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“What will happen to my life?” is too broad for a useful reading
You may only want to ask about one thing in front of you, yet put your entire life into a single sentence.
Find what you are actually hesitating over
“Will my career go well?” can conceal entirely different circumstances: an offer from another company and uncertainty about moving; a decent current job with a difficult manager; or no work experience yet and a choice of major. The question looks the same, but the situation the reading must address differs.
Before casting, complete this thought: “Where am I now, what choices are before me, and what worries me most?” Three or four sentences of background can suffice without exposing every private detail. Include the facts that affect the judgment.
Include the choice and time horizon
A broad question is, “Can I find a good job?” A clearer example is, “I have worked in graphic design for three years and plan to seek a brand-design role in the next two months, but my portfolio lacks commercial projects. What is the main obstacle to my search, and what should I address first?”
Relationships work similarly. “Can we stay together forever?” does not say what is happening. Try, “We have repeatedly argued over long-distance arrangements but both still want to communicate. How should we pace discussions of visits and settling in one place over the next month?” Both are teaching scenarios, not validated cases from this site.
Connect judgment, changing line, and situation
The primary hexagram describes the overall situation, the changing line points to a position worth closer attention, and the resulting hexagram supplies a perspective on change. Methods handle changing lines and images differently. Several favorable passages cannot be arbitrarily combined as if they constituted one coherent inference.
After reading, locate the definite judgment, then the hexagram or line supporting it, and finally ask whether the advice can be applied to your particular situation. If it keeps saying to seize opportunities and communicate but never reaches the choice you actually hesitate over, further questions are needed.
Keep the original question for later review
Save the casting date, original question, and background known then. Do not quietly replace the question when reviewing: asking whether you could meet within a month and later using a marriage a year afterward to prove the reading correct changes the object of comparison.
If the situation changes, ask again about the changed matter. But repeatedly casting merely because an answer was unwelcome often leaves only the most pleasing sentence selected from many. A specific question also creates a judgment that can be reviewed later.
Sources and further reading
The people and work or relationship situations are writing examples. The questioning advice and reading order are NineHound usage guidance.