Getting The Most From Your WHY Statement

There is no doubt that any good personal WHY statement takes time and effort to create. So having made this investment in your WHY statement you will want to get the most that you can from it. 

 

Quite rightly you took quite a long time to write and refine your WHY statement so that it was as clear, concise and powerful as it could be. So now it is time for you to reap the benefits of your new powerful WHY statement and in this article, we will show you how to do that.

 

Motivate yourself with your WHY Statement

 

Inspiration alone is usually never enough to achieve your goals. There are going to be times when you are not in the right frame of mind and just cannot be bothered to take action. When you have a strong personal WHY statement you can use it to provide you with a significant motivational boost.

 

We strongly recommend that you have a copy of your personal WHY statement by your bedside. Every morning after you get out of bed you should read your WHY statement out loud so that it motivates you and gives you the energy that you need for the day ahead.

 

It is also a good idea to keep a copy of your WHY statement with you so that you can access it at any time. If you feel the need for a motivational boost at any time of day, and wherever you are, get out your WHY statement and read it again.

 

There is no limit to how many times you should read your WHY statement each day and be motivated by it. That is one of the main reasons that you spent all of the time and energy writing it so use it as often as you need.

 

Set your Goals using your WHY Statement

 

You are very unlikely to achieve goals that you are not truly committed to. Maybe you were persuaded by others to set certain goals in the past or you just thought that it was the right thing to do. 

 

With a strong WHY statement you can forget about what others say and any other influencers. You know what your purpose in life is now and you have clearly defined this in your WHY statement. This clarity is essential for you to set goals that you are inspired by and truly committed to.

 

You are aware of the contribution that you want to make to the world and the impact that you want to have. So, use this to set goals that will move you forward with both of these. Create your goals and plans around your personal WHY statement and you will be totally driven to achieve them.

 

Make Decisions using your WHY Statement

 

You should find it easier to make decisions going forward now that you have a strong and clear WHY statement. Instead of making some decisions without considering the consequences as a lot of people do, your WHY statement will guide you to make the right decisions.

 

Your WHY statement has provided you with direction and purpose for your life so always have it in the back of your mind when you are making decisions. Ask yourself if making a particular decision will move you closer to your life’s purpose or move you away from it.

 

How To Create A Strong Business WHY Statement

Writing a strong and effective mission statement for a business is not a 5-minute job. You need to think carefully about what you want to include in your mission statement as it needs to be congruent with all of the parties in your business including your customers, employees, suppliers and stakeholders (owners etc).

 

We recommend that a strong mission statement needs to include these three important elements as a minimum:

 

1. What does your business do for your customers?
2. What does your business do for your employees?
3. What does your business do for your stakeholders / owners?

 

So good mission statements include a fourth element which is what the company will do for the community. These are certainly the most important factors of a mission statement so make sure that you include them in yours.

 

What does a Strong Mission Statement do for a Business?

 

It is very similar to a personal WHY statement in that it provides clarity of purpose. There is more to a mission statement than a personal WHY statement as a business is more complex. A strong mission statement should be used to:

 

• Set the main business goal(s)

• Determine the company culture

• Define the ethics of the business

• Provide guidance for decision making

 

Unfortunately, most mission statements are poorly written and you wonder why the business owners bothered to write theirs at all. Some of the largest businesses are guilty of this – it is not just the smaller companies. 

 

If you create a vague mission statement this doesn’t help your customers or your employees at all. You are not going to garner commitment if people do not understand what your mission statement really means. So, in this article we will show you how to create a clear mission statement that all parties can commit to.

 

What is the Purpose of your Business?

 

The first important step to writing a strong mission statement is to define clearly what your business is about. Consider the customer here and map out the process of how they find out about you right through to making a decision to purchase your products and services.

 

You need to think about these 3 main aspects:

 

1. Why do your customers want what you have to offer?
2. How will customers find your business?
3. What’s in it for your customers?

 

In your mission statement you need to inform your customers why they need to buy from you. Write a list of what your business does as well as the things that it doesn’t do to help create a clear picture.

 

What does your Company do for your Employees?

