Knowing your “Why”

As Stephen Covey said in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

“How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and do what really matters most.”

Covey went on to say “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster”

When I am presenting these concepts from the stage, I usually start by asking a very simple question “what do you want more of?”

So, what DO you want more of?

Some people in business want more money, more time, or perhaps more freedom, (of course these just happen to be the very things that we deliver to our Mastermind Members, if you would like to know more about go to www.metropolemastermind.com.au

In the meantime, why not grab a piece of paper and a pen and take a few minutes to think about what it is you want more of.

Okay, done? Well, the next step I take with the audience is to pick someone who has a clear picture of what they want and ask them another simple (but a bit dastardly) question, “what will that get you?

Then I repeat that question. To each answer they give I ask again, “what will that get you?”

I keep asking that question until I get an answer which truly resonates with them, one which comes from an emotional truth.

The initial answer of “I want more money” may become “more time” and eventually “I want to spend more dedicated time with my children playing while they are young”.

Or it may turn into “I want to travel with my life partner while we are both still young enough to enjoy the pleasure of travel and experiences”.

The answers sometimes take a while to come but if I keep asking then I know I will breakthrough to that emotional answer eventually. This is their true “why”.

Its why they stay in business, it is probably why they started their own business in the first place.

It is also why they battle through cashflow issues, staffing, legislation changes, taxation debts and all the other wonderful pleasures which we, as business owners get to experience.

So, take a moment now and ask yourself what you want more of and what will that get you?

You must be brutally honest. If you can’t get to the bottom of it for yourself and after a few minutes you are still staring at the page in front of you, get someone to ask you.

Pick a friend, a colleague but make sure it’s someone who will push you hard for the true answer.

It’s one of the benefits of being a part of a likeminded group like our Mastermind. In that group if I don’t get to ask you that question and push you hard there are plenty of members who are committed to helping you to be your best and they will be only too happy to push you hard!

Take some time now and see what comes from this exercise. The final answer will be the one which resonates with you the most.

As Tim Ferris says in The Four-Hour Week, answer the question of what excites you. You must know this before you go any further.

Planning your business without getting this right will either lead you to a business which is no more than a job (and potentially a job you hate) or you won’t have the motivation needed to get you through the hurdles which will come.

And if you think you may be immune to those hurdles you are not. Almost every business follows a pretty simple growth pattern and every business owners struggles with the same issues.

My Mastermind Members loved the Hot Seat we had on Why we do what we do. Have a listen here and if you have any questions please feel free to book a call