Want to achieve your goals? Find your ‘why’

The reason behind what you do is what will get you closer to it

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

When it comes to goals, a lot of people focus on the ‘how’ and on the ‘when’.

‘How do I do it?’ ‘When do I do it?’

Most forget that the most important question to be asking is

‘Why am I doing it?’

Only when you have found your ‘why’ will you have the determination and courage to take the risks needed to succeed. Understanding your ‘why’ will help you endure any tough decision or a low moment when trying to achieve your goals. Because with a ‘why’ you know that where you aim to get is greater than any setback.

“He who has a why can endure any how” –Nietzsche

What exactly is your ‘why’?

Your ‘why’ whether it is at your job or in life, is that deep-down, personal driving force you have for what you do. Until you identify these personal motivators you won’t be able to get clear on the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’, because without a ‘why’ aims can quickly change and the direction of what you do won’t be clear enough for you to eventually end up there.

Since you ‘why’ is so personal you have to think about what is at stake for you and you only. Freedom, responsibility, money, desire to change your community, etc are all possible ‘whys’ but what’s important is that they come from you, not from any external pressure.

How to find your ‘why’?

Write down a few specific goals that you want to accomplish in the next year. Make them specific so that you can measure your progress. For example: ‘In this year I will read 12 books about entrepreneurship’ is a specific goal that you can assess. Instead, ‘this year I will read more’ is not specific enough.

For each of your goals answer the following questions: ‘Why does this matter to me? What is at stake? How will I and those around me benefit from it?’. These questions should allow you to understand your core personal motivators with each goal.

Lastly, prioritize your motivations. Find which is the most important for each and which is the least important.

Answering the ‘why’ question will give you more clarity, gratification, and purpose that will help you move in the right direction, overcome any setbacks, ultimately helping you achieve your goals.