 

If a business does not take care of their employees there will be high turnover which is expensive. So, use your mission statement to retain your employees for longer. Think about how you motivate and train your employees. Here are some ideas for this:

 

• You provide the best training

• You are fair with your employees

• You respect the ideas that your employees have

• You empower your employees

 

All of these things really matter to your employees. You need to tell them that you see them as your most precious asset and you want to take care of them. To avoid your mission statement being too long, you can create an external one for your customers and an internal one for your employees and stakeholders.

 

Mission Statements and Owners

 

You need to include what is in it for your owners in your mission statement as well. If you are not the owner of the business then talk to the owners to find out what is important to them. The value of shares and return on investment are almost certainly going to be of interest.

How To Write A Good WHY Statement

Once you have discovered your true calling in life you want to create a WHY statement around it. Your WHY statement needs to be compelling because you want to use it to motivate you every day to do the right things to attain fulfillment in your life.

 

There are a number of formats that you can use to write your WHY statement but at the end of the day it is up to you. There are no hard and fast rules here. The most important thing is that your WHY statement really resonates with you and that it is effective.

 

Four Elements of an Ideal WHY Statement

 

Although you don’t need to conform to any set rules there are four elements to a good WHY statement that we strongly recommend that you follow. Your WHY statement need to be very clear and as concise as possible for you and any people that you choose to share it with. So we strongly recommend that you include these 4 elements in your WHY statement:

 

1. Make your WHY statement clear and simple

 

It is really important that your WHY statement provides you with clarity about your life’s purpose. It needs to be simple to understand and as concise as you can make it. At the end of the day it needs to make sense and resonate with you.

 

2. Your WHY statement needs to promote action

 

Your WHY statement must inspire action. There is no point just writing a WHY statement and then do nothing with you. It needs to inspire you to work towards your true calling in life and motivate you to work on this every day.

 

3. Include your Contribution to others in your WHY statement

 

If you can help others then you will help yourself. Every good WHY statement needs a contribution element to it so make sure that yours does as well. Having a contribution element will inspire you to move forward each day.

 

4. Make your WHY statement positive and ensure it resonates with you

 

It will actually be pretty difficult for you to create a WHY statement that is negative but ensure that it is really positive. When you read your WHY statement it needs to resonate with you and motivate you to take action towards your life’s purpose.

 

How long should your WHY Statement be?

 

Again, there are no strict rules to follow here. Your WHY statement needs to be as long as you need it to be. Having said that we recommend that you keep your WHY statement as short as you can. 

 

The most important thing is that your WHY statement contains the 4 important elements that we discussed above. While others may be able to write their WHY statement in one sentence this may not be enough for you. This doesn’t matter at all so please do not concern yourself with this.

 

Aim for an Evergreen WHY Statement

 

An evergreen WHY statement is one that you will not have to change very often, if at all. You want to use your WHY statement in all aspects of your life both in your work and personal life. 

 

When you are writing your WHY statement, think about it as a way to express the value that you provide to others at work and in your personal life. There is no need for you to write two WHY statements to cover this.

How To Live By Your WHY Statement

Having invested a lot of time and energy finding your true purpose in life and writing your powerful WHY statement it is essential that you live by it going forward. You need to make the right choices in life that fully support your WHY statement and avoid those choices which move you away from it.

 

If you have made a statement of contribution to help others in your WHY statement then it is not a good idea to go to the bar every night and get drunk. You are not going to be able to help a lot of people in this condition, are you? 

 

OK this is a pretty extreme example, but it is a real one and if this is something that you currently do then you are going to have to change this behavior right now. In fact, anything that you currently do that doesn’t fit with your WHY statement is going to have to stop.

 

Take Stock of your current Lifestyle

 

A lot of people that find their true calling and write personal WHY statements find that their current way of life is far away from where they really want to be. We recommend that you examine all of your current habits to see if they align with your WHY statement.

 

If your habits are not in alignment then that is OK. You will need to commit to making adjustments so that you can align with it. Give yourself time to do this as it may take longer than you think to break certain habits.

 

Persistence will Win the Day

 

You will need a good deal of persistence to change your life to align with your WHY statement if there is a significant gap. By making small changes on a regular basis, you will get there in the end. 

