentially different ways of expressing and receiving love and the
5 love languages are categorized as:

● Words of affirmation
● Quality time

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 43 of 98




 ● Physical touch
● Acts of service
● Receiving gifts

The concept of love languages was first introduced by Gary Chapman in his bestselling
book from the 1990s called “The 5 Love Languages.”

Understanding love languages in a relationship allows each partner to give the other
what they desire in a relationship. It’s a fascinating and ultimately game-changing path
to create a nurturing, lasting relationship with a romantic partner.

Encourage your clients to read Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages as well as take
the associated test to identify their personal love language. You should also encourage
them to have their partner read the book and take the test so both individuals will know
and understand each other’s love language.

Know This

Let your client know that they’re not stuck with just one love language each!
Anyone can express love in all 5 languages, but every individual has a
dominant love language, which makes them feel truly loved. This is deep,
healing knowledge that can bring two people closer together even through the
inevitable challenges and difficult phases in their relationship.

Question #3
What are your personal values in your relationship?
This question lets your client: Show up in their relationship with inner alignment and
authenticity

When you know your values, you can fall back on them to make decisions that are
aligned with who you are and what you need.

For instance, if your client’s values in a romantic relationship happen to be love and
service, they can ask themselves, “Am I operating from a place of love right now? Am I
making this decision from a place of service?”

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 44 of 98




 Know This

Values can provide a guidance system in the most tumultuous and uncertain
points of a relationship. Coach your client to get clear on their values in a
romantic relationship, so they can lean on those values and show up from a
place of authenticity and truth.

Question #4
What do you value in your partner?

This question lets your client find the light of hope and healing when times are dark.

There comes a time in every relationship when the situation seems dark and
hopeless… when there is no light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a time when we ask
ourselves if we want to stay or if the love we felt for our partner is still alive. That’s when
this question comes into play.

This is ultimately a healing question because it allows your client to return to love. It
helps them remember the real reasons they fell in love. This question has the power to
bring up deep emotion and truth from inside and it’s a feeling that your client connects
with their partner.

Try This

If your client is going through a particularly challenging phase in their

relationship, have them picture the moment they fell in love. Then have them
share that experience with their partner. They could start the conversation
with something like, “This is what I truly value in you and in our relationship…”
or “ This is what I really love about our partnership. Can we revisit this? Can
we have a conversation about this?

Question #5

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 45 of 98




 What is acceptable, what is not acceptable in a relationship and
where do I draw the line?

This question lets your client protect themselves and their partners from unwanted
pain and heartache.

Relationships last because of healthy boundaries and this is true even if you’ve loved
each other for years or decades. Unfortunately, most people think they can relax their
boundaries, and say and do pretty much anything they want in a long-term relationship.
This is a recipe for relationship disaster!.

Boundaries are a powerful and effective way to enhance your mental and emotional
experience inside a relationship because it creates a clear understanding of what’s okay
and what’s not. This can help protect both partners from unnecessary pain,
misunderstandings.

Try This

Have your clients define what is acceptable and what is not acceptable from
their personal point of view. Then encourage your client to ask their partner to
do the same. This helps to create clarity on both sides as it allows both
partners to honor and respect each other for a stronger, more meaningful and
loving relationship that lasts.

Question #6
Why do you love your partner and why does your partner love
you?

This question lets your client overcome minor issues and choose to stay in love.

This is not a “one and done” question. It needs to be asked on a yearly basis or even
every couple of months because it serves as a reminder of why your client chooses to
stay in a relationship with the one they love.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 46 of 98




Sometimes, the answer to this question can turn things around in an instant. For
instance, let’s say your client likes to keep the house clean and tidy but their partner
doesn’t care either way.

Over time, this type of difference in opinion can grow into a major problem. But when
your client asks this question, it allows them to shift their perspective and focus on
what’s important. It’s why you need to coach your client to use this question whenever
they feel they’re hitting a make or break point over a relatively minor misunderstanding
or issue.

Know This

We are living, breathing beings which means that we continue to evolve and
change throughout our lives. Coach your client to understand this truth and
then have them use this question to continuously see their partner with fresh
eyes. This allows them to update their answer and consistently find new and
beautiful things to love about their partner… and themselves!

Question #7
What can I do to prioritize the relationship?

This question lets your client recognize and remember what’s truly important.

For most adults, their central love relationship is the foundation of all other areas of their
life. It’s the foundation on which everything else grows like work, family, purpose, and
even health. But most people end up taking their partner for granted especially if they’ve
been in a relationship for a while.

After a couple of years, the relationship starts to feel permanent so priorities begin to
shift. All of a sudden, other aspects of life -- like work, the kids, hobbies, and friendship
-- are more important than time with the partner which can lead to serious issues. This
question helps to resolve this problem and helps your client give their central
relationship the focus, time, and attention it needs and deserves.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 47 of 98




 Ask This

A great follow up to this question is: what can you do first to prioritize your
relationship? Maybe it’s having a date night each week, making time to have
casual conversations and enjoy regular sex. This will help them further define
the relationship they desire and get clear on how to make it happen.

Question #8
If you had the chance for a do-over, what would you change in
your relationship?

This question lets your client inject new energy and excitement into their relationship.

This question is essentially about looking at what has changed and what has stayed the
same in a relationship. This means that first, your client needs to take a walk down
memory lane and reflect on their relationship over the years.

The truth is it’s easy to forget the good times because what was exciting to most people
at the start of their relationship becomes predictable and boring over time. What
seemed to be interesting and unusual habits or character traits in a partner at the start,
can feel annoying and irritating after a few years!

This question gets your client to do 2 important things -- remember what was good so
they can keep what’s working and look at what’s not working so they can make the
necessary changes with their partner.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 48 of 98




 Know This

Curiosity is an important element in a strong, healthy love relationship. Coach

your client to answer this question from a place of curiosity and creativity.
Have them go back to the time when they were first getting to know their
partner. Guide them to feel into that excitement of discovering someone new.
Help them bring this feeling into your coaching session as they answer this
question. Curiosity can open doors to many unseen and unexplored areas
that can help to refresh a stale relationship or even resuscitate one that
seems to be lost forever.

Actions & Reflections

Answer the questions in this section so you can become familiar with how each works in
your heart and mind. This will allow you to tap into your client’s experience in answering
these questions and it will help you take your coaching to the next level.
You will also have the added benefit of finding ways to deepen your relationship with
your romantic partner or spouse.

Question #1
What does being loved feels like?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #2
What is your love language?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 49 of 98




Question #3
What are your personal values in your relationship?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #4
What do you value in your partner?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #5
What is acceptable, what is not acceptable in a relationship and where do I draw the
line?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #6
Why do you love your partner and why does your partner love you?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #7
What can I do to prioritize the relationship?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 50 of 98




Question #8
If you had the chance for a do-over, what would you change in your relationship?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 8
Professional Excellence

When we think of professional excellence, we think of entrepreneurs, artists, athletes

who are at the top of their game -- people like Michael Phelps, Elon Musk, and Oprah
Winfrey. While there are varied definitions of what it means to achieve professional
excellence, my personal definition is simple -- it is about doing the work you do in the
world at a high level of mastery.

