"If I was more effective, what would be I doing right now?"
"If I was more intelligent, how would I approach this problem?"
Sometimes I ask myself these questions, and oftentimes I get good answers.
"If I achieve everything I set out to achieve, what would I have done? How would I have done it? What would I have done right now at this moment?"
I like that last one. Very very useful sometimes.
Also, this one is a favorite of mine when talking to talented people who underestimate themselves -
Me: So, what's (xyz thing) in your field like?
Talented person: I don't know.
Me: Okay, but if you did know, what might it be?
Talented person: (very full and thorough answer)
I don't know exactly why that works. Do we suppress some of our potential? Maybe yes. Why? I don't know... to keep some in reserve for emergencies? To not set the bar too high? To not risk alienating people by performing too well? Fear of failure? Fear of success?
"If I was certain this was going to work, what would I be doing right now?"
Careful with that last one. It makes for a lack of contingency plans. But I've gotten some mileage out of that one too.