3 Questions to Ask Yourself to Figure Out What You Really Want

What It Covers

Mel Robbins presents the Odyssey Plan from Stanford professors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, using three strategic questions to help listeners identify unfinished business, explore alternative paths, and design a more fulfilling life through small experiments.

Key Questions Answered

• •Current Path Visualization: Honestly assess where your present trajectory leads in five years without any changes. This confronting exercise reveals whether daily habits and choices align with desired outcomes, forcing recognition that maintaining the status quo often leads to deterioration rather than stability in unfulfilling situations.
• •Plan B Development: Consider what actions you would take if your current path disappeared tomorrow, whether through job loss, relationship ending, or major life change. This mental exercise reveals hidden options and capabilities before crisis strikes, reducing fear's grip by proving you possess more alternatives than previously acknowledged.
• •Unlimited Possibility Thinking: Imagine life without constraints of money, expectations, or obligations to uncover intrinsic values and unfinished business. Research from Knox College shows people focused on contribution, connection, and growth report higher life satisfaction and less anxiety than those chasing status or wealth, revealing what truly matters.
• •Prototyping Strategy: Test big dreams through small, low-stakes experiments rather than dramatic life overhauls. Dedicate fifteen minutes daily to researching interests, take weekend classes, or adjust morning routines to prioritize meaningful activities. These micro-changes create different paths without requiring immediate major decisions or financial commitments.
• •Habit-Based Path Shifting: Change your trajectory by adding one new habit that signals priority shifts, like writing before checking email or walking before breakfast. Small daily actions compound over time, providing feedback about what energizes versus drains you, gradually clarifying which direction deserves more investment and which paths to abandon.