Know your WHY
After many years of helping Cities, Counties, Special Districts, and non-profits achieve their goals I realized I couldn’t answer the question people asked me about myself – “What Do You Do?”
As I started thinking about my life’s work, I realized every major achievement had been with a coach or mentor. And that was what I had been doing for over 35 years -coaching and mentoring. That’s WHY I got out of bed every morning – to Pass On my knowledge and experiences, Utilizing my Innovative Problem solving and content Strategy Skills, in the hope they could achieve success in their lives and Pass It On!
So “What Do I Do?”
To answer that I needed to identify my WHY.
WHY do I get out of bed each morning?
WHY does my company exist?
WHY should anyone care?
What is my passion? What do I feel passionate about that becomes a cause?
I began to realize it was about helping Women In Business be as successful as their male counterparts. And for them to achieve that success, they needed coaching or a mentor. They needed to be able to answer the question – What Do You Do? And to do that, they needed to Know Their WHY.
Finding Your WHY –
Your WHY is a belief and having the clarity of knowing your WHY will change your life. Whether you are in the Government and Non-profit sector of the economy or business, everyone needs to take the time to stop and determine WHY they get out of bed every morning, besides money.
Government and Non-profits tend to be reactive. A problem arises and they seek to solve it. Most of those employers have never sat down with their journal and explored WHY they do what they do. It’s a job that pays the bills, provides some benefits and is mostly risk free.
Conversely, business owners and innovators risk everything for their values and beliefs that their solution to a problem is the best, yet veery few companies or people can clearly articulate WHY they do what they do.
When companies or organizations or stay at home moms do not have a clear sense of WHY they get up in the morning, manipulation supplants WHY and failure surpasses need.
Find your WHY and you’ll find your way. - John C Maxwell
Passion – Purpose – WHY
If you want to life a life of success, a life of complete success, happiness, and fulfilment, you must find your purpose. You need to find what drives you, something that -no matter what – this part of your life doesn’t change. The drive in you doesn’t change. Your purpose is that one thing that lights you up, that will get you up early and moving.
Every aspect of your life should be focused on your WHY. Whether it is physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, or financial. Regardless of WHAT we do in our lives, our WHY – our driving purpose, cause, or belief – never changes.
“If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passions will lead you right into your purpose.” Bishop T.D. Jakes
Journal Writing
It’s time for you to begin your journey into finding your passion/WHY and you should start by choosing a journal just for writing about your WHY and where we’ll go from there.
Start by writing answers to these questions:
- What is your purpose, cause, or belief?
- Why does or will your company exist?
- Why should anyone care?
- Why do you get out of bed each morning?
When you have completed them, put aside for a few days – then go back and answer them again. From these answers will come the clarity of purpose and your beliefs. Finding that and sharing it will improve your life and give your clarity of purpose.
For some it will provide direction for their artwork. Others will find guidance for donations and volunteer time. And others will know what business they want to start or buy.
Whether it’s to create a gift shop for home décor or buying a local coffee shop because of the strong, existing customer base, knowing your why is critical to your success.
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out WHY” - Mark Twain