Reframe passive questions as active questions
Ask "did I do my best to...?" rather than "how was my...?" — the word "try" changes what the question measures.
Key takeaways
- What it is: Ask "did I do my best to...?" rather than "how was my...?" — the word "try" changes what the question measures.
- Why it works: Passive questions ("how engaged were you today?") measure perception of an outcome that was partly caused by external factors — they invite attribution to circumstances. Active questions ("did you do your best to be engaged?") measure effort, which is within the person’s control regardless of circumstances. Goldsmith’s research comparing the two formats found that active questioning produced more genuine self-assessment and greater engagement with the behavior being measured, because it removes the circumstances excuse.
- Evidence: Established clinical or therapeutic practice.
- Avoid: Framing the active question around an outcome rather than an effort: "Did I do my best to feel less anxious?" is not controllable — "Did I do my best to use my anxiety management practice?" is.
Why it works
Passive questions ("how engaged were you today?") measure perception of an outcome that was partly caused by external factors — they invite attribution to circumstances. Active questions ("did you do your best to be engaged?") measure effort, which is within the person’s control regardless of circumstances. Goldsmith’s research comparing the two formats found that active questioning produced more genuine self-assessment and greater engagement with the behavior being measured, because it removes the circumstances excuse.
How to do it
- 1Take any self-monitoring question you currently ask yourself and rewrite it in the active format: "Did I do my best to ___?"
- 2Ensure the behavior in the blank is something entirely within your control, not a result.
- 3Score each question daily on a 1–10 scale before reviewing yesterday’s scores — commit the score before comparing to previous days.
- 4Use low scores as prompts for one-sentence reflection, not extended journaling: "What specifically got in the way of trying harder today?"
What the evidence says
Clinical practiceGoldsmith’s comparative research on passive vs. active questions found that active questioning improved self-reported engagement and behavior more than passive tracking. The mechanism aligns with self-determination theory’s concept of internal locus of causality.
Honest caveat: Goldsmith’s evidence comes from practitioner reports and coaching research rather than controlled trials; the mechanism is sound but the effect size and generalizability have not been independently replicated.
- — Goldsmith & Reiter (2015), Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts — Becoming the Person You Want to Be
Common mistake
Framing the active question around an outcome rather than an effort: "Did I do my best to feel less anxious?" is not controllable — "Did I do my best to use my anxiety management practice?" is.
IX Coach builds active questions directly into your daily check-in, framing every monitored behavior as a "did I try" question and tracking your scores over time to surface patterns.
Practice this with IX Coach →