This chapter is about helping your clients achieve professional excellence without
having to strive, push and “hustle” to get ahead. The questions are intentionally
designed to guide them to hit their highest potential every time so they can begin
producing results that bring recognition from others and create a sense of authentic
fulfillment from deep within.

Question #1
What does professional excellence mean to you?

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 51 of 98




This question lets your clients get clear on their personal definition of professional
excellence to help you set your client up for success.

Professional excellence can mean different things to different people. Know that your
client’s approach to the concept of professional excellence is based on expectations
that are built around their background, culture, work experience, beliefs, values, and
more and these elements could be associated consciously or unconsciously.

Based on this, what you want to uncover with this question is your client’s personal
definition of professional excellence. Getting this question in, early in your conversation
with the client, is crucial as it sets the stage for effective, accurate coaching to achieve
the desired results.

Ask This

To go deeper with this question, have your client do a word association

exercise. Ask them, “What are some of the character qualities that come to
mind around professional excellence?” You can also have them identify the
people they think of as having achieved professional excellence. This
exercise can be a great tool for your client to identify and cultivate personality
traits that lead to professional excellence in their business or career.

Question #2
How will, you know, you're in a state of professional excellence
every day?

This question lets your client quantify the state of professional excellence to make it
achievable.

This question is crucial because you’ll find that most clients will say something like, “ I
want to be excellent” or “I want to be at the top of my game” or “I want to be proficient”
without taking time to consider what it would look like when they have achieved all of
those things.

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I’ve seen way too many coaches and clients who achieve professional excellence in
their field but they are unable to recognize that they have actually achieved it. So they
keep pushing themselves harder and harder and this quickly leads to confusion,
frustration, and even burnout. A good follow-up question that can help your client get
even more clarity is “What are some of the parameters that tell me I’ve achieved
professional excellence?”

Know This

Let your client know that achieving professional excellence is a “state of

being” and as such it can change and shift. It is not a permanent state. This
means there are days when they will be in a state of professional excellence
and days when they are not. Knowing the answer to, “how will you know,
you're in a state of professional excellence every day?”can help your client
recognize when they have slipped out of professional excellence and then do
what they need to do to get back into this state.

Question #3
What long-term habits will you develop so you can be in a
consistent state of professional excellence?

This question lets your client consistently be in a state of professional excellence with
little effort.

By definition, a habit is a practice or action that you do again and again until you can
start to do it without even thinking about it.

Help your client identify the habits that allow them to be in a state of professional
excellence because then, they can achieve it with very little effort… it will happen like
clockwork!

For instance, your client might discover that journaling is a reflective practice that helps
them get clarity on how they feel and what they need to do to create progress at work.
When your clients knows this, they can start to intentionally develop journaling as a
long-term habit that they can rely on in order to anchor into a state of ongoing
professional excellence no matter what else is going on in their life.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 53 of 98




 Do This

Offer your client ideas for habits that can help them achieve and sustain
professional excellence such as writing down goals, eating healthy, reading
transformational books, focusing on consistent self-development and more.
You could create a prepared list of habits to help them answer this question
during your coaching session.

Question #4
If you were to be excellent in your profession, what are the
routines and practices that can support you throughout your day?
This question lets your client focus on their daily experience and the simple things
they can do to support their journey to professional excellence.

I’ve found that those who achieve and sustain professional excellence consciously,
have a variety of other routines that they turn to, throughout their day, to help them
sustain this state, for example, morning routines and practices that create a sense of
inner calm and clarity.

For instance, if your client likes to check their phone first thing in the morning, it can
take away from their goal of being in a state of professional excellence. Why? Because
professional excellence is about being proactive so you own your day. It is about
experiencing your daily life with a sharp, focused mind.

Checking your phone means you are starting your day being reactive to emails and
messages, which will lead to a reactive rest of the day instead of owning it. Practices
like meditation or yoga, can rapidly clear your mind and increase focus for optimum
performance at work.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 54 of 98




 Try This

Let your clients know that they don’t need to adopt fifty different practices to
achieve professional excellence! Instead, have your clients identify 1 to 3
practices to start with. Encourage them to try each one at different times of
the day so they can choose the ones that offer the most benefits at the best
time.
Question #5
What stops you from being excellent?

This question lets your client address and resolve obstacles that can hold them back.

This is one of my favorite questions! A big challenge in achieving professional

excellence, especially on an ongoing basis, is the hidden obstacles that get in their way.
These obstacles quickly reveal your clients’ fears, concerns, challenges, limiting beliefs,
and other mental, emotional, and even physical issues that stand between where they
are now and where they want to be in terms of professional excellence.

The best part is once you identify what is stopping your client, you can coach them to
get out of their own way. You can help them reframe these blocks in their mind, look at
creative solutions and create innovative pathways to ‘jump over’ these hurdles.

Do This

If your client has trouble answering this question, have them recall a time
when they achieved excellent results in their life (it doesn’t have to be related
to work). Then ask them to identify some of the challenges they faced along
the way. Chances are, some of the obstacles they experienced before are
there today. For instance, they might have procrastinated up until the last
minute when they were studying for a major exam at school. Chronic
procrastination might still be a problem now, on their journey to achieve
professional excellence.

Question #6

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 What are some areas of your profession where you lack
excellence?
This question lets your client focus on exactly where they need to improve in order to
achieve mastery.

When it comes to professional excellence, the “devil is in the details” as the saying
goes. All professions, whether you’re a coach, a teacher, a pilot, or a firefighter, are
made up of smaller activities, tasks, and roles. Most people are naturally excellent at
some of these activities but not others. For instance, if you’re an online business owner,
you might be great at creating digital courses but not so good at writing sales emails.

But most of us like to play the all-or-nothing game. We think we’re good at our jobs or
we’re really bad. But things are rarely black and white. It might be that your job covers
10 different roles or activities and you're awesome at 6 out of those 10. Knowing which
ones to focus on for improvement can help you to rapidly boost expertise and achieve
mastery.

Know This

This question gives your clients a chance to improve the not-so-good stuff but
it’s also a way to identify what they’re great at. Help your client develop a list
of tasks that they’re already excellent at doing. This can work as a powerful
inspirational tool especially on days when everything feels overwhelming or
demotivating.

Question #7
How do you create an environment of co-workers or team
members where you are motivated to be excellent every day?

This question lets your client purposefully surround themselves with people who can
help them succeed.

We don’t become high achievers all on our own. Our personal and professional
excellence is impacted by the environment, specifically the people around us.

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Motivation is a vital factor in your client’s quest to be professionally excellent and
motivation is affected and influenced by co-workers and team members all the time.

