Welcome to my blog, Harmony Shift. I’m glad you’re here. Today we are going to discuss your Why? Yes, why you do what you do. This could be the work you do, the lifestyle you live, your calling, your motivator. So, everyone will have a different why, but it still defines why we do what we do! I invite you to read Simon Sinek’s book “Find Your Why” it’s a really great book. It will answer a lot of questions you may have and go into detail as to finding your why. Let’s explore how to find your why, what it is, and see if you can find yours and start living the life you were meant to live!
What is a “Why”
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious or unfulfilled, you most likely don’t have a clear understanding of your “why”. I know a lot of time people are working to live up to someone else’s “why” in the absence of their own. Sometimes it makes you feel that you are out of alignment with your own unique purpose. Your why is a feeling that compels you to do the work you want to do even if it requires short-term sacrifice. You’ll struggle with thoughts of self-doubt, you might not make much money right away, and your loved ones might not support your decision. You might even experience several failures before you experience success.
Regardless of those thoughts, setbacks, and failures, you still feel driven to pursue the work you really want to do because it gives you meaning. You can’t imagine doing anything else. You realize that this work is an expression of your true identity, and your purpose in life. Your “Why” provides stability and direction in the chaos we call life. It makes you grow by giving you the courage and resilience to endure tough challenges. This is, my friend, your Why!
Finding Your Why
First, let me explain some realistic expectations for you. If you have no idea what your “Why” is right now, that’s ok, because you’re not all of a sudden going to magically discover it in the next hour or so. For a lot of people, it takes months or years. It’s a process and to find your “Why” you need to begin a practice of self-awareness. My first and foremost recommendation for starting a self-awareness practice is by writing about your thoughts, feelings and actions on a daily basis. I truly believe everyone has a “Why” that’s hidden in the patterns of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Everyone’s “Why” is hidden in different places and can be uncovered in many different ways. There are the most common areas of your life to start looking such as your values, motivations, passions, and strengths just to name a few.
Conducting self-experiments is another way that is very beneficial to learning about yourself to discover your why. It enables you to challenge your thoughts and gain a new perspective about yourself. Asking your inner circle of friends, family, or colleagues about you may begin to spark some sort of self-reflection. It’s funny because sometimes our why is hidden in plain sight!
Always remember that your why means improving not only your own life, but also the lives of others. Ask yourself how your personal mission statement can help you be a better person and leader for your team, a more caring person for your family and friends, and a more engaged citizen in your community. Your why should be able to touch every corner of your life.
From the famous words by Jim Carrey, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” This is from one of his commencement speeches which he was basically saying that fame and fortune is not a Why.
“I have found that the best path to fulfillment is in the relentless pursuit of our purpose and making sure that we connect it to our life’s work. In this way, our progression is felt in the achievement of purpose and alignment that makes job title, team size, office size, etc. pale in comparison to how our professional role positions us to achieve our most important goal – our “why.” – Brian Fenerty, Global Head of Talent Acquisition @ Logitech.
As you can see if you have your why, you live for yourself. If you don’t have a why or purpose for doing what you do, then you’re living for someone else. So, what I have found is there are different why’s for career, life, and leisure. Knowing your why is living your life with purpose and passion. This puts all your goals in line with your energy and focus. By defining your why in your career, people will be drawn to you, your brand, and you will develop a large following not because of price or products, but because of your values and vision. Your why in your personal life keeps you focused and on track with your vision, values, and purpose and what’s important in your life (family, friends, community).
Simon Sinek suggests a format of “To_____ so that ____.” To explain what you do and the reason for doing it. Also, by doing this particular format it forces you to narrow it down to what’s important. This format also examines your value to others, what change you’re trying to make in the world, as well as how you’re doing things differently than others.
In conclusion, I hope you find this helpful and insightful. I hope you find your why and what that means to you. I highly recommend reading some of Simon’s books and getting a better understanding of your why. There are also many YouTube videos out there about it and ways to help you find your why.
Until next time,
Darren
Harmony Shift 