The 3 Steps: How to Find Your Why, Your Purpose
Finding your ‘Why’ is the key to unlocking your true purpose in life.
In my opinion, it’s the key to becoming a sustainable, motivated leader that inspires. A leader that understands their true purpose is an authentic leader that makes an impact.
But, wait—what if finding your Why doesn’t work?
I know from experience that going on this journey can be exciting but worrying. You might have never done this before, and you feel hopeful, but at the same time, cautious.
I get it.
But I want you to know that discovering your Why will change everything for the better. You’ll truly understand who you are, which will bring forth the confidence and focus you need to move forward.
You will become your authentic and best self.
But don’t just take my word for it …
Your Biggest ‘A-ha!’ Moment
Before James found his why, he was struggling to put the pieces together.
Why did he feel motivated to do some things and not others? What did he need to do to consistently perform at his best?
So, we worked with James to piece the clues together and find his Why.
He called it:
“The biggest A-ha moment, ever.” – James Watson
[Watch this video: Solving The Mystery of My Why | James’s Experience]
Discovering your Why can be the ‘A-ha’ moment you’ve been searching for. For some, finding their Why helps them to re-focus and get back on track. For others, it’s a moment of clarity in their personal development journey. For me, it was [explain what it was like for you.]
How To Get Started
Step 1: Story Gathering
The first step is to find stories from your past that have shaped you into the person you are today. It’s from these stories that we will find the golden thread that will lead to your Why.
And don’t overthink it! You can’t it ‘wrong.’
When you are on a Why Discovery, you will be given the tools to jog your memory so you can uncover those stories. There are no right or wrong stories.
As James discovered, he had to let go of his perfectionist tendencies to find his stories:
[Watch this Video: Preparing To Find My Why | Overcoming the need to find the perfect story]
At this point, you’re just the storyteller. It’s not your job to interpret the clues … that’s what a partner is for.
Step 2: Identify Themes
Finding your Why cannot be done alone. You need an outside perspective. Someone who can see the themes that you can’t.
That’s where a partner comes in.
[Watch this Video: Why the discovery process must be done in partners.]
Digging around in your past can be a challenge, which is why a partner is essential in helping you see things that you can’t.
During a Why Discovery, your partner will go through your stories and find the common themes—the ‘golden thread’—that links them all together. They’ll ask you questions, and guide you towards discovering your Why.
At the end of it, you’ll be able to clearly see the contribution you want to make to the world and the impact you want to make.
Step 3: Draft a Why Statement
A Why Statement is a single sentence that sums up your Why, and is the first step of ten towards strategically designing the life that you want. With this statement, you’ll be able to articulate your mission and build an action plan for your future.
But it all starts here.
Watch this video to see this in action.
[Watch: The 3-Step Process of Finding Your Why| What to expect for your why discovery]
Your Why Discovery
We all deserve to feel fulfilled and inspired by our work and to know that we are contributing to something larger than ourselves.
The first step to doing that is to know WHY.
Knowing Why will be your biggest A-ha moment; the moment of clarity when all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.
At popp, we’ll help you do that through:
The story-gathering process
Identifying themes
Drafting your Why Statement.
Once you’ve found your Why, popp can help you take the next steps towards building an action plan and setting a roadmap for your future.
It won’t be easy, and I’m not saying that you won’t meet obstacles along the way. But if we work together, we can help you find your Why.
Next steps
I’d recommend starting if you haven’t already by watching Simon Sinek (the founder of the concept of why) famous TED talk, watched by over 15 million times.
And if you’re inspired to find your own why, elevate both your personal leadership & enjoyment of life,
Want support finding your why? Find time here and jump on a call.
At popp® we’re on a mission to help leaders unlock the potential within their team. The challenge is that no two teams are the same, so find a time that suits you, and let’s jump on a call. And if you want to discover where there might be opportunities to improve the performance of your team. Take the free scorecard.