{"id":42527,"date":"2021-07-17T18:35:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-17T22:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=42527"},"modified":"2021-07-26T12:40:53","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T16:40:53","slug":"dont-make-assumptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dont-make-assumptions\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Make Assumption: Seek and Face the Truth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you feel like you tend to rush to conclusions too soon? Why is it important to hold yourself off making premature assumptions about the events in your life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s common to make up \u201cstories\u201d about a situation or experience to help us interpret it rather than asking questions to learn the truth. Often, our stories are negative, and they affect how we choose to act. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, you\u2019ll learn to ask questions to determine what\u2019s going on rather than letting your negative stories affect your emotions and guide your actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Avoid Assuming<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you spend too much time thinking about what others think about you, it\u2019s common to assume the worst. If you don\u2019t check into it, you can\u2019t know how others feel, and you run the risk that you\u2019ll start acting based on how you think they feel rather than how they actually feel. However, you may feel hesitant to check in with someone because talking about feelings can be intimidating. Yet, don’t make assumptions<\/a>. Instead, push through your insecurity, and check in with the person you\u2019re wondering about so you can learn the facts and act accordingly. You may find out their behavior has nothing to do with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, during one of Canfield\u2019s seminars, he could see a participant whose body language<\/a> indicated he wasn\u2019t enjoying himself: The participant had his arms crossed and a displeased expression. Canfield approached him during the first break to check in. He explained what he saw and asked if there was anything he could do to improve the presentation. The participant replied that he was greatly enjoying the presentation but was feeling under the weather, and it was taking all of his energy to concentrate. Canfield felt proud of himself for checking in with the man and not letting himself be consumed for the whole presentation with whether the participant was enjoying himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Checking in can also help set clear expectations for the future. For example, instead of assuming your coworker knows when you expect them to turn in their report, ask them directly for verbal confirmation that they\u2019re okay with the specific deadline you have in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask Questions to Help You Succeed and Achieve Your Goals<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the benefits of avoiding assumptions, asking questions can help you succeed in your career and achieve your goals<\/a> in two ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. You learn what you need to know and establish guidelines in the beginning. <\/strong>Companies that discuss expectations and how challenges will be dealt with in the beginning of a project or partnership will be more capable of tackling challenges that arise. For example, if you start doing business with a new company, creating guidelines on how you\u2019ll resolve conflicts at the outset will help you handle the conflict rather than facing the stress of both the conflict and not having a procedure to resolve it.<\/li>
  2. You learn the rules and how to use them to your advantage. <\/strong>In certain situations, you might think you should avoid asking questions so you appear competent. But it\u2019s better to ask them and work confidently with the answers rather than operating without clarity. For example, Tim Ferriss had experience in wrestling when he decided to attempt to win the national kickboxing championship with just six weeks to train. He investigated the rules to determine how he might play to his strengths. He learned that in addition to winning a round if you knock your opponent out, you can also win by throwing them out of the ring twice in a round. He asked his coach to focus his training on learning to throw opponents out of the ring, using his existing athletic strengths. By not assuming he had to knock people out to win, Ferriss found a way to win a game he had little experience with.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Take Action: Tips for Asking Good Questions<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Here are a few ways to begin your questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n