One time, riding through Sonoma county on a bike tour, I made a wrong turn.

I spent half a day grinding up and down steep hills, looking for a road that I wouldn’t find, because I was going the wrong way.

I spent the second half of the day backtracking through green hills, riding past vineyards, quaint farmhouses, and occasional views of a bright blue Pacific Ocean.

I can’t say it wasn’t beautiful, but it was also exhausting.

“Looks like you didn’t get very far,” joked the host at the camp where I had slept the night before, where I would sleep again for another night. I lost a day without being any closer to my destination.

This kind of mistake is a great metaphor for life.

What I mean is, I’ve wasted a lot of time.

Avoiding Wrong Turns in Life

I’ve made some wrong turns that cost me years of my life. Have you ever done that?

Today I’ll show you how to stay on track and avoid making those wrong turns.

We're going to take a machete and clear away all the tangled vines that are slowing you down.

When you ask yourself just two simple questions, you’ll feel the answer in your gut and you’ll know almost right away what to do next.

Finally, you can focus on the things that are going to boost your energy instead of draining it. You’ll know how to move closer to a life that makes you happy and proud.

So, what are these two questions?

The Two Life-Changing Questions

You’ve probably heard the first question:

“What would you do if you knew with absolute conviction that you could not fail?”

This is the question that launches businesses. It turns abstract thoughts and secret yearnings into books, bike tours, new inventions and even marriage proposals.

But it has a fatal flaw.

You see, it only works if you already know what you want, if you understand the deep values that drive you.

So I’ve got another question that will turn a spotlight on that secret place where dreams are born:

“What would you do anyway, even if you knew with absolute conviction that you were bound to fail?”

When you answer this question, you’ll know what hill you’re willing to die on.

You’ll know which journeys are more important than the destination.

You’ll be crystal clear on the experience you want to have, the activity you enjoy for its own sake, the cause you will always support no matter what.

Following Your Life’s Evolving Purpose

Your answers to these two questions are likely to change over time. I strongly recommend you get yourself a journal and check in with these questions a few times every year.

Are your answers the same? Are you living by these answers?

Keep these questions in mind, because we’re going to build on them.

Next time, I’m going to teach you a “mental chiropractor” trick that will add hours of time to your week. Almost nobody is using this trick because it only works after you've answered the two questions.

It’s time for some deep thought.

Tools and Talismans