About the 5QF

A framework for a self-determined life.

Author: David Schepkowski - Published: 24.07.2025
What exactly is the 5QF, who is it intended for, and how can you use it? I will answer these questions and more in this article.

What is the 5QF?

The 5 Questions Framework (5QF) is a self-guided structure I created to support anyone who wants to work on themselves and live a more self-determined life. It outlines a wide range of topics and concepts from life coaching, as well as related fields such as psychology and educational science—areas I consider essential for personal development and autonomy. The framework is structured around five core questions, each linked to specific themes and accompanied by further reflection prompts designed to spark more profound insight. These five core questions (with example sub-questions) are:

Why do you act the way you do? (What matters to you? What motivates you? What do you believe about yourself and the world?)
Who are you? (What defines you? How do you behave? How are you perceived by others?)
What can you use? (What are your strengths and weaknesses? What resources are available to you? How do you build relationships?)
Where are you headed? (What do you want to do? What are your preferences and aversions? What challenges stand in your way?)
How do you feel? (What emotions are present? How is your physical and mental health? How do you experience your environment?)

I truly believe that if you can answer the WHY, WHO, WHAT, WHERE, and HOW of your life, there is no question about yourself that you ever need to fear again. Whether in a job interview, on a first date, or during an existential crisis—when you know yourself, you’ll always find a path forward with confidence.

Characteristics of the 5QF

Like all models, the 5 Questions Framework (5QF) has certain characteristics that help describe and understand it more clearly:

Interdependent: None of the core questions in the 5QF stands alone. Each question touches on multiple areas or concepts—just as no aspect of life should be viewed in isolation. One question leads to the next, and one step follows another on the path to a self-determined life.

Generalizable: The 5QF can be applied to any situation and every area of life. Questions like “Who am I?” or “What do I want?” and concepts such as values and emotions can—and should—be reflected on in times of peace, at work, or during a relationship crisis.
Interrogative: The 5QF is built around questions that invite self-reflection. No matter how much support you receive from others, you are still the expert of your own life—and no one else can answer life’s most important questions for you.

Cyclical: At some point, reflection must turn into action (see below). Questions must be answered, at least to a certain degree. Decisions need to be made, and states need to be evaluated and re-evaluated. And so the process continues—just as day turns into night, you gain new experiences and insights about yourself and the world. Self-realization isn’t a task you complete; it’s a lifelong process.
Dynamic: The 5QF adapts. Or more accurately, I've made it my mission to continually develop and refine it. New scientific insights and personal findings from my work regularly influence and reshape the structure and content. In a way, the 5QF questions itself: What is its purpose? How should it be structured? Are the contents still relevant? Where does this new concept I’ve encountered fit in?

Who Is the 5QF For?

The 5 Questions Framework (5QF) is for anyone who wants to work on themselves and their life—regardless of their current situation. It takes courage to face your reality, to accept it, and to take the first step into the unknown parts of yourself. If you would like to explore difficult topics like your personality, fears, or health at your own pace—or if you’re searching for practical advice on challenges in your relationships, your job, or your habits—then the 5QF is the right resource for you. However, what the 5QF is not is a coach or therapist who can respond to your individual questions, needs, and issues. While it aims to offer a lot, you are more than a statistic or a homogenous target group to which most generalized advice applies.

How Do I Navigate the 5QF?

In addition to the five core questions, the 5QF includes a meta-level, which is where you are right now. This section provides background information about the 5QF itself as well as helpful lists and links to make working with it easier and more accessible. Within each of the five core questions, you'll find articles on specific concepts, which are almost always structured using the same hierarchical format:

Title: The title of the article, usually the key term or concept being explored.
Author: The writer of the article. That’s me—David! In the future, you may also see occasional guest contributions.
Publication Date and Edit Date: The date the article was first published and the last time it was significantly updated or revised.
Introduction: A short overview of what the article is about.
The Basics: Definitions, explanations, and examples of the concept, intended to build a shared understanding.
Reflection Questions: Questions you can ask yourself to spark deeper thought and personal insight related to the topic.
Level 1–2–3: Practical tips and implementation strategies, organized into a three-tier system based on the level of effort required—so you can apply the article’s insights in everyday life.
ADHD: How the concept relates to and plays out in the context of ADHD.
Games: The concept from a game or game design perspective.
References: Links to additional articles or external resources you might find relevant or helpful.

How Do I Use the 5QF?

Let’s take a closer look at how to work with the 5 Questions Framework (5QF) using a simple model:

There are two main approaches to navigating the 5QF:

Bottom-Up: You start with a specific question or personal issue you want to reflect on. This places you directly in the Reflection Circle. From here, you can dive deeper into a concept until you find content that resonates, or you can take a mental step back to explore broader or related questions that expand your perspective. This is an exploratory approach, where you move in all directions without a set order or method.

Top-Down: You don’t have a specific issue, but you’d like a structured starting point for personal growth. In this case, it’s recommended to read through the articles from top to bottom. While you don’t have to start with the first core question (e.g., values work), it’s a useful place to begin. You also don’t need to read everything before taking action.

