Finding your Why is a foundational step when you want to launch a project or create your own company. Your Why is the deep reason that pushes you to go there and develop your business. It can be your passion, a cause that is close to your heart or even your life mission. This is your reason for being, your ikigaithe engine that, on a daily basis, pushes you to take action.
Finding your why can be complex, but it is a necessary step. Your why allows you to get up every morning feeling happy and confident that you are going to have an inspiring day. It also gives you motivation to return home in the evening with the feeling of duty accomplished.
Your why is your first source of motivation in life.
Now it’s your turn!
And if you decided to write your For what black on white to identify, precisely, the little flame that animates you and makes you vibrate. This reflection exercise will stimulate you; it will reinforce your choice to want to do what you are passionate about in life.
You will use the Golden Circle, a method developed by the British Simon Sinek (author of Start with why in 2009) which allows you to graphically represent your For whatin the center of three concentric circles.
By carrying out this exercise, you will deduce two other fundamental elements, your How and your Whatwhich will make your project unique and very personal.
Then, you will make it your own to express it well and explain very naturally how you do things and what you actually do. The ideal is to integrate your Why into your presentation pitch.
If we have to dissect the method to find its why, we can read the following diagram:
- THE For what is your reason for being, your ultimate goal, your deepest belief or the cause you joined. It is the driving force behind your actions.
- THE How is the set of actions that fuel your Why. It’s your added value, your way of doing things, what makes you unique and singular.
- THE What encompasses the work and activities you do every day. This may concern products, services, works, services, etc.
Here’s a three-step process that will help you discover your For what :
- Explore your personal history to identify the deep values that have driven you for all these years.
- Identify the themes that, in you, arouse the most emotional and passionate reactions.
- Refine your For what and write it in a way that makes it simple, clear and inspiring. Focus it on the effect you want to have on others.
A teacher’s example of the Golden Circle
To clearly illustrate the point, I offer you a concrete example for an individual working in the education sector.
Her For what : “ I believe that every child has the right to a quality education, no matter where they come from. Education is the most powerful lever for changing the world.“
Her How : “ My teaching approach combines positive psychology, gamification and hands-on learning to engage students. This educational experience goes beyond academic teaching to stimulate their creativity and autonomy.“
Her What : “ I am a teacher in a public school, I give private math lessons on weekends, and on weekends, I voluntarily develop online educational modules with open access. I also have an account on TikTok where I offer video clips on subjects that interest my students.“
Your why cannot be material success.
Don’t fall into the trap of success material. Earning money is a consequence or a need, but certainly not a cause to be defended (like education for all in our example). When you do something to earn your living or enrich yourself, it is more out of necessity or greed than out of intuition or vocation.
If earning money to live in good conditions is essential, it should not be the main motivation for your project. If you want to become rich, there is necessarily a deeper reason behind it… For example, to be as free as possible or to become an inspiring figure for others!
Questions to ask yourself to find out why
Here is a series of questions to ask yourself to get your thinking started:
- What causes do you want to defend? For what ?
- Who are the personalities you admire the most? For what ?
- What outrages you in today’s society? For what ?
- What would you like to change in the world? For what ?
- What are your personal motivations?
- What did you dream of becoming when you were a child?
- Do you want to develop your skills in a particular area? For what ?
- What is your deeper engine, the one that nourishes you and makes you get up in the morning?
Finding your Why goes well beyond personal motivations; This is the guideline you want to give to your life. To find it, it will take time for reflection, introspection and exploration.