 

The best results will come your way when you are persistent. Each day make a list of the things that you need to do to align your life with your WHY statement. Review your progress at the end of each day and plan for the next day. By taking small and regular actions you will develop your persistence and get the results that you want.

 

Focus on Providing Value to Others

 

In your WHY statement you made a contribution to help others. Make this your focus going forward. Most people tend to focus on money and are always looking for ways to make more. When you change your focus to helping other improve their lives then you can do it in such a way that the money will follow.

 

Don’t get hung up on small things. Too many people focus on the minutia of life and never achieve anything. Your WHY statement will provide you with the “big picture” so use it to focus on the important things that will get you where you want to be.

 

Living by a WHY Statement is not easy

 

The reason that so many people just drift along in life is because it is an easy option. It doesn’t take much effort to sit in front of the TV for hours eating snacks. When you are committed to a WHY statement then there will be no easy options for you. It is all or nothing.

 

Accountability will help you here. Share your WHY statement with people that you know. Try to find a WHY statement buddy who will hold you to your mission in life and quickly point out to you if you are going off track.

 

The Best Way To Find Your WHY

There are a small percentage of the population that spend a great deal of time trying to identify their true purpose in life. This is agonizing for them and some will find their true WHY and others will not. 

 

The reality is that some people just don’t care about their WHY. They are happy for life to control them and drift along day by day. But you need to find your WHY because it is very important. Once you know your true reason for being then you can pursue this with passion and vigor to attain complete fulfillment.

 

Ways you can Find your WHY

 

Most people try to find their WHY using trial and error. They jump on every opportunity that they can to see if it leads to the Promised Land. This may work in a very small number of cases but will fail most of the time.

 

Another thing that you can do to try and find your WHY is to follow others. Maybe you have a friend or someone else that you are close to that you believe is a lot happier than you are and want to do the things that they do.

 

So, you decide to set the same goals that they do in the hope that you will find the same fulfillment. The problem is that you are not going to be as committed to these goals as your friend is. When your heart isn’t really in something then there is not much chance of you achieving your goals.

 

Maybe you have seen something on TV or on the Internet. You see people are really happy with this so you decide to pursue it as well. But you need to bear in mind that most of this is marketing and that the people looking happy in the ads are being paid to do this. Please don’t believe everything that you see on TV or the Internet.

 

Finally, you can decide to really find your true purpose in life. It is not going to be the easiest path for you to take but you know it is the right one. Trying to follow the passions of others is rarely the best thing to do. You need to know what your true passions are and then do everything possible to follow them.

 

We are all different and all have different passions. Only when you identify what yours really are will you find fulfillment. So don’t waste your time with trial and error or following someone else because it is not going to work.

 

Ask yourself Questions to find your WHY

 

If you want to find your true purpose in life then you need to take the time out and ask yourself some soul-searching questions. This is not going to be an easy task and it will take you time to do this. But the rewards are certainly worth it because discovering your WHY is one of the best things that you can do in life.

 

So, find yourself somewhere quiet where you can spend some quality time asking and answering the right questions to find your WHY. You don’t want any distractions while you are doing this. Bring your journal with you or a pen and paper as you will need to write down your answers. Here are the questions to ask yourself:

 

• How can I improve the life of others?

• What are the things that I do where time seems to pass by quickly?

• What did I really enjoying doing as a child?

• When people ask me for help what help do they want?

• What would I do if I didn’t have to worry about money?  

 

Use your answers to these questions to determine your WHY and create a WHY statement.

The Three Different People In Life And Why You Need To Choose The WHY Path

All human beings do the things that they do for a reason. They also avoid doing certain things for a reason as well. The reasons behind some of the things that we do are obvious. We eat because we are hungry and want to survive. We bathe because we don’t want to be dirty and smell bad.

 

But there are other things that we choose to do, or avoid doing, that have more complex reasons behind them. If you know someone that works a job that they really hate then have you ever wondered why they do this? The obvious answer that most people will come up with is “they need the money” or “they are desperate”.

 

But there are other reasons that can come into play here. Some people just don’t want the extra responsibility that comes from working a higher paid job. Others avoid applying for better jobs because they do not have the confidence and belief in themselves that they can do the job.

 

When you look at the overall population, we believe that there are three different types of people in this world. In this article we will examine these and explain why it is your interest to choose the WHY path. You will understand this more as we go along.