Notice that this question is not, “Does your environment keep you motivated to be
excellent every day?” Instead, this is phrased as a “how-to” question that triggers
curiosity and empowers your client to make changes they need to make, especially if
their current environment is not motivational or supportive of their goals.

Ask This

If your client sees that their co-workers or team members are bringing them
down or holding them back, coach them to find solutions with questions like,
“How can you help your team perform better?” or “What can you do to inspire
your co-workers to be motivated?”

Question #8
What causes a decline in your motivation?

This question lets your client discover what brings them down so they can turn things
around and find ways to hit high levels of motivation no matter what.

Like the previous question, the final question in this chapter is also focused on
motivation. But this time, you’ll be asking your client to look in the mirror and reflect on
how they feel inside.

Motivation drives the kind of consistent, focused, and results-driven action that leads to
professional excellence. It’s why we need to identify the situations, people, and activities
that cause your client to feel demotivated.

It’s important to note that demotivation takes on many different forms and personas. It
could be a bad boss who never listens to your ideas or a poorly defined role at work. It
could be that you’re fairly new at an activity or task and you haven’t had the chance to
develop competency just yet. This leads to constant scrutiny and negative feedback. All
of these things can drive motivation into the ground and this in turn negatively impacts
overall professional excellence.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 57 of 98




 Do This

Coach your client to come up with actions they can take to stay personally
motivated even when people around them are not responding optimally. For
instance, you could help your client create an inspirational reward structure.
Have your client identify simple treats they can give themselves -- such as
dinner at a favorite restaurant -- so they can feel excited and motivated to
stay on task, persistent and inspired even when everyone else falls off track
or seems to be standing in their way.
Actions & Reflections

Answer the questions in this chapter so you can become familiar with how they work
from your client’s point of view. This will allow you to coach with deeper authenticity,
confidence and understanding. You’ll also uncover insights and actions you can take to
attain a high level of professional mastery to achieve your goals and experience
authentic satisfaction in your work as a coach.

Question #1
What does professional excellence mean to you?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #2
How will you know you’re in a state of professional excellence every day?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #3
What long-term habits will you develop so you can be in a consistent state of
professional excellence?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 58 of 98




Question #4
If you were to be excellent in your profession, what are the routines and practices that
can support you throughout your day?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #5
What stops you from being excellent?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #6
What are some areas of your profession where you lack excellence?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #7
How do you create an environment of co-workers or team members where you are
motivated to be excellent every day?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #8
What causes a decline in your motivation?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 59 of 98




Chapter 9
Business

Business is a tricky area for most coaches mainly because most clients tie their
personal self-worth and sense of well-being to whether or not their business is doing
well. It’s why becoming skilled at helping your clients achieve their business goals is so
important.

The questions in this chapter are designed to help you coach your clients to create a
deeper sense of safety, focus, and confidence in their business. Most of the questions
have to do with developing tried and tested foundational pillars to ensure your client’s
ongoing business success.

Question #1
What will make the next 12 months the best business months?
This question lets your client focus on positive outcomes to unleash their creativity
and dream big.

Whether they are aware of it or not, most entrepreneurs use an “avoidance” approach
when it comes to building a successful business: they highlight all of the things that can
go wrong and then do whatever it takes to avoid those issues. By answering this first
question your client has to focus on the positive. It opens their heart and mind to bigger,
better opportunities and goals.

This is important because it’s almost impossible to solve business challenges by

lasering in on your current problems. You have to think bigger and grander than the

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 60 of 98




challenges you’re facing today so you can transcend your current problems. This
question helps your client do just that as they focus on seeing what it would take to
make the next year their best business year ever. They’ll get their creative juices
flowing so they can dream bigger, aspire for more, and leave their current problems
behind.

Ask This

Invite your client to step into a “creator” state with this follow up question:
What are some of the systems, processes and products that can create the
best possible outcome for your business in the next 12 months?

Question #2
Who do we need on our team to build a business culture and
outcomes that lead to success?

This question lets your client build an environment that is conducive to achieve their
business goals.

Most people think business success is about asking “how can this task get done” but
successful business owners know it’s about asking “how can the team get this done.”
The truth is long-term business growth and success is about focusing on your people
and culture.

The people in your business are mainly your team members and also contractors and
outside parties that support your business while the culture refers to the values of the
business and how you and your team make decisions and interact with each other. This
question essentially helps your client identify the right person for the right job so they
can easily build a culture that creates successful outcomes.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 61 of 98




 Try This

Ask your client to come up with a list of tasks and activities in their business
that are outside their zone of genius. These are the things they would rather
have someone else do. This little exercise is a powerful way to coach your
client as they prepare to look for the right people to become part of their
team, the people who can do an excellent job in those roles.

Question #3
What will make you feel that your business is safe?
This question lets your client identify parameters that can help them feel grounded,
solid, and inspired.

The business world is an ever-changing landscape. Sometimes things are great and
sometimes it’s a long, hard climb to making a profit. This is “the feast or famine”
syndrome where entrepreneurs have lots of clients, customers, and income one month,
and then nothing much happens over the next few months. It’s a level of uncertainty and
unpredictability that most people find intolerable. It creates a huge fear that the business
is on the verge of failure or collapse.

This question can help your client overcome this constant fear as they recognize and
identify the parameters including systems, processes, and other elements like PR
outreach and marketing, that can help them create a business that is solid, sustainable
and lasts.

Know This

Once your client has answered this question, it’s time to coach them towards
creating a safety net so they can cultivate the ability to take smart risks to
generate exponential business growth and success. Risk has more to do with
how you feel while you're taking the risk, rather than the risk itself and it’s
always easier to take a risk when you feel safe.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 62 of 98




 Question #4
What is the company vision and how can everyone on the team
align with this vision?

This question lets your client clarify their greater vision to create rapid progress.

At Evercoach, one of our key vision statements is “empowering 1 million coaches to

create a positive impact in the world.” That sounds awesome, right? But does everyone
inside the company actually know what this means? Do they know what it would take to
empower a million coaches? What kind of coaches do we want to work with? When do
we want to hit that 1 million? Why is it important for us to train these many coaches?
What's the impact on society… and so on.

My team has a 5-page document built around that online vision statement but even with
that document, where we have established that we are an education company, a team
member recently came up with an idea to build our own software. It was a great idea but
because our vision clearly states that we are creating the best education for coaches,
everyone on the team quickly pointed out that his idea was not aligned. It’s why we are
able to create progress more easily and more powerfully (it’s also why Evercoach
products are so good!)

It’s why it’s important to establish a clearly defined company vision and share a long-
term view of how things need to unfold. This helps the entire team to find ways to align
with the vision and quickly achieve company goals with confidence and ease.

Ask This

A powerful follow-up question is: Does everyone on the team align with the
vision? Have your client reflect on this because if some people do not align
with the vision, there’s a big possibility that they will not take action and make
decisions in line with the scope and vision of the company. This can slow
down growth and potentially cause other serious problems that could
endanger the company as a whole.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 63 of 98




 Question #5
What is our company culture?

