My approach in working with client's has been to fairly early on in the conversation ask them: What are you passionate about? I have found this to be a very powerful question in finding out where their life is at and where they want to go. This is so important if you are helping someone set their goals and direction. I do not really believe you can do financial planning for a person without knowing their passion because it is so fundamental to their life. Having clarity of your passions regardless of what they are means you can make decisions with confidence and commitment.