The Importance of Knowing Your Why is why we will focus on value-driven purpose:
To grow in life (and in your life’s work) you need to clarify and understand your ‘why’. Here’s why it’s so important:
- Your ‘Why’ Motivates You. Any kind of success takes time, dedication, and hard work. Your ‘why’ is the driving force that keeps you going and helps you stay motivated when things get tough.
- Your ‘Why’ Keeps You Focused. Your ‘why’ orients you and keeps you on track. By staying connected with your values, you stay focused on what’s important. Tap into this vision for your life when it’s time to make decisions.
- Living Your Life with Passion. Knowing your ‘why’ puts you in touch with your passion. You’ll be living your authentic life and doing what you love. All of your goals will be infused with this energy and you’ll produce better results.
- Your ‘Why’ Is Yours Alone. Without a ‘why’, you end up living your life for others. Without your own map, other people will drag you along on their journey. You may think you’re doing it for yourself, but you’re actually trying to please others or living out a script you’ve been handed. When you clarify your ‘why’ you own what you’re doing. You do it all for yourself.
- A Clear ‘Why’ Helps You Attract More into Your Life. After you’ve discovered your ‘why,’ you’ll find that you are able to attract abundance. You’ll cultivate a loyal following. People are drawn to a brand, not for its product features or price point, but for its core values, vision, and what it represents.
If you don’t clarify your ‘why’, you’ll end up wasting your time and energy on things that won’t matter to you in the long term. In your life’s work, you’ll fail to create a point of differentiation and won’t connect with your audience as well as you could. Ultimately, you’ll be living a life without purpose that may take you back to behaviors you have worked hard to leave behind.
What Does Your ‘Why’ Look Like?
The best way to clarify your ‘why’ is to write a statement that concisely explains why you do what you do. This should be something you can look at for inspiration. Later, you can use this ‘why statement’ as the basis for the tough choices you will make in your recovery and in your life’s work .
Your ‘why’ includes your own motivation for doing what you do. It may explain how you provide value for others, what change you’re trying to make in the world, or how you do things differently than others.
This statement should be clear, simple, and specific. The best ‘why’ statements are actionable. Simon Sinek, the author who first wrote on this subject, suggests this format:
“To ______ so that ______.”
The statement above explains what you do and the reason for doing it. Also, using this format forces you to pare it down to what’s most important.
Here are a few examples:
“To help people discover their life’s work so that they find true meaning in work and life.”
“To push myself to be the best I can be so that I am there for myself, my family, and the people I love.”
“To unlock my creative potential so that I can make things that entertain and delight and inspire others to do the same.”
These examples are not as general as, “to be happy,” but they’re broad enough to cover your personal and professional life. The ‘why’ statement shouldn’t be limited to a specific area of your life (e.g. work, family), but should cover your life as a whole.
Putting Your Why into Action
How do you use your ‘why’ in your rela-life work? Like anything else, your ‘why’ needs a test drive!
Take a look at your current goals. Are they closely related to your ‘why’? Now that you understand what drives you, you may realize a goal doesn’t quite align. Try tweaking or creating new goals that are a better fit.
Your ‘why’ also dictates how you will act and carry out your daily activities. Once you clarify your ‘why’, put it to use and track your results. For example, if helping others is a key part of your ‘why,’ implement some daily strategies to help others and see how it feels.
It’s important to write down your ‘why’. With this in mind, you might also consider keeping a journal about this process. Write about your newly discovered core values and how you use them to stay inspired, make decisions, and set goals. This can help you to further refine your ‘why’.
Unlock the Meaning of Your Life and Live Better
Some of us stumble through our lives searching for meaning. By asking yourself some questions and doing a bit of work, you can clarify this now and start living with purpose today. A clear-eyed understanding of your ‘why’ is a major factor in your success in your recovery.
Are you ready to get started?
A good place to start is by downloading my free worksheet, ‘5 Key Questions to Help You Discover Your Why and Find Your Purpose.’
For even more, reach out to me for a free Clarity Call to discuss how we may work together to get you on the path to a fulfilling journey in recovery.