This question lets your client create powerful collaboration and cohesive progress in
the company.

Entrepreneurs often intuitively understand what company culture is but they are less
certain on how to translate it into words and share it with others on their team. Company
culture is about the overall approach to business, choices, and values of the
organization. Company culture also covers how employees and management interact
with each other, customers or clients, and with the outside world.

This is a great question for your clients to journal about because writing down what’s on
their minds can quickly create clarity. Clarity is key when it comes to building a great
company culture. It allows your client's partners and team members to have clear
boundaries around what's okay and what's not okay in terms of behaviors, choices,
actions, and more in relation to the organization. When the company culture is clearly
defined, it’s easy to follow through in a way that is cohesive and progressive.

Try This

If your client feels stuck around defining their company culture, have them
identify their personal ideals in connection with running a business. What
would they like to achieve in their life? How would they like to make a
difference in the world? How would they like to build relationships with
others? This will work as a foundational tool to jumpstart their thinking
process around what they’d like their company culture to be.

Question #6
What are the foundational values we need to know in order to
support great decision-making?

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 64 of 98




This question lets your client smooth out snags that block ongoing daily progress and
overall business expansion.

Businesses are built on great decisions but as the business grows it becomes harder
and harder for the people at the top to make ALL the decisions in a way that is efficient
and timely. It’s why so many companies and businesses become bureaucratic as they
expand. Eventually, growth slows down and sometimes stalls.

When a founder, CEO, or business owner holds all the power in making decisions, it’s
impossible for team members to operate freely and make progress even though they
are willing to do the work and take responsibility and ownership for their decisions. It’s
why a CEO, founder, or business owner must clearly outline and share a list of values
so team members can use this as a guiding light to make supportive, timely decisions,
especially in day-to-day scenarios.

Do This

Company values are connected to what’s important to the business as a

whole, and generally cover both people and profits. Have your client create
two sets of values that support people and profits. For instance, in the
“people” category your client might list collaboration and compassion. In the
“profits” category your client can list high quality and innovation. Working with
two sets of values -- at least at the start -- can help your client clarify their
overall company values list.

Question #7
If you were to simplify your business marketing plan, could you
write it on a single sheet of paper?

This question helps your client create a marketing plan that is actionable and
implementable.

Despite my deep understanding of marketing and business, I’ve been completely

confused by most marketing plans I’ve seen! This is usually because there are so many
moving pieces that don’t need to be there. This level of complexity creates a scenario

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 65 of 98




where too many things need to happen for progress to be made, which means the plan
will not work.

Based on years of experience, I’ve found that simplicity is one of the most critical
elements in a marketing plan. In fact, keeping things simple is the secret to creating a
marketing plan that actually works. It’s why you need to fit the entire plan on a single
sheet of paper. Why one sheet? Well, if you can fit an entire marketing plan into one
sheet, you’ve summarized or removed complexity. You understand all the details and
you can explain them to your team. This means there’s a very good chance the plan is
actionable and will be implemented.

Do This

If your client has a complicated marketing or business plan, help them

summarize and clarify so it fits into one sheet of paper. If your client has not
come up with a marketing or business plan yet, help them through the
process of creating one and have them focus on simplifying and clarifying all
the details, from the start.

Question #8
Can you clearly define what your customer feel when they are
facing the problem your product solves?

This question lets your client create powerful, highly focused products and services
that create real results and lifetime customer loyalty.

This is a powerful question that is especially important for the product and marketing
teams. Note that this is not the problem that the customer or client has but how the
customer or client feels. For instance, at Evercoach, the answer to this question is “lack
of confidence.”

When a coaching client comes to us, they are feeling frustrated and uncertain about
their coaching skills, they’re feeling like they're not good enough. These are the feelings
we help our coaches address. It helps us create powerful, highly attuned products that
create real results. This goes a long way toward creating satisfied customers who love
our products and are happy to stick with us for years.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 66 of 98




 Ask This

A great follow up question is “How can you help your customer or client to
overcome this feeling?” At Evercoach we help student coaches to be more
deliberate and impactful with their coaching clients so they can have powerful
coaching sessions and quickly increase their confidence.

Actions & Reflections

Answer the questions in this chapter so you can become familiar with how they work
from your client’s point of view. This will allow you to coach with deeper authenticity,
confidence, and understanding. You’ll also uncover insights and actions you can take to
gain the clarity you need to build a highly profitable, sustainable coaching business.

Question #1
What will make the next 12 months the best business months?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #2
Who do we need on our team to build a business culture and outcomes that lead to
success?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #3
What will make you feel that your business is safe?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 67 of 98




---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #4
What is the company vision and how can everyone on the team align with this vision?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #5
What is our company culture?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #6
What are the foundational values we need to know in order to support great decision-
making?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #7
If you were to simplify your business marketing plan, could you write it on a single sheet
of paper?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #8
Can you clearly define what your customer feel when they are facing the problem your
product solves?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 68 of 98




---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 10
Money

Let’s try a quick experiment: name one thing in life that is NOT affected by money. Did
you come up with anything? I’m guessing your answer is no! The truth is we all struggle
with ideas and beliefs about money that don’t support our goals and dreams. These
outdated money beliefs stay stuck in our unconscious mind and can create havoc and
chaos in our day-to-day experience. The questions in this chapter will help you and your
clients unravel unhelpful beliefs and ideas around money.

Question #1
What is money’s role in your life?

This question lets your client discover what they truly want in life and how money can
help them get there.

When I asked myself and my clients this question, I found that most people care about
making more money only because they want something other than money. They were
unclear about why they wanted more money which can quickly lead to a couple of
serious issues:

1. You can’t appreciate the money you already have.

2. You can’t break the exhausting cycle of wanting more and more money.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 69 of 98




When I asked my clients this question they said things like: “The role of money is to help
me feel secure” or “Money helps me help others.” My clients finally realized and
accepted the truth: money wasn’t what they truly wanted.

This created relief because they no longer felt “forced to” keep chasing and hustling to
make 2x, 3x, or 10x more. They had clarity and they could give themselves permission
to create money with joy and fulfillment so they could get to their true desires versus
chasing money for the sake of having more.

Try This

Have your clients list out some of the experiences, situations and material
things on their bucket list -- the list of things they want to check off before they
get to the end of their life. Next, help your clients choose one thing on the list
and research on how much money it would take to get it. Then support them
in creating a plan to make it happen. This can give your clients a great goal to
aim at in the short term and it can help them to review their relationship with
money so they see it for what it is: a tool to make their dreams come true and
not the end result.

Question #2
What do you believe about money?

This question lets your client identify their negative beliefs around money.

Your client's beliefs about money can be supportive and they can also be unsupportive.
This question uncovers both types of beliefs and it gives you the opportunity to help
your client overcome their negative beliefs around money. These could be something
like “money is the root of all evil” and “money is only reserved for a privileged few”, to
“you have to work really hard to make money”.

