Understanding why you Do what you DO!
What’s Your Why?
When you first started to get the Entrepreneurial itch while at your job, you likely were thinking:
· “I can’t wait to get away from this awful job.”
· “I just want to be home with my kids.”
· “This dead-end job is going nowhere.”
· “I’m tired of working crazy hours and holidays.”
· “I know I’m worth more than they’re paying me.”
These and many, many other thoughts go through the heads of every would-be business owner, and are often the driving force behind that final, “I quit.”
But while they’re great for lighting a fire and inspiring you to make a scary jump to business ownership, they’re not so fabulous at motivating you to grow and improve as a person and as a business owner. They won’t inspire you to increase your skills and raise your rates and be brave and authentic in your marketing. They won’t help you find the courage to hire a new coach or launch a brand new program, or to write that book you’ve been speaking of, or to come up with those exciting new business ideas you’ve spent months talking about.
To find the inspiration to make your business thrive, you have to identify the real why behind what you do. Your WHY is the very thing that will keep you ticking, when the clock has run out. Your WHY, is what will be the driving force behind you moving forward when the money isn’t flowing like you desire or the feedback from your peers and/or clients isn’t what you’d expect. I can go on and on about why your WHY is so important, but mostly, your WHY is what led you here, why you began this journey in the first place! There are a numerous amount of WHY’s one could come up with, but below are a few that you may find yourself falling up under such as:
Passionate Whys
“Passion based” is a phrase that’s found a massive following in the past few years, and seems to be the holy grail of entrepreneurial adventures. And for business owners with a true passion for their field, it can be a strong motivator.
Some business owners are passionate about a subject, spending all their waking hours learning about the topic. Some are passionate about a market, and would do anything to help their ideal client achieve his or her goals.
Whichever type of passion-based business owner you are, learning to harness that passion will help take your business to the next level.
Financial Whys
Maybe you want to retire at 40 to travel the world, or send your kids to an elite private school. Maybe you love fast cars, and dream of driving a brand new Ferrari.
Whatever your big dream, you knew you’d never make it while putting in time at the day job. While everyone seems to go on and on about those passion-based dreams, the truth is there’s nothing wrong with wanting financial fulfillment. Money is a necessary tool. We need it, and the more we have, the easier life is. And wanting more of it is nothing to be ashamed of, as long as you maintain your integrity and authenticity in pursuit of it.
Philanthropic Whys
Plenty of online business owners go into business so they can have more to give. You’ve no doubt heard of—or maybe even know—marketers who use their earnings to fund mission trips, build schools in war-torn, third world countries, and support a variety of charities at home and abroad. Others use the time freedom they’ve built into their business to volunteer with local hospitals, animal shelters and children’s organizations.
If you have a heart for a cause, a philanthropic why might be the driving force that takes your business to the next level.
To find your own why, consider your biggest dreams, or constant thoughts of being drawn to something in particular. If money were no object, what would you be doing? What is it that you would TRULY and Thoroughly enjoy waking up doing every day? Have you considered incorporating those thoughts into your business? Or have you thought about starting a business period in that very area your passion lies? Ask yourself those simple questions, let it marinate, pray about what direction to take, and create a plan that will allow your Vision and Dreams to manifest in your life the way you imagined…and more so, the way God has intended!