 

1. The Drifter People

 

This accounts for the vast majority of the population. They may have dead end jobs or they might have reasonably good jobs but they have no idea what they really want from life or which direction they are heading in. These people drift along in life and “go with the flow”. They don’t like change and are usually happy to be a drifter.

 

If you were to stop one of these people in the street and ask them what they really wanted in their life then they would not be able to tell you. They may come up with a few material things like a nice house and a car but they do not have any real plans.

 

Ask them where they want to be in the next 5 years and you will get a blank look. Most of them don’t know where they will be in the next 5 days. These people never set any goals for themselves with the exception of setting New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and other things that they never follow through on.

 

2. People that find themselves Stuck

 

These are a much smaller percentage of the population who are not happy with their current situation and want to change it. They want to identify and follow their true purpose in life but they are stuck trying to find it.

 

As a result of being stuck then tend to go off in all different directions searching for that thing that will make them fulfilled. This is better than being a drifter but very frustrating as you are largely relying on luck to find real meaning in your life.

 

3. People that know their real purpose in life

 

This is an even smaller percentage of people that have identified their true calling in life. The know exactly what their WHY is and they are driven to achieve it. They have goals and plans and work on them relentlessly every day.

 

We recommend that you choose the WHY path. When you discover your true WHY in life you can set the right goals and attain total fulfillment. Don’t let life dictate your future – take control right now and identify your true purpose in life and go after it.

 

Why Your Business Needs A WHY Statement

A WHY statement for a business is known as a “mission statement”. It is similar to a personal WHY statement in a number of ways. Having a good mission statement is important but most business owners don’t bother to create one. Or they write one for a business plan and then never look at it again.

 

Writing a good mission statement is essential. If it is done in a rush and doesn’t encapsulate all of the important things about your business then it is a complete waste of time. In this article we will explain why it is so important to create a strong mission statement and take the time and effort to do so.

 

It Provides Direction

 

A good mission statement will always clearly state the direction of a company. It will include the main goal of the business and this is important for customers, employees, suppliers and stakeholders to know.

 

As your business launches new products and services your customers and employees will understand why you have done that if you have a strong mission statement. They will see how they align with the direction that the company is heading in and will be more committed to them.

 

It will provide Employee Unification

 

In any company that has a number of different departments there is often a disconnect between them. These days many businesses outsource work to skilled freelancers and external companies and this makes the problem worse.

 

For example, if the company is planning to launch a new product, then it is very likely that most of the departments and a number of outsourcers and external companies will be involved. If no strong mission statement exists then there is a much higher chance of the overall goal of the project being lost on different people.

 

When you have a strong and explicit mission statement and you share this with all parties it makes it a lot easier for everybody working on the product launch project to see how they fit in and how important their role is.

 

A Mission Statement helps to maintain Focus

 

When a company grows and expands their reach it is often the case that both the bosses and the workers will lose their focus. If your business has a strong mission statement then this can be avoided. 

 

Loss of focus can really harm the reputation of a business. Its brand can suffer and so can its overall image. With a strong and explicit mission statement in place it will provide guidance to all during periods of growth. The mission statement will remind everyone of the main goal and help to keep its reputation intact.

 

Creating Accountability with a Mission Statement

 

Any business will exist to fulfill a specific purpose or need and this needs to be stated clearly in your mission statement. A business needs to be accountable so that it can continue to improve and serve its customers better. If the overall purpose of the business is unclear then it is going to be difficult, if not impossible, to make these improvements.

 

You need to make it clear in your mission statement what your business wants to accomplish. This will help to hold both the business owners and employees accountable and ensure that everyone is striving to achieve the same goal.

 

Getting The Best Results From Your WHY Statement

It is no easy task to identify your real purpose in life and write a compelling WHY statement that will drive you forward. In reality this is going to take a lot of time and effort to get it right. So when you make this kind of investment in your WHY statement you want to make sure that you get the most out of it afterwards.

 

In this article we will explain how you can do that. As soon as you have your WHY statement written you can start to do these things which will help to transform your life for the better. Don’t just write your WHY statement and then not take any action and follow through on it. If you don’t take action then there is no point writing your WHY statement.