The first step is to bring their attention to the reality about beliefs. Let them know that
beliefs are not facts. Beliefs are not evidence. Beliefs are viewpoints and frames that
exist only in the mind and so they can shift any belief -- and I mean ANY belief -- when

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 70 of 98




they decide to change it. This often comes as a huge relief especially when a client
uncovers a massive number of negative money beliefs that they didn’t even know they
had!

Do This

Have your clients work on their money beliefs list over a week or two or even
longer. Many money beliefs are hidden in our unconscious mind. They are
forgotten or even suppressed or repressed. Giving your clients time and
space to work on their list will allow unconscious beliefs resurface to their
conscious mind.
Question #3
What were some of the dinner conversations in your childhood
that may have instilled money beliefs in you?

This question lets your client upgrade their current and future relationship with money

We are not born with limiting money beliefs -- we inherit them. Our parents as well as
other adults like teachers and sports coaches can inadvertently teach us about money
by demonstrating and acting on their own limiting money beliefs.

This question basically reveals instances and circumstances, stories, or the foundation
of the stories that created these limitations and mindsets in your client’s life. Once you
discover this, you can coach your client to release the past so they can reshape and
upgrade their current and future relationship with money.

Ask This

Another great way to frame this question: Can you recall childhood stories
and experiences that may have instilled your money beliefs? Follow up with
questions like “What did your parents say to you about money?” and “What is
the first memory you have around money?”

Question #4

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 What belief are you creating about money?

This question lets your client create positive money beliefs intentionally.

When I was in my early 30s, I asked myself: “Wouldn't it be amazing if I was worth a
hundred million dollars before I turned 40?” The question allowed me to reflect on the
level of value I’d need to generate in order to receive one hundred million dollars.

Just to be clear, I have no way of knowing if one hundred million dollars will happen for
me in this timeline or any other timeline but what I do know is this: I am constantly
bringing attention and awareness to the value of a hundred million dollars and what it
would take to create that.

In other words, I was operating from a place of value creation. I was intentionally
creating my own positive belief about money and the value it would take to bring that
kind of money into my reality. That was years ago and it was a game-changer.

Intentionally creating positive money beliefs can help your client to rapidly uplevel their
money game.

Do This

Coach your client to list out 3 to 5 positive money beliefs they want to create.
Knowing what they want to believe can help them to quickly make changes
and shifts to improve their relationship with money.

Question #5
What are your money habits?

This question lets your client identify helpful and unhelpful money habits.

For some people the moment they see money in their bank account, they think, “Where
can I spend this?” This behavior is fuelled by an unconscious habit that says, “money

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 72 of 98




must be spent.” This is obviously a negative habit but you can also have helpful money
habits.

For example, I have a money habit of setting aside 30% of all my earnings for
investments. Sometimes this number reaches 40% depending on where I am in my
money journey and how much wealth I want to create at any given time. Another
money habit I have is to spend on experiences over material things. For example, I love
taking my family on a fun vacation where we can create lifelong memories that we will
treasure for all time.

Know This

Helping your client recognize their money habits can help them get clear on
the habits that need to change and the ones that they can keep or even
expand on in line with their goals around building wealth and long-term
prosperity.

Question #6
What experiences do you need to create a rich life?

This question lets your client appreciate their money and enjoy a rich life.

A lot of people believe that building wealth is about holding on to money or hoarding a
pile of cash. These people end up with a lot more money than they can spend in a
lifetime and they never get to enjoy their hard-earned wealth.

This question essentially has your client thinking about how to experience and enjoy
their wealth now, while they still can. It also invites them to define a rich life on their
terms and identify the experiences that can help them to start living that life today.

Try This

If your client has difficulty with this question, guide them through a simple
visualization that helps them envision a rich life where they are safe, secure
and enjoying their money. This can open the door in their mind and kickstart
the process that will help them come up with experiences for a rich life.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 73 of 98




 Question #7
How much money do you need to feel safe every month?
This question lets your client start to let go of the fear that they’ll run out of cash.

Your client probably thinks they need “more” money to feel safe and happy but what
does “more” actually mean? What is the number that correlates with “more?” That’s
where you come in.

Coach your client to dive deep so they can identify a specific amount that is enough for
them to feel safe and also lets them feel happy so they can truly experience and enjoy
life.

Ask This

Follow up with this question “what’s your minimum livable income?” When
your client knows their minimum number it helps them relax a bit more and
enjoy their money every time they hit a higher amount. It helps them feel
secure even if they are making a little less money than the previous month or
year because they know they’re still above their minimum income.

Question #8
If you could have all the money in the world, what would you buy?

This question lets your client identify their true desires versus what they believe they
should want.

Most of us have superficial wants and desires like an expensive bag or a luxury car.
This is normal and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. However, if you coach your client to go
deeper you’ll find that their true desires are hiding beneath these surface desires.

Your client’s true desires will usually have something to do with life experiences and
contributions like traveling the world or creating a legacy to support their favorite cause.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 74 of 98




 Do This

Help your clients identify their true desires and then use all the other
questions in this section to chart a path in making those dreams and desires
a reality. For instance if your client’s true desire is to help save the
environment, you can coach them on how much money they need to feel safe
each month, so they can start to freely contribute to this cause without fear.

Actions & Reflections

Answer the questions in this section so you can become familiar with how they work
from your client’s point of view. This will allow you to coach with deeper authenticity,
confidence, and understanding. You will also discover how to build a positive
relationship and create supportive money beliefs so you can achieve your vision,
purpose, goals, and dreams while living the lifestyle that you truly desire.

Question #1
What is money’s role in your life?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #2
What do you believe about money?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #3
What are some of the dinner conversations in your childhood that may have instilled
money beliefs in you?

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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #4
What belief are you creating about money?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #5
What are your money habits?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #6
What experiences do you need to create a rich life?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #7
How much money do you need to feel safe each month?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #8
If you could have all the money in the world, what would you buy?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 76 of 98




Chapter 11
Managing Emotions

Knowing how to manage our emotions is critical for success. When we are unable to
effectively work with our emotions, it can feel like we are struggling to stay alive in a tiny
boat out on a stormy sea -- we are constantly overwhelmed by the rising and falling
waves of emotions that are a natural part of being human. This chapter is about asking
powerful questions to support your clients so they can successfully manage their
emotions -- specifically difficult, troublesome, or disruptive emotions.

Question #1
What emotions are you feeling right now?
This question lets your client identify their emotions accurately so they can deal with
them effectively.

Have you noticed that most people talk about experiencing just a few emotions like
anger, sadness, worry, boredom, and love? The truth is our emotional life is rich and
varied. When your client learns to identify their emotions accurately, it can lead to
positive outcomes even when they don’t like what they feel.

Use this question to help your clients focus on their emotions at the moment and coach
them to describe what they really feel. Then guide them to identify and recognize
experiences that trigger particular emotions so they’ll understand where their emotions

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 77 of 98




come from and how to deal with them effectively -- especially difficult or unwanted
emotions.

