MIQ stands for Most Important Question. It is a concept I picked up from Joshua Waitzkin in this interview with Tim Ferriss.

It is a question to guide questions.

Pose it to yourself right now. What is the most important question to ask yourself? Not answer, not idea, not project. The most important question.

The practice cultivates a sense of dynamic quality, or staying on the front edge of yourself. Once you’ve done this for a while you start to cut through the noise of a meeting, or a conversation, or a lesson to the most important, most imperative point. What is the tip of the tip of the spear?

As I understand it, Josh recommends meditating on and posing this question to yourself at the end of your work day. Then go home and release, relax, restore. When you wake up in the morning do a brief (25 minute) journal session on whatever the unconscious state has gathered in response to the question.

This could be on questions as far ranging as, “How does the bow hand work?” to, “When I die what will be the legacy of my life,” or, “Which city should I lauch my teaching career in?”

Through this practice I have come to understand a few fundamentals.

1. The subconscious mind is infinitley more capable than the conscious one
2. We can direct the domain and timing of our insights (Josh speaks of working with managers who go from having one insight a quarter to one or two insights a day)
3. There is only one most important question; if you can focus on it other ‘problems’ melt
4. Most people seem to be bouncing off of their deep questions. If you can cultivate a curiosity about what your mind has to say on such matters you will appear superhuman

This is a simple practice to add to your life (question in the evening, journal in the morning) but so few people do it.

Just for fun, I’ll share some MIQ’s for the past week…

What other opportunities do I have to deliberately, even radically, alter my environment?

What will our wedding ceremony look like?

Can I see what I’m going to be?

What would it look like to be ever-loyal to the members of our studio?

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Enjoy this process. I’m curious to see if it brings you as much clarity as it does me.