 

Use your WHY Statement to set inspiring Goals

 

Only a small percentage of the population actually set goals. Some of these people choose to do this at New Year when they are in a drunken haze. We do not recommend this as it rarely works out well. Others will set goals with a clear head but they end up going for goals that they are not totally committed to and then fail to achieve them.

 

You may be wondering why anyone would set themselves goals that they are not really committed to. Well, it happens a lot and sometimes this can be other people influencing us to do something that seems like a good idea at the time.

 

For example, you may have a close friend that has decided that they want to climb Mount Everest. They put pressure on you to do this with them. You agree because you value their friendship but you do not really have any desire to start mountaineering.

 

You go to classes with your friend and soon lose interest. Your heart is not in it like theirs is. So, what do you do? Well, you may have to dream up some credible excuse why you cannot pursue this goal with them. Maybe lie about a physical problem that you have which prevents you from climbing mountains?

 

This kind of thing can be completely avoided when you have a clear and compelling WHY statement. You will have clarity about where you want to go with your life and there will be no need for you to be influenced by others.

 

It will be a lot easier for you to identify and set your goals when you have a powerful WHY statement. You will also be totally committed to achieving the goals because they are in line with your real purpose in life. It doesn’t get any better than that.

 

Let your WHY Statement Guide your Decision Making

 

Without truly knowing what your purpose in life is it will be very easy for you to make the wrong life choices. You will be vulnerable to any temptations that come your way and to ride the wave of the “next big thing”.

 

Most decisions that you need to think about have consequences. People that drift along aimlessly in life rarely consider these consequences and as a result end up living a life that they don’t want.

 

When you have a powerful WHY statement as a guide you will make a lot better decisions in your life. It doesn’t matter how big or small the decisions are you can use your WHY statement to guide you down the right road.

Do You Feel Guilty for Having Interests or Hobbies of Your Own?

The hustle culture surrounding you can sometimes make you feel guilty for having interests or hobbies of your own, especially if it takes you away from your career or your family. 

 

Sadly, this is truer for women than for men, but sadly, men are also catching up to being overworked like most women are these days. 

 

If you feel guilty for having interests or hobbies of your own, it's important to realize that well-rounded people have more than one passion, don't see non-money-making tasks as unproductive, and recognize the benefits of having more than one interest. 

You're Not Obligated to One Passion 

 

Over a lifetime, one person can have hundreds of passion projects and learning experiences related to having and developing interests and hobbies outside of their immediate job, family, or social circle. 

 

While you may not want to pursue too many hobbies at once due to finances and time, you don't have to stick to just one, and you don't have to stick to one your entire lifetime. It's okay to pursue one interest for a few months or years and then drop it for a while to do something else. 

You Don't Owe Anyone "Productivity" 

 

One issue that comes up for some people who want to pursue a hobby or an interest that is new to them is that they start to feel as if they're not productive enough. But here is the thing, your entire life is not about productivity. Sometimes your life is just about being and doing something you enjoy. There is value in doing things outside of building relationships, making money, and being consistent. 

 

Redefine productivity in your mind to do anything beneficial for yourself, not just for others, and not just to pad your bank account. You don't need to monetize every interest or hobby to make them worthwhile in your eyes or someone else's. 

 

The value of the hobby or interest may be intangible or something you can name. But the main thing that a hobby or interest needs to be is something you like to do that fills you with contentment and not something that adds stress to your life. 

There Are Many Benefits to Having More Interests 

 

Every interest or hobby you have offers benefits outside of what most people see as valuable. For example, a hobby or interest costs money and does not make money, and for some people may feel as if it's wasteful. 

 

However, if you have the budget for the hobby and the time for the hobby, and that hobby makes you feel good, the benefits it offers to help you build your self-esteem, feel more confident, and learn new things are also important. 

 

Having interests and hobbies outside of what you are doing now is a great thing to do if you have the time and the budget to do it. However, if you don't want to do these things, find a way to generate the income and free up the time to make it happen. You'll soon find that the benefits far exceed the costs.