Try This
Help your client expand their emotional language. Research and create a list
of a variety of emotions. Make sure to include unusual ones like gloomy,
horrified or relieved. Get your client to run through the list with you and
discuss what these emotions feel like in their body and mind.

Question #2
Are there recurring negative emotions that are evident in your
life?
This question lets your client uncover negative emotional patterns so they can shift or
resolve these patterns.

Most of us experience the same negative emotions again and again. Some people
wake up anxious every single day. Others feel angry or sad. Recurring negative
emotions usually create deep discomfort but they can be helpful messengers.

Having negative emotional experiences repeatedly is a signal that something's not quite
right in a particular area of life. It usually means something in the environment, life
experience or behavior needs to change or shift to resolve the pattern.

Think of emotions as a compass - they can point you towards the true north or take you
off track. Either way, emotions give you direction. Helping your clients to identify
recurring emotional patterns can get them to redirect themselves and make the changes
they need to achieve the results they’re looking for.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 78 of 98




 Know This

Dissolving negative emotional patterns doesn’t happen overnight. Coach your

client to be patient. Share that they need to show themselves compassion
and kindness so they can overcome the need to suppress or ignore their
difficult emotions which only serves to intensify and anchor negative patterns.

Question #3
When are undesired emotions triggered?
This question lets your client trace the source of difficult emotions.

This question has to do with becoming aware of how your client’s undesired emotions
rise to the surface. It’s about discovering the source of difficult emotions.

Guide your client so they can start to identify circumstances, events, people, or
situations that are causing undesired or negative emotions to come up for them.

When your client has clarity on what triggers undesired emotions to arise, they can take
action steps to address and overcome these sources of negativity.

Try This

Sometimes difficult emotions are triggered because of an event such as a

family gathering that simply cannot be avoided. In this case help your client
prepare ahead of time so they can safely feel their emotions without being
overcome by the experience.

Question #4
Where in your body do you feel this emotion?

This question lets your client bring their attention to their physical experience so they
can successfully let difficult emotions go.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 79 of 98




All of our emotions have a physical component and when you coach your client to
recognize and understand this, they’ll find it much easier to feel into, observe and
ultimately let go of unwanted emotions.

The magic behind this technique has to do with processing the emotion through the
body. Emotions are intangible and invisible, which can make them difficult to pin down.
But when your client can focus on a sensation in the body, it anchors the emotion into
their physical experience and opens the door for 2 powerful processing techniques:

1. You can ask your client to give love to the sensation in the body.
2. You can have the client meditate on the part of the body where they experience
the emotion.

Both these methods give your client a safe way to watch the emotion rise, fall, and
disappear on its own.

Know This

Traumatic experiences can create disassociation from the body. This is a

protective mechanism but it means the individual cannot connect with their
body or feel the expression of the emotion in their body. If this is the case for
your client, it’s best to refer them to a somatic and trauma-informed therapist
or counselor.

Question #5
What practices can help you regulate your emotions?
This question lets your client focus on taking practical steps to observe and resolve
difficult emotions.

As we explored earlier in this chapter (see Question #2), most people experience
recurring emotional patterns. When this pattern goes on for months and years it
becomes an embedded habit that can be extremely hard to break. Even worse, these
habits can feel like a positive thing.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 80 of 98




For instance, if you have a habit of being anxious, it can make you productive. If you
have a habit of being overwhelmed, it can make you feel accomplished because you’re
working all the time.

If this is your client’s experience, identify practices that can counteract these unwanted
emotional habits. This allows your client to achieve outcomes such as productivity or
accomplishment from a positive, supportive emotional state.

Do This

One of the most effective practices to counteract unwanted emotional habits

is mindfulness. This is about bringing awareness and attention to the present
moment experience. If your client is stuck on a negative habit loop, coach
them to be mindful of what’s going on inside their heart and mind so they can
recognize their true experience. For example, they may be feeling productive
on the outside but their true inner experience is anxiety. Mindfulness can give
them the clarity they need to disconnect from unhelpful emotional habits that
take away positive, confidence-building experiences such as joy and
excitement.
Question #6
How do you know when the emotion has passed so you can
reflect on the experience?

This question lets your client recognize completion so they can recover and heal from
difficult emotions.

This is an incredibly important question because the point when an emotion has passed
is the point when healing begins. What you need to keep in mind here is that the only
person who can fully know their emotional experience is the individual experiencing the
emotion.

This means that no matter how empathetic you are as a coach, and how amazing your
coaching skills are, you simply cannot enter into your client’s emotional experience. This
question can go a long way in helping your client recognize -- on their own -- when the
emotion they’re feeling has finally passed.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 81 of 98




 Do This

Coach your client to look for indicators that will give them the “all clear” signal
that they have processed the emotion. This could be a feeling of calm in their
heart or a silence in their minds or recognizing that their breathing is smooth
and deep.

Question #7
What would you do differently now that you have experienced this
emotion fully?
This question lets your client look back and learn so they can do better in the future

This question is a natural progression from the previous question. Once the emotion
has passed through your client’s experience it is considered complete and the next step
is to “look back and learn”.

This is about focusing on takeaways and learnings that can help clients take helpful
actions and make better decisions. Ultimately, this can help your client to successfully
handle their emotions in the future.

Do This

Work with your client to come up with specific action steps that they can turn
to in order to mitigate similar events and circumstances before their emotions
become too intense or difficult to manage.

Question #8
What are some of the methodologies, people, and systems you
can call on in the future when these emotions show up?

This question lets your client gather resources so they can feel safe and supported.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 82 of 98




Some people are highly emotional, sensitive, or empathetic and they need extra help
and support. The question helps your client identify and gather resources so they know
they can get through even the most painful emotions.

Coach your clients so they are not afraid or hesitant to reach out to their support
network -- including you. Help them to identify effective techniques they can use to
move through difficult emotions when they come up.

Try This

Your clients need specific information so they can get the help they need if
their emotions are too intense. Have your client identify 1 to 3 people they
can call on when they feel overwhelmed by their emotions. You can also have
them name 1 to 3 techniques they can rely on -- such as deep breathing or
meditation -- to regulate their emotions.

Actions & Reflections

Answer the questions in this chapter so you can become familiar with how they work
from your client’s point of view. This will allow you to coach with deeper authenticity,
confidence, and understanding. The added benefit is you’ll discover how to
successfully manage your personal emotions even during incredibly stressful
circumstances.

Question #1
What emotions are you feeling right now?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #2
Are there recurring negative emotions that are evident in your life?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 83 of 98




---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #3
When are undesired emotions triggered?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #4
Where in your body do you feel this emotion?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #5
What practices can help you regulate your emotions?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #6
How do you know when the emotion has passed so you can reflect on the experience?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #7
What would you do differently now that you have experienced this emotion fully?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 84 of 98




---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #8
What are some of the methodologies, people, and systems you can call on in the future
when these emotions show up?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 12
Purpose
The purpose is the “secret sauce” that can keep people going for their goals even if
they’re facing difficult challenges and hardships. It’s the thing that lights a fire in the soul
when the odds are stacked against you and you have no idea if you’re ever going to
achieve your dreams. The following questions will help you guide your clients to
accurately recognize and uncover the incredible power of purpose so they can use it as
fuel on their journey to achieving their highest potential and living their best life.

