Looking for more meaning in your life? This post will help you find your WHY, which will help you become inspired again. Discover why your “WHY” is so important, and how it helps you achieve anything you want.
Years ago, I would start businesses with one intention – to make money.
But I always felt that this was not enough of a reason. After all there are a lot of ways to make money. I used to have a corporate job and I could have got another one, but I decided that was not the kind of life that I wanted.
Now I am not saying that money should play no part in your business. I would always encourage you to set financial goals and targets and strive to achieve these.
But money on its own rarely makes people happy and fulfilled.
I like having money and I am sure you do too. The thing is that when I based my reason for existence on making money, it didn’t motivate me as much as I thought it would.
It didn’t make me jump out of bed with excitement totally motivated for the day ahead.
So, I decided to change my approach. I had heard many times that you needed a purpose and a big “Why” to continually drive you to achieve your goals.
I was a little skeptical at first, but I looked into this more and discovered my business purpose and my “Why”.
I have not looked back since.
How you can find your Why
Before we start here, I need to tell you that there is no reason that your personal “Why” cannot change as you move forward. In fact, I have changed my personal “Why” a couple of times.
I have used a number of different ways to discover my “Why” in the past but these are the ones that I keep coming back to:
How do you Define Success?
We all have our own definitions of what success means and that’s fine. So, do you have your own success definition?
There is no right or wrong definition, so don’t waste your time searching for this on Google.
Sure, there are definitions there but I don’t want you to be beholden to someone else’s definition.
You really need a definition of success that you are happy with. The reason for this is that without it you will never know if you have achieved success or not.
Your success definition can be financially related and it can also contain other aspects such as your personal growth and so on.
After you have written your success definition, or if you already have one, then take a good look at it and ask yourself why you have this as your definition.
Dig deep and it will help you to make your “Why” a lot clearer.
What about your Passions?
A passion is completely different to a skill. You can have a lot of different skills but you may not be passionate about them. Many business owners display a lot of passion in their business but they may actually hate certain aspects of it.
So, think about the different aspects of your business and whether you are passionate or not about them.
If you find this is difficult for you then that’s OK. Ask yourself what you are truly passionate about. Think about what really makes you feel excited.
Think about what really motivates you and keeps you going when things get tough.
When you are defining your “Why” it needs to be something that you are totally passionate about. Once you identify your passions then you can tie your natural talents to these and you have all of the ingredients of a truly motivational “Why”.
If you could do anything you want what would you do?
I want you to take money out of the equation here. Just imagine that money is no object. If you didn’t have to worry about money any more, what would you do?
Be realistic here – if you are in your mid 40’s then it is pretty unlikely that you are going to play professional football or become an Olympic athlete.
The reason that you need to do this is that it gives real purpose to your business. You can add this to your “Why” so that it drives you to making your business successful so that it will provide you with the freedom that you desire.
Ask yourself the right Questions
To further determine your real “Why” you can ask yourself these important questions:
What Truly Inspires You?
When you are inspired to pursue something in your life then you will feel a lot more alive. Do not get bogged down with small things here. Following a football team is not what I am talking about.
It is something much larger than that. This thing is bigger than you and really puts fire in your belly.
Think about a cause that means a lot to you in life. This can be inventing something or making an impact in the world. Once you have found this you can connect with it and add it to your “Why” statement.
This will be a reflection of who you really are and what you are looking for.
What Are Your True Strengths?
Think about those things that you are really good at. There will be a number of things that you can do easily which others cannot do at all. Are you a creative person?
Can you see the “forest for the trees?” Do you have a good eye for detail? Are you an excellent communicator?
It’s a good idea to create a list of your strengths. This does not mean that you cannot acquire new talents and skills but using some of the natural talents that you already have will certainly be an advantage to you.
How Do You Add Value?
If you keep on doing things that you dislike it is unlikely that you will ever be truly fulfilled. It’s a good idea to identify where you are able to add the most value.
This can be mixture of your experience, knowledge, skills and education.
It is natural for people to undervalue their worth and the value that they can bring. So think about how you have used your talents and experienced in the past to solve problems.
Which of these problems did you particularly enjoy solving? It is easier to go with your natural strengths than try and improve your weaknesses.
How will you Measure Your Purpose?
Look for meaning in everything that you do. Use your successes and failings as a learning experience. Your “Why” statement is your purpose in life.
Make it specific because you want to measure when you have achieved your “Why” and then create another one to inspire you.
My Final Thoughts on How To Find Your Why
Like me, you may find, finding your Why a difficult process. It is often a journey that you have to go on throughout your life, until you finally find it.
In the intricate tapestry of life, finding your “why” is akin to discovering a guiding star in the vast night sky—a source of meaning that lights your path and fuels your soul. It’s a journey filled with moments of profound introspection and courageous self-discovery, where each person seeks the purpose that makes their heart sing and their actions resonate with authenticity.
This quest is vital because it anchors us in our values, giving our lives direction and a sense of fulfillment. Yet, it is often a challenging endeavor, as it requires peeling back the layers of societal expectations, fears, and doubts, to unearth the true desires and passions that lie within.
The difficulty lies not just in the search itself, but in the courage it takes to embrace this truth and live it fully, despite the uncertainties and obstacles that may arise.
I would love to hear your thoughts or experiences now. Please add them to the comments section below.
Thank you very much and have a great day.
