The one question you should ask before doing anything

The one question you should ask before doing anythingThe one question you should ask before doing anythingI recently developed what I would consider a healthy obsession with the poetry ofNayyirah Waheed. Ive never been a poetry-reading person- making room only for the occasional Rumi- which is somewhat ironic since my first name (Ozan) is Turkish for poet. Yet, the simplicity of Waheeds poems- and her healthy disregard for poetrys traditional rules- struck a deep chord with me.Consider this onewouldyou still want to travel tothatcountryif you could not take a camera with you?Theres a broader way of posing the same question. Would you still do that thing youre thinking about doing if you couldnt deutsche post dhl it on social media, if you couldnt showcase it for friends and family- if no one else would ever know about it?We often fall in love with a destination, but not the path.We dont want to climb a mountain. We want tohaveclimbed a mountain.We dont want to write a book. We want t ohavewritten a book.We dont want to landsee India. We want other people to see us see India.In high school, I took two years of reluctant German. This past year, we spent nearly six months living in Nuremberg, and I thought Id pick German back up. I slogged through Duolingo lessons, trying to parse the intricacies of German grammar and memorize the articles that go with each word. But halfway through the summer, it hit me I had no interest in learning German. I wanted tohavelearned German. I was like a marathoner who hated running but craved the high of the finish line. So, I saidAuf Wiedersehenand stopped.Theres a question that frequently shows up in self-help booksWhat would you do if you knew that you could not fail?This is the wrong question to ask. Instead, doas Elizabeth Gilbert does, and flip the question on its head What would you do even if you knew that you might very well fail? What do you love doing so much that the words failure and success essentially become irrelevant ?This requires pivoting our focus from the outcome to the process. If you want to climb a mountain, imagine training with your backpack on, hiking at high altitudes to get used to the low-oxygen environment, climbing stairs to build up muscle, and running to improve cardiovascular endurance. If you want to write a book, imagine sitting in front of your computer every single day for two years putting one awkward word after the next, writing one ghastly draft chapter after another, polishing, tweaking, and retweaking- even if you dont feel like it- with no recognition or accolades.If you go through this exercise, and the idea seems less like a picnic and more like a medieval torture technique, then stop. If any of this seems strangely fun to you- as writing does to me- then by all means, go for it. With this reorientation, you also condition yourself to derive intrinsic value from the process rather than chasing elusive outcomes.I love this quote from Andrea Dworkin Does the sun ask i tself, Am I good? Am I worthwhile? Is there enough of me? No, it burns and it shines. Does the sun ask itself, What does the moon think of me? How does Mars feel about me today? No it burns, it shines. Does the sun ask itself, Am I as big as other suns in other galaxies? No, it burns, it shines.Youll know youre on the right path when burning and shining is good enough for you- even if no one can see you in all your bright glory.Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned law professor and bestselling author.Click hereto download a free copy of his e-book, The Contrarian Handbook 8 Principles for Innovating Your Thinking. Along with your free e-book, youll get the Weekly Contrarian - a newsletter that challenges conventional wisdom and changes the way we look at the world (plus access to exclusive content for subscribers only).Thisarticlefirst appeared onOzanVarol.com.