Question #1
What are the things that you are willing to do even if they are
hard?
This question lets your client find motivation when there are serious obstacles and
challenges.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 85 of 98




Most people are secretly afraid that they don’t have what it takes to get to their goals
and make their dream life a reality. This question can give your clients confidence ahead
of time because it nudges them to consider the actions they can and will take when they
bump up against difficulties and hardships on the road to success.

Answering this question can create confidence and enthusiasm especially if your client
is feeling like they are facing obstacles that are hard or even impossible to overcome.

Ask This

Go deeper with this question by asking your client to describe or identify the
things they believe will stand between them and their end goal. For instance
they could list “lack of funds” as an obstacle to starting a business. Help them
come up with multiple options to overcome each obstacle.

Question #2
What are the activities when you engage in, you forget about time
and it almost feels like you are in a trance?

This question lets your clients access the flow state so they can begin to recognize
their purpose.

You’re probably familiar with the “flow” state. It’s sometimes known as “being in the
zone.” It’s when you feel like time has stood still and you are no longer aware of
anything except the activity that you are doing.

For me, this “trancelike” flow state happens when I am writing. It could be when I’m
writing content for social media posts, a script for a video, or even the words in this
guide! I’m completely outside the normal progression of time-space and all I’m doing is
focusing on these words as I type them onto this page.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 86 of 98




This gives me a clue as to what my purpose is -- it probably has something to do with
creativity and writing. Having your client identify the activities, that get them so engaged
that they enter a flow state, is an effective way to help them identify their purpose.

Do This

If your client is having trouble identifying the things that induce a flow state,
have them reach out to friends and family for help. Often the people closest to
us have better insight into the things that light us up and get us into the zone.

Question #3
What did you do as a child that gave you joy?
This question lets your client quickly connect to their purpose from a place of
happiness and delight.

This question is incredibly effective because it instantly removes the constraints,

anxieties, and self-doubt that we have as adults. It takes us out of our heads and leads
us straight to our hearts.

The truth is the natural purpose and meaning of doing what we love for the sake of joy,
were apparent and obvious when we were kids and we didn’t worry about “practical”
issues like not having enough money.

I loved the blackboard, chalk, and dust as a child. I loved writing on the board in front of
a “pretend” audience. It gave me so much joy (and it makes me smile even as I write
this!). This happy memory let me know that I loved teaching even when I was little. And
it’s no surprise that this is reflected in my career today as a coach, trainer, and mentor.
Teaching gave me joy as a child and it eventually became my purpose later in life.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 87 of 98




 Try This

Lead your client through a simple visualization activity. Have them close their
eyes and go back to their favorite childhood memory. What were they doing?
Who was with them? How did they feel? This is a great way to jumpstart their
memories around what brought them joy as kids.

Question #4
If you were to die a year from now, and this was your last year to
leave your legacy, what would you do?
This question lets your client: get a powerful 50,000-foot view of their life so they can
identify their highest purpose.

This can be a difficult question but that’s exactly what makes it so powerful. If you have
just 12 months to live, you'll probably do something that you truly care about, something
that you’re deeply passionate about.

This question will help you to snap your client out of their “day-to-day” worries and
anxieties and instantly take them up to a 50,000-foot view of their life. It is designed to
“throw them off” a bit so they can have clarity around the need to have a higher purpose
that acts as a North Star and helps guide them towards a life of meaning.

Know This

This is also a powerful question for when your client is in a “transitional”

space in their life. For instance, let’s say your client is a stay at home mom
who’s youngest child has just left for college. Asking this question can help
her quickly reignite enthusiasm and excitement in her life as she transitions
into living life for herself now that her kids are grown.

Question #5
What are some key challenges that shaped who you are right now
and is there something we can learn about you from them?

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 88 of 98




This question lets your clients choose a purposeful life path based on their positive
traits and talents.

Most people are completely clueless when it comes to identifying their positive traits and
talents and your clients are no different! There are inherent positive qualities and
characteristics your clients have that remain invisible to them. They don’t know they
have these great traits and they wouldn’t recognize them as being special even if they
managed to identify them.

These brilliant qualities are often related to an overall life path and they can guide
people to choose a particular, purposeful direction. For instance, a character trait like
being funny or humorous can inspire an individual to become a stand-up comedian.

Know This

This question requires your client to bring their attention to some of the most
difficult challenges in their life. These are milestone, character-shaping
moments that call for powerful, positive traits like courage, perseverance,
creativity and more. Having your clients identify key challenges in their life will
help them see the qualities they had to bring to the table to survive, overcome
and eventually thrive. This is an effective way to help them tap into authentic
confidence as they unearth incredible positive qualities they might not even
know they have!
Question #6
If you had to identify your top three values, what would they be?

This question lets your clients connect their core values to their purpose.

We all have multiple values that form the foundational blueprint of our lives. While it’s
okay to have many values, it’s crucial to laser in on the handful that we turn to in order
to make important, possibly life-changing, decisions.

The values from this question can work like an inner compass that unfailingly points
your client towards what's truly important, the situations and choices that carry true
meaning and purpose in their life.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 89 of 98




 Do This

Some people are unclear on their values and have no idea what they are. If
this is your client, coach them about values and help them come up with 10
values or more before you ask this question.

Question #7
What are you bloody good at and what do other people think
you're bloody good at?

This question lets your client start to operate from their zone of genius and integrate
their purpose into their goals.

The first part of the question has to do with identifying awesome skills -- the things that
come easily to your client. Essentially this is what your client does when they are
operating from their zone of genius

The second part of this question “what do people think you’re bloody good at” is
included here because most people are surprisingly bad at knowing what they're good
at! This is usually because other people often value you more than you value yourself…
it’s just human nature.

When I shared the second part of this question with a few of my close friends and also
my team and business partners, they all said the same thing, “Ajit, you’re a bloody good
leader!” I was shocked. For the longest time, I believed that I was great at marketing
and product creation but it became clear from their response that I had a natural gift at
inspiring and guiding people as a leader.

This revelation allowed me to anchor my purpose in a way that I never had before. I
shifted and updated some of my goals to include my leadership qualities.

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 90 of 98




 Do This

Let your client know that they need to ask the right people to help with the
second part of this question. This is because some people might take the
opportunity to point out flaws in your client’s character or get into some of the
resentment they may hold against your client. This is unhelpful and can have
damaging long-term outcomes. Instead, help your client identify the right
people for this question, 3 to 5 people they trust and who want to see them
succeed.

Question #8
How can you use your strengths, challenges, and learnings to
translate into an activity or some kind of purposeful work?