Once you’ve found articles and action strategies relevant to your situation—regardless of which approach you used—you enter the Action Circle, which follows a defined sequence:

Check: After reflecting, assess whether your answers and insights actually reflect reality. This can involve a test, a conversation with a friend, or input from a coach. Think of it as a reality check.
Evaluate: Once your current state (the “what is”) is clear, evaluate whether it aligns with your desired state (the “what should be”).
Decide: Based on your evaluation, your motivation, and your current capacity to make changes, consciously decide whether you want (and are able) to work on the issue—or not.
Plan: If you choose to pursue change, it’s time to create a plan. What exactly do you want to change? How will you do it? And by when? A coach can help here too—by offering practical tools and helping to set realistic expectations.
Realize: Now it’s time to return to everyday life. You’ve reflected, found clarity, and made a decision. Now it’s on you to put your insights into practice. After some time, you’ll return to the Reflection Circle to reassess your new “what is.”

Any Examples?

Absolutely! Here are some examples of how the 5QF can help in real-life situations:

Unhappy in your current job?

Self-Reflection: While reading the article on emotions, you’re asked to connect a specific feeling with a person in your life. The answer? Your new team lead—who’s been distributing tasks unfairly. Action: You realize you can’t go on like this. Using insights from the 5QF, you create a strategy to express your needs and work style more effectively—and start preparing for that conversation with confidence.

Arguing about housework in your relationship?

Self-Reflection: An article on relationships leads you to the topic of values. The insight: You discover that you and your partner have entirely unique ideas about how much importance to place on order and cleanliness. Action: You share your realization, and together you agree to rethink the way household tasks are divided—not by what’s “fair” or socially expected, but by what matters more to each of you personally. As the more order-loving partner, you’re happy to take on car cleaning, while your spouse uses the freed-up time to express care and attention to your children. And because that worked so well, you both decide to go through a values assessment with the 5QF and discover new ways to appreciate each other’s differences and common ground.

Overspending again?

Self-Reflection: An article in the 5QF on resources, specifically finances, leads you to ask, “Why do I always overspend?” The answer comes quickly: “Maybe I have ADHD?” Especially when you notice that most of your spending goes to ever-changing monthly hobbies. Action: You dive deeper into ADHD-related content within the 5QF and start outlining a plan to navigate the long journey from your first psychological appointment to diagnosis and potential treatment. Maybe an accountability partner, like a coach, could help you stay on track?

These examples show why the 5QF is a valuable toolbox of questions and concepts, especially for anyone who wants to work on themselves over a longer period.
But particularly in complex situations, when emotions run high or challenges become overwhelming, I can say from personal experience that self-help isn’t always enough. Every tool or framework—including the 5QF—has its limits. And most of the time, those limits are defined by what you’re using it for. And every so often, what you really need is a professional.

Pro Tip

Asking good questions is a skill in itself. If you want to get even more out of the 5QF, try modifying questions using the following strategies. These simple tweaks can expand your personal question catalog and help you get closer to real answers:

Time: Turn “Who am I?” into “Who am I right now?”, “Who was I back then?”, or “Who do I will to become?”
Negation: Turn “What do I want?” into “What don’t I want?” or “What am I avoiding?”
Context: Turn “What matters to me?” into “What matters to me in a relationship / at work / as a parent?”
Emphasis: Turn “What do I think about this situation?” into → “What do I think (not someone else) about this situation?”
Question-fy: Turn “This really upsets me!” into “Does this really upset me?” or “What exactly about it upsets me?”
Perspective: Turn “Am I actually good at this?” into “Is he/she actually good at this?” or “Are others really that good at this?”
Meta-level: Turn “Am I even right for this job?” into “Why am I asking myself this question?” or “Do I have any real reason to believe I’m not the right fit for it?”

These variations not only improve your self-reflection. They train your curiosity, challenge your assumptions, and lead you to deeper clarity.

The Story Behind the 5QF

The 5QF began taking shape several years ago—though it didn’t have a name yet—during my very first job as a job coach. One day, a participant asked me:
"What do employers actually want to hear when they ask in an interview, 'Where do you see yourself in five years?' I mean—how should I know?" Even though I intuitively had an answer in mind, I struggled to articulate the core of the question. So I started reflecting: What is the real question behind that question? Of course we don’t know exactly where we’ll be in five years. But employers ask this to get a sense of whether your goals align with the role and company. Do you see yourself in a leadership role they can’t offer? Or in another city when remote work isn’t possible? This realization helped me reinterpret other typical interview questions like, “What are your strengths?” (qualifications) and “How would you describe yourself?” (personality). Along with “What do you want?” (goals), these formed the first foundations of what would eventually become the 5QF. Gradually, I extended this framework from professional contexts to personal life questions. Over the years, two more core questions emerged: “What is important to you?” (values) and “How do you feel?” (emotions). Today, these questions have evolved into broader categories filled with sub-questions, comprising an ever-growing web of meaningful reflection. Now, the 5QF is not only a semi-structured self-help model but also a practical tool I use in coaching sessions—especially when a client hits a block or needs a fresh perspective. It’s not always easy to maintain both the structure’s timeless relevance and the flexibility to integrate new ideas and concepts.
But I’m committed to keeping the 5QF dynamic and evolving—especially in making the concepts more accessible via this website. That’s also why I introduced a (still quite basic) level system as a first step toward a more gamified and user-friendly experience. Until then, please forgive the occasional “tbd” placeholder scattered across this site. There will be more coming soon!

Things that might interest you

Let's begin: What is important to you? (tbd)