Why you do what you do
Why do you do what you do? That question can be a difficult one, but Simon Sinek did his best to answer it when he wrote the marvelous book, Start With Why. If you haven’t read it… READ IT! I promise that it will be a real eye opener. If you’re an entrepreneur, it would be a crime against the business world and yourself if you don’t pick up a copy. Okay, I think I’ve made my point. The book is great. Now, let’s continue.
Why Find a Why?
In life, whether you’re en entrepreneur building your own company, an athlete competing in professional sports, or someone who is simply trying to have a great life, you need to have a strong WHY. The why is the driving force behind focus, both in life and business. There will always be challenges, there’s no way around that, but if you have a strong why, then those challenges can be overcome. We need to experience the lows to truly enjoy the highs. Life consists of ups and downs; the key is how you experience and grow from those events.
Your Why is Your Foundation
I am a big fan of Elon Musk, of Paypal, SpaceX, and Tesla fame. What that man has achieved in his life thus far can only be described in one way — magical. What is this man made of? And how has he revolutionized 4 different industries in the past 20 years? One ambitious young man from South Africa has irrefutably changed the world. What is the secret behind this modern Ironman?
One thing I know for sure is that Elon has a strong WHY. Without this strong purpose and drive, he wouldn’t have gotten so far in life in such a short time. He must have a strong why because his revolutionary and risky ventures are surely filled with obstacles. He can’t afford to go home and cry every time those challenges get tough. It is important to remember that back in 2007 and 2008, his companies nearly went bankrupt. Yes, he received some help from the US government, but he paid it all back and gambled all of his own money as well. Why did he do that? Why take the risk? Because he knew that he was doing the right thing. Indeed, as we can clearly see, he is definitely “doing the right thing” for the world. We can say the same about Richard Branson, with his vast network of more than 400 different companies. These are just a few individuals that have made a significantly impact to each and every one of us. I firmly believe that the reason for their success, as Simon also says, lies in their WHY.
How to Use Your Why
How can you use the WHY in your life? As the example show above, can you see why finding a clear purpose is extremely important if you want to get the most out of life? If you want to experience the oceans, the mountains, and all the other beautiful places we have in this world,
you need to have a WHY to get there. Things are not handed out freely in this world; you need to work for your dreams and ambitions. For example…
You need to work in order to afford that sort of travel.
You need to be healthy in order to travel.
You need to open your mind to see the other possibilities and opportunities in the world.
You need to confidently do your best to get the most out of the experience.
The Reality of Why
As we’ve explained, there are several important factors in life that need to be in place before you can achieve anything truly great. If you want to travel the world, you need to have a strong WHY that will push you through every obstacle and help you conquer your insecurities.
The exact same idea is true in business. To achieve your vision and realize your dreams, your why needs to be strong enough to overcome every obstacle. You must be able to push through fear, sadness, the doubts of others, a lack of finances, and sometimes even poor health. I’m sure that Elon Musk, with his 5 children and 4 huge companies, experiences fear, financial concerns, doubt, and many other challenging realities almost every day. However, I believe that he and Richard Branson have done so much for so long because those sorts of obstacles are nothing special. They are a part of the world those men chose to conquer. In other words, those worries are just a part of the job description.
What is a WHY?
Sure, we’ve explained the need for focus and drive, but what are those things? Well, to realize exactly what focus and drive are, we need to hack our own lives and confidently establish our own ambitions and determination to accomplish our goals. The thing is, the word “Why” has such a significant place in our language. We already naturally associate it with our drive or desire to accomplish something.
The word is basically coded in our minds to have an important meaning and purpose in our actions. The question is, where does that connection come from, and what effect does it have on the paths we choose?
Why = Emotion
If I told you to stand up right now and run 10 miles, you wouldn’t even consider it (passionate long-distance runners and gluttons for punishment excluded). The reason for your immediate dismissal of the idea is obvious: there is no logic or reason behind running 10 miles right now.
If there was a why, however, creating an emotional drive based on something you cared about, then your reaction might be different. Consider the following scenarios…
If 1 million dollars was offered to run the ten miles, many would have immediately agreed.
If there was a woman or man of your dreams waiting for you at the end, perhaps you would run without a second though.
If someone you love would be hurt or die if you didn’t run, many people would run as fast as their feet could take them.
If your own life hung in the balance, most people would start running.
The Value of Why
The same rules for motivation and emotional engagement are true for other parts of your life, no matter what your vision or goal happens to be. You need to find your own strong drive. You need to establish the emotional and invested connection between yourself and your goals. When you want to lie down, admit defeat, and say “I give up”, you need to return to your WHY. That is the only way that you’ll be able to stand back up.
Why do I do what I do? Think long and hard on that question. Go for a walk, take a shower or do whatever comes naturally when you need time and space to think. Why do you do what you do? Find your strong why and move boldly forward. If you do that, and follow that path to its natural end, there’s nothing stopping you. I’ll see you on Mars with Elon in no time.
Tapping Into Your Potential
I believe that human potential is limitless if we use the strong abilities we naturally have and discover a strong enough why to drive us through life.
The point is that there are no guarantees for success. There is no great formula for achieving your dreams. Everyone must follow the same fundamental process and overcome many of the same obstacles, from the smallest ideas to the grandest ambitions. No one is promised success, but if you tap into your potential with a powerful, unshakeable why, then you have a huge advantage.
When you have something that triggers you emotionally, you will suddenly be able to do things that are difficult, scary or even seemingly impossible. That’s what limitless means.
Hacking your own faculties of reason with the powerful why-emotion tactic can not only change your life, but may help you change the world.
Good luck.
