We humans place great store on things that come in threes – it seems our brains are hardwired to think that way. Take language for example.
- Beginning, middle and end.
- The good, the bad, the ugly.
- Sex, drugs and rock’n’roll.
- The father, sun and the holy spirit.
- Lights, camera, action.
- Blood, sweat and tears.
At Wyseminds, we apply this principle to the type of questions we believe can help all women entrepreneurs when they’re at those brick wall moments that are so common when growing a business.
These are the moments where you feel like you’ve lost your entrepreneurial compass – when doubt, fear or overwhelm take hold of your mind and obscure rational, clear thinking. It’s how you move through these moments that matters.
The analysis paralysis caused by reactive questioning
As a founder, your mindset is one of the most powerful forces shaping your business. It influences every decision, challenge, and opportunity. But when things become unclear, it’s easy to get stuck.
Your mind fills with questions as you attempt to find clarity and answers to the small stuff. But because they spring from a place of fear and worry, these questions simply serve to keep you in the same negative spiral.
These are what we call “reactive” questions, and they hold you back. They are questions asked in reaction to everyday stress that serve to
- Keep you focused on immediate pressures, making long-term thinking difficult.
- Create analysis paralysis that prevents action.
- Lead to reactive decision-making, trapping you in daily struggles.
- Give the illusion of problem-solving while keeping you looping in the same cycles.
- Feed your worries thereby ensuring you play it safe and lose direction.
Powering business growth with the right questions
When a step-by-step plan is what you need, starting from a place of overwhelm and pressure won’t you get there. But asking three big power questions will.
“The right questions don’t just bring answers; they help us rise above the ones that no longer serve us” – Wyseminds’ founder Julie Perkins
The 3 big power questions are purpose-led, prompt reflection on your goals and values, and power you into a place of clarity where the right action becomes obvious. They are:
1. What does growth mean to you?
2. Do you fully understand the value your business provides and the impact it makes—and does everyone else?
3. Are you spending your time on what truly drives growth, and do you have the influence needed to make it happen?
Just as staying curious and asking smart questions helps women entrepreneurs adapt and stay agile, so too do these three simple questions have a transformative effect on shifting a chaotic, anxious mind into a calmer, more purposeful one.
Freeing up space
Let’s take a closer look at how asking each of these three power questions can help.
1: What does growth mean to you?
This first power question for growth gives direction. Growth might look different for everyone. It could be increasing revenue, making a bigger impact, finding personal fulfillment, or building a strong team.
Without knowing what growth means to you, you won’t have a clear definition and this allows uncertainty to creep in. Once you identify what growth means to you personally, the reactive questions lose their power.
2: Do you fully understand the value your business provides and the impact it makes — and does everyone else?
The second power question creates balance. When we truly understand the value we offer, we stop questioning if we’re doing enough, if our customers see our worth or if we’re on the right track.
Clarity in our value keeps our team, customers and partners aligned, reducing unnecessary stress and confusion. Without this balance, we will again fall into asking the wrong questions.
3: Are you spending your time on what truly drives growth and do you have the influence needed to make it happen?
The third power question brings focus and control. It ensures your energy is spent on what actually makes a difference rather than getting caught up in reactive, low-impact tasks.
Spring clean your mental clutter
The right questions act as a mental filter, sorting and organising your thoughts so you can focus on what really matters. When you identify the real issue, your mind stops holding onto the irrelevant concerns freeing space for clear thinking.
Instead of dwelling on obstacles from yesterday or worries of tomorrow, asking the three power questions will help you find solutions in the present. Given we only have this moment, activating your problem-solving and decision-making brain right now makes sense.
If you’re a woman founder interested in putting the power questions to work but unsure of how best to do so, the Wyseminds team of specialist coaches can help.
Book a virtual coffee with Wyseminds’ founder Julie to find out more.