This question lets your clients identify their core purpose around their work in the
world.

In a way, this question brings all of the other questions in this chapter together. It asks
your clients to identify their strengths, learnings, capabilities, the skills they stand out at,
and their values.

Then it asks them to translate all that goodness into a service or activity that can be
useful.

Try This

Have your clients review their answers to questions #3, #5, and #6. This will
give them clues, insights and ideas that will help them answer Question #8
with depth and accuracy.

Actions & Reflections

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Answer the questions in this chapter so you can become familiar with how they work
from your client’s point of view. This will allow you to coach with deeper authenticity,
confidence, and understanding. The added benefit is you’ll uncover important inputs
and insights to identify your hidden talents and gifts as well as your overarching life
purpose.

Question #1
What are the things you are willing to do even if they’re hard?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #2
What are the activities when you engage in, you forget about time and it almost feels
like you are in a trance?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #3
What did you do as a child that gave you joy?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #4
If you were to die a year from now, and this was your last year to leave your legacy,
what would you do?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #5
What are some key challenges that shaped who you are right now and is there
something we can learn about you from them?

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 92 of 98




---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #6
If you had to identify your top three values what would they be?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #7
What are you bloody good at and what do other people think you're bloody good at?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question #8
How can you use your strengths, challenges, and learnings to translate into an activity
or some kind of purposeful work?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 93 of 98




 Conclusion
The Practice of Powerful Questions

So far, you’ve discovered 64 game-changing coaching questions that you can use to
transform different areas of your client’s life. But there are a few things I want to share
with you that can supercharge these questions so you can create real, lasting change
for your client.

These are the foundational elements of asking powerful questions or as I like to call it
The Practice of Powerful Questions. It involves knowing the exact traits or parameters
that make a question powerful. In other words, if you want to ask powerful coaching
questions you need to make sure they include the following elements:

Open-ended
Promotes self-inquiry

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 94 of 98




Courageous
Encourage curiosity

Let’s take a closer look at each one of these elements one by one.

Element #1 Open-Ended

All powerful questions are open-ended. So what’s the difference between a close-ended
and open-ended question? Well, let’s imagine you and I meet at a party and we’re
getting to know each other. If I were to ask, “Where were you born?” that’s a close-
ended question. Why? Because there’s only one answer. It might be Austin or New
Delhi or Singapore or London but there’s only one answer (you may have grown up in a
bunch of different places but you can only have one birthplace). The same goes for
questions that can be answered with a yes or no. If you asked me, “Is your name Ajit?”
the answer is “yes.”

It’s a different ball game when you ask an open-ended question. Let’s go back to our
party and this time imagine that I ask you this: “Tell me, what was it like for you growing
up in Austin?” Now you have a lot more to say, right? You simply cannot answer this
question with a “yes” or “no” or some other one-word answer. And that’s why an open-
ended question is so powerful.

It invites exploration and discovery. It allows your mind to wander through

interconnected, tangential pathways that could lead to interesting truths and revelations
that you might not even be consciously aware of. During a coaching session, an open-
ended question allows your client to follow any of the tangents that come up and that
appeal to them in the moment and in the context of the question that you asked. It’s why
you need to stick with open-ended and never close-ended when it comes to asking a
powerful question.

Element #2 Promote Deep Self-Inquiry

A good way to know if you’re asking (or answering) a powerful question is by the level of
discomfort that it stirs up inside yourself. Generally, the more uncomfortable it feels
when the question is asked and answered, the more powerful it is. The reason a
powerful question brings up discomfort is that the client has to go deep into their heart
and mind for some serious self-inquiry they respond with an honest answer. They might

Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 95 of 98




need to search for the answer in places that they have kept locked and hidden in
themselves for a long time.

For instance, maybe you’re a business coach and your client wants to build an audience
and an online presence. But you’ve noticed that you’re getting a lot of resistance and
“pushback” from your client when you recommend that they start posting regularly on
Instagram or Facebook. So you might ask your client something like: “I’m sensing some
resistance when it comes to promoting yourself on social media. What do you think is
holding you back?”

This might seem like an ordinary question but powerful questions often come disguised
as “ordinary”, “general” or “superficial.” When they get this question, your client has to
look within and dig deep to give you an answer that is true for them. It might be that
they’re afraid to be seen, they might feel like they need to be perfect and present their
best self online, every time, it might be that they don’t feel worthy enough to be a
successful entrepreneur. There are literally infinite possible answers that can come from
a seemingly ordinary question.

Element #3 Courageous

Powerful questions require courage… the courage to ask and the courage to answer. As
we explored with element #2, asking a powerful question is pretty much guaranteed to
bring up feelings of discomfort. That’s what makes the question powerful and that’s why
you need to be brave enough to ask knowing that your client is going to experience
some level of distress. Give yourself permission to do it anyway. Discomfort in the
moment is always preferable to long-term pain and heartache.

Take comfort in the fact that no matter how uncomfortable it may be in the moment,
discomfort is a temporary feeling that’s worth putting up with. When you ask a difficult
yet powerful question as a coach, you can be sure that you are creating an environment
for your client to succeed because the potential to resolve a problem, overcome a
challenge and even transform an entire life path, can often be found hidden inside a
single powerful but “uncomfortable” question.

Element #4 Curiosity

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Powerful questions cannot come from a place of fear or judgment. It cannot be
something that you are asking with an expectation of your client giving you the “right”
answer because there are no right or wrong answers.

Asking a powerful question has to come from a place of non-judgmental curiosity. It has
to come from a place of fascination, interest, exploration, and even adventure. A
powerful question can start a journey of learning and discovery of the self and that is the
point. So always ask knowing that you are looking to find an answer with your client
without necessarily knowing where the response will lead to.

You’ll find that the more you understand, absorb and lean into each of these four
elements of powerful questions when you’re working with a client, the more powerful
questions will come through, to you, easily.

You’ll also find that these four fundamental elements are already inherently within you.
They are inborn traits that you already have; it’s why you are drawn to being a coach!
So all you need to do is use this Guide as a jumping-off point. Use it to create your
personal, foundational understanding around asking powerful coaching questions. Then
allow yourself to let go, explore and experiment.

Just remember to stay intentional, stay curious, stay courageous, and stay interested in
your client's journey. Focus on promoting self-inquiry within yourself and within your
clients. And most of all, recognize that changing someone’s life doesn’t always have to
be complicated, difficult, or even time-consuming. So often, changing someone’s life is
just about asking a simple, powerful question.

You’ve arrived at the end of the book and the fact that you have read through this tells
me that you are no ordinary coach! You are a coach who wants to become the best so
they can serve at the highest level. You are a coach who isn’t afraid to do the work so
your clients can keep reaching for higher levels of success. You are a coach who is
devoted to making a difference in the world.

Thank you for being YOU and here’s to achieving your biggest, boldest goals and
dreams… I know you’ll get there!

Love all, serve always,

Ajit

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Powerful Questions by Ajit Nawalkha 98 of 98