Episode Details

“Why.”

It’s an incredibly simple word that carries tremendous power when used correctly. But unfortunately ‘why’ is a question we are often afraid to ask of others because we don’t want it to look like we don’t know something. And more importantly, ‘why’ is a question we rarely ask ourselves because we either don’t know the answer...or we’re afraid of it.

The chances are extremely high you can clearly explain WHAT you do for a living.

“I’m a reality editor that works on competition shows.”

“I’m a production coordinator for a local television station.”

“I’m an online entrepreneur that teaches other entrepreneurs how to organize their business finances.”

If you spend a little time thinking about it or referencing your own portfolio or resume, there’s also a good chance that you can clearly identify HOW you do your job.

“I communicate clearly and effectively.”

“I harness the raw emotion in every story I tell.”

“I bring everything I have to every client I work with.”

But now it’s time to ask yourself....can you clearly identify WHY you do what you do?

While it might seem trivial, not having a clear understanding of why you do the work you do every single day can have a significant impact on the quality of your work, the energy and attitude you bring to your job every single day, and it can have a negative impact on your health as well.

When the bullets are flying, deadlines are looming, and stress levels are at DEFCON 1 across your entire team, if you don’t enjoy your work or understand why it’s important work to you, it’s easy to get sucked into the black hole of overwhelm, depression, and burnout.

In today’s episode I chat with David Mead, the ‘Chief Igniter’ at the organization Start With Why, and their sole mission is to inspire people to do work that inspires them. David is also the co-author of ‘Find Your Why’ which is a practical hands-on guide to help anyone find their deeper why and apply it to their work, their relationships, and their entire lives. David and I chat about the importance of defining your why, and then we walk through a very practical exercise helping me define my own why at a much deeper level than I already have in the past.

If you’re struggling to find a deeper meaning behind your work or your relationships, this episode is a must-listen.

And if you find this exercise helpful and you want to start building an action plan that will help you achieve the most important goals in your life that align with your deeper why, ‘finding your why’ is just one of the many exercises I teach in my FOCUS Yourself program.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

• People don't buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it
• The concept of the Golden Circle and learning to articulate the "how", "why", and "what" you do
• Recognizing when you are headed for burnout
• "I've got to make money somehow" is not a strong or fulfilling enough "why"
• Why discovering the deeper meaning in your work is essential for health and creativity
• Living out your deepest and best self is not dependent on your job or paycheck
• If you don't know your deeper "why" then the "what" will never be truly satisfying
• How to properly interrogate your "why" by honing in on the driving themes of the stories your tell about your life

Useful Resources Mentioned: