Feeling stuck is one of the most frustrating human experiences. It’s like being lost in a thick fog, where every direction looks the same and the path forward is completely hidden. When we’re in this state, our minds tend to focus obsessively on the fog itself. We analyze the problem, we worry about the problem, we feel overwhelmed by the problem.
But what if you could find a way to see beyond the fog, just for a moment? What if you could get a clear glimpse of what life would be like on a bright, sunny day? This is the gift of the Miracle Question, a profound and surprisingly simple exercise from the world of Solution-Focused Therapy.
This question isn’t about magic. It’s about using your own imagination as a powerful tool for progress. As the great scientist Albert Einstein said:
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”
What is the Miracle Question?
The Miracle Question is a thought experiment. It invites you to suspend disbelief and step into a future where your problem is already solved. While there are many variations, the classic version goes something like this:
“Suppose that tonight, while you are sleeping, a miracle happens. The miracle is that the problem which brought you here is solved. However, because you are sleeping, you don’t know that the miracle has happened. So, when you wake up tomorrow morning, what will be the first small things you will notice that will tell you the miracle has occurred?”
Why This Strange Question is So Powerful
This isn’t just wishful thinking. The Miracle Question is a carefully crafted tool that cleverly bypasses the parts of our brain that are stuck in “problem mode.”
- It Focuses on Solutions, Not Problems. When we’re stuck, asking “How do I solve this?” can be overwhelming. The Miracle Question skips that and jumps right to the end goal. It asks, “What does the solution look like and feel like in your everyday life?”
- It Creates a Concrete Vision. The question pushes you past vague desires like “I just want to be happier.” It forces you to identify small, concrete, observable details. What would you actually be doing? What would your partner or family notice that’s different about you?
- It Reveals Your Hidden Goals. The small details of your miracle morning are not random. They are your true goals in disguise. The desire to “get out of bed without hitting the snooze button” is a goal. The urge to “have a calm breakfast with my family” is a goal. The Miracle Question reveals what you truly value.
How to Ask Yourself the Miracle Question: A Guide
- Get Curious. Find a quiet moment and allow yourself to be playful and imaginative. There are no right or wrong answers.
- Ask the Question. Read the full question to yourself, slowly. Really let the premise sink in. The problem is gone. You just don’t know it yet.
- Focus on the Details. What is the very first thing you’d notice? Would you wake up feeling lighter? Would you stretch? Would you choose a different outfit? Would you say something different to the first person you see? What would you do for the first hour of your day?
- Write It Down. Don’t just think about it. Writing down the details of your miracle day makes them more concrete and real.
Explore Your Miracle Day: Our Guided Tool
To help you dive deep into this exercise, we’ve created the Miracle Question Explorer. It’s an interactive tool that guides you through the process with prompts and questions, helping you build a rich, detailed picture of your problem-solved future.
➡️ Open the Miracle Question Explorer
Finding the First Step
Your description of your miracle day is more than just a beautiful story. It’s a map. The final and most important step is to look at your map and ask:
“Which one of these small things could I do a tiny piece of today, even though the miracle hasn’t happened?”
Maybe you can’t have a perfectly calm breakfast, but could you put your phone away for the first five minutes of it? Maybe you don’t feel full of energy, but could you stretch for one minute after waking up? This is how the miracle begins. Not with a flash of light, but with a single, small step in the direction of your own vision.