The 5 Why’s. The Most Important Analytical Tool?

Regardless of the problem, the 5 most important questions you can ask are:

1.    Why?

2.    Why?

3.    Why?

4.    Why?

5.    Why?

Asking yourself Why 3 to 5 times can lead you to some profound conclusions and life changing realisations. This technique when applied to your art will also have profound implications.

For arguments sake, I’ll take myself as an example. Let’s start with my current 30 day atomic essay challenge. Let’s ask myself why 5 times to analyse my motivations and inspirations.

Why 30 atomic essays?

To develop the writing habit.

Why a writing habit?

To fulfil a burning desire I’ve had for years.

Why now after all these years?

I want to live more deliberately.

Why live more deliberately? In many aspects of life, I’ve come to realise that I was blindly sleepwalking through. I didn’t want to take a chance, a risk, to put myself out there. I cared too much about what other people thought of me, my actions, and my life decisions. At the core of it I was scared that I would fail and that I wouldn’t be accepted.

Why put yourself out there now?

I’ve finally accepted myself for who I am.

Who knows what asking why 5 times could reveal about you, you’re characters, you’re subject matter, or you’re audience?