Benefits of Compassion (Infographic)

Do These 5 Things to Make Sure You Stay Motivated

You’re midway through the project, and you’re losing interest. Motivation is about to go out the window, and you feel helpless to keep it. What can you do to stay motivated, so that you’re able to stay on track through the remainder of the project? Try these tips:

 

1. The first thing you need to do is to visualize your success. Before you go another step, you need to see yourself at the end of the project with everything accomplished to your satisfaction. Why? Because what we tell ourselves will happen – will happen exactly how we tell ourselves. So if you’re caught up in thoughts of failure, you’re already likely to crash and burn. Likewise, if you see yourself at the finish line, with the project completed, you’re much more likely actually to succeed. So keep a positive image in your head, and keep going.

 

2. Next, stop worrying. Yes, that’s easier said than done, but the more you worry, the more you’re going to derail not just your motivation, but any energy and enthusiasm you still had for the project. To do this, you’re going to have to look critically at what you’re doing and ask yourself if there are things you can change. If so – change them. If not, then let them go. Motivated people don’t get caught up in worry, but instead, they make it a habit of looking to the future.

 

3. If you intend to stay motivated, then you’re going to need to be consistent in action and in setting positive goals. Motivation flags when neglected, so to keep the energy where it’s going to do the project the best, you’ll want to make sure that you’re constantly moving forward. That means checking your motivation levels daily and then taking action to keep those levels up. Even if you’re taking the weekend off from work, you should take at least a few minutes to indulge in thoughts about your project, where you remind yourself that you’re looking forward to jumping back in on Monday morning. That keeps motivation and interest high even when you’re not working. 

 

4. If you’re still having trouble with motivation, check to see who’s hanging around. It could be that you have too many negative influences around you. Surround yourself with positive people, who are also highly motivated individuals. All that positive energy is bound to rub off on you!

 

5. Lastly, keep a positive environment where motivation can thrive. Listen to music that motivates. Use positive affirmations, read motivational books or listen to podcasts that make you want to jump right back into your project. A lot of staying motivation comes from feeding yourself with a steady diet of things that motivate.

 

Staying motivated doesn’t have to be an impossible task. Some attention to the details will keep you on track as you work and help you to get to the finish line. Be mindful of what you’re doing, and with a variety of positive influences, you’ll get to where you want to go.

 

Get After It And Get More Done With Tenacity And Perseverance

Let’s talk about tenacity and perseverance. In this day and age, they are quickly becoming virtues that are being more and more neglected. Whereas hard work and sticking to your guns was viewed as something desirable in days gone by, today anything demanding and strenuous is often frowned upon. 

 

It’s common for people to whine and complain when things get hard. We’re looking for the easy button and are usually able to find it. More often than not, the easy way out is simply to give up and do something else. 

 

As we’re losing our ability to be tenacious and persevere we’re losing out on a lot of good that comes from these vital virtues. We don’t feel the pride that comes with hard-earned success. We aren’t as productive and have gotten much better at distracting ourselves. We don’t get the huge boost in self-confidence one gets from accomplishing a seemingly insurmountable task. Could this be part of the reason we’re seeing more cases of depression? It’s possible. Feeling self-worth is an important part of being happy and fulfilled in life. 

 

The big question then is what can we, as individuals, do to bring back these vital virtues of tenacity and perseverance?

 

Start by practicing tenacity yourself on a daily basis. Get better at it and stop being distracted or giving up as much. Start small and keep working at it and getting better at it. Learn to persevere when things get hard and do them anyway. Set an example for those around you. Trust me, they will start to notice. 

 

In addition to setting a good example, share perseverance and tenacity with those around you. If you’re a parent, make it a point to teach your children. Make seeing tasks through to the end a requirement in your house. You’re teaching your kids important life skills that will serve them well throughout school and adulthood. 

 

Influence those around you. Require tenacity and perseverance when you work with others, teach them, or have them work for you. Practice tenacity and perseverance and expect the same from those around you. As they start to notice the many benefits that come from this, they will hopefully start to practice it more and ideally pass it on to others as well. 

 

Don’t be afraid to speak out when you see someone giving up too soon or getting distracted too easily. Tenacity and Perseverance are vital virtues that are worth bringing back. 

 

Do your part and watch your own life and that of those around you change for the better. You may not be able to change popular culture all by yourself, but you can change the culture of your family, your business, your workplace and your own small community for the better.