How To Live By Your WHY Statement

Having invested a lot of time and energy finding your true purpose in life and writing your powerful WHY statement it is essential that you live by it going forward. You need to make the right choices in life that fully support your WHY statement and avoid those choices which move you away from it.

If you have made a statement of contribution to help others in your WHY statement then it is not a good idea to go to the bar every night and get drunk. You are not going to be able to help a lot of people in this condition are you?

OK this is a pretty extreme example, but it is a real one and if this is something that you currently do then you are going to have to change this behavior right now. In fact anything that you currently do that doesn’t fit with your WHY statement is going to have to stop.

Take Stock of your current Lifestyle

A lot of people that find their true calling and write personal WHY statements find that their current way of life is far away from where they really want to be. We recommend that you examine all of your current habits to see if they align with your WHY statement.

If your habits are not in alignment then that is OK. You will need to commit to making adjustments so that you can align with it. Give yourself time to do this as it may take longer than you think to break certain habits.

Persistence will Win the Day

You will need a good deal of persistence to change your life to align with your WHY statement if there is a significant gap. By making small changes on a regular basis you will get there in the end.

The best results will come your way when you are persistent. Each day make a list of the things that you need to do to align your life with your WHY statement. Review your progress at the end of each day and plan for the next day. By taking small and regular actions you will develop your persistence and get the results that you want.

Focus on Providing Value to Others

In your WHY statement you made a contribution to help others. Make this your focus going forward. Most people tend to focus on money and are always looking for ways to make more. When you change your focus to helping other improve their lives then you can do it in such a way that the money will follow.

Don’t get hung up on small things. Too many people focus on the minutia of life and never achieve anything. Your WHY statement will provide you with the “big picture” so use it to focus on the important things that will get you where you want to be.

Living by a WHY Statement is not easy

The reason that so many people just drift along in life is because it is an easy option. It doesn’t take much effort to sit in front of the TV for hours eating snacks. When you are committed to a WHY statement then there will be no easy options for you. It is all or nothing.

Accountability will help you here. Share your WHY statement with people that you know. Try to find a WHY statement buddy who will hold you to your mission in life and quickly point out to you if you are going off track.

Getting The Most From Your WHY Statement

There is no doubt that any good personal WHY statement takes time and effort to create. So having made this investment in your WHY statement you will want to get the most that you can from it.

Quite rightly you took quite a long time to write and refine your WHY statement so that it was as clear, concise and powerful as it could be. So now it is time for you to reap the benefits of your new powerful WHY statement and in this article we will show you how to do that.

Motivate yourself with your WHY Statement

Inspiration alone is usually never enough to achieve your goals. There are going to be times when you are not in the right frame of mind and just cannot be bothered to take action. When you have a strong personal WHY statement you can use it to provide you with a significant motivational boost.

We strongly recommend that you have a copy of your personal WHY statement by your bedside. Every morning after you get out of bed you should read your WHY statement out loud so that it motivates you and gives you the energy that you need for the day ahead.

It is also a good idea to keep a copy of your WHY statement with you so that you can access it at any time. If you feel the need for a motivational boost at any time of day, and wherever you are, get out your WHY statement and read it again.

There is no limit to how many times you should read your WHY statement each day and be motivated by it. That is one of the main reasons that you spent all of the time and energy writing it so use it as often as you need.

Set your Goals using your WHY Statement

You are very unlikely to achieve goals that you are not truly committed to. Maybe you were persuaded by others to set certain goals in the past or you just thought that it was the right thing to do.

With a strong WHY statement you can forget about what others say and any other influencers. You know what your purpose in life is now and you have clearly defined this in your WHY statement. This clarity is essential for you to set goals that you are inspired by and truly committed to.

You are aware of the contribution that you want to make to the world and the impact that you want to have. So use this to set goals that will move you forward with both of these. Create your goals and plans around your personal WHY statement and you will be totally driven to achieve them.

Make Decisions using your WHY Statement

You should find it easier to make decisions going forward now that you have a strong and clear WHY statement. Instead of making some decisions without considering the consequences as a lot of people do, your WHY statement will guide you to make the right decisions.

Your WHY statement has provided you with direction and purpose for your life so always have it in the back of your mind when you are making decisions. Ask yourself if making a particular decision will move you closer to your life’s purpose or move you away from it.

How To Create A Strong Business WHY Statement

Writing a strong and effective mission statement for a business is not a 5 minute job. You need to think carefully about what you want to include in your mission statement as it needs to be congruent with all of the parties in your business including your customers, employees, suppliers and stakeholders (owners etc).

We recommend that a strong mission statement needs to include these three important elements as a minimum:

• What does your business do for your customers?
• What does your business do for your employees?
• What does your business do for your stakeholders / owners?

So good mission statements include a fourth element which is what the company will do for the community. These are certainly the most important factors of a mission statement so make sure that you include them in yours.

What does a Strong Mission Statement do for a Business?

It is very similar to a personal WHY statement in that it provides clarity of purpose. There is more to a mission statement than a personal WHY statement as a business is more complex. A strong mission statement should be used to:

• Set the main business goal(s)
• Determine the company culture
• Define the ethics of the business
• Provide guidance for decision making

Unfortunately most mission statements are poorly written and you wonder why the business owners bothered to write theirs at all. Some of the largest businesses are guilty of this – it is not just the smaller companies.

If you create a vague mission statement this doesn’t help your customers or your employees at all. You are not going to garner commitment if people do not understand what your mission statement really means. So in this article we will show you how to create a clear mission statement that all parties can commit to.

What is the Purpose of your Business?

The first important step to writing a strong mission statement is to define clearly what your business is about. Consider the customer here and map out the process of how they find out about you right through to making a decision to purchase your products and services.

You need to think about these 3 main aspects:

• Why do your customers want what you have to offer?
• How will customers find your business?
• What’s in it for your customers?

In your mission statement you need to inform your customers why they need to buy from you. Write a list of what your business does as well as the things that it doesn’t do to help create a clear picture.

What does your Company do for your Employees?

If a business does not take care of their employees there will be high turnover which is expensive. So use your mission statement to retain your employees for longer. Think about how you motivate and train your employees. Here are some ideas for this:

• You provide the best training
• You are fair with your employees
• You respect the ideas that your employees have
• You empower your employees

All of these things really matter to your employees. You need to tell them that you see them as your most precious asset and you want to take care of them. To avoid your mission statement being too long, you can create an external one for your customers and an internal one for your employees and stakeholders.

Mission Statements and Owners

You need to include what is in it for your owners in your mission statement as well. If you are not the owner of the business then talk to the owners to find out what is important to them. The value of shares and return on investment are almost certainly going to be of interest.

Why Your Business Needs A WHY Statement

A WHY statement for a business is known as a “mission statement”. It is similar to a personal WHY statement in a number of ways. Having a good mission statement is important but most business owners don’t bother to create one. Or they write one for a business plan and then never look at it again.

Writing a good mission statement is essential. If it is done in a rush and doesn’t encapsulate all of the important things about your business then it is a complete waste of time. In this article we will explain why it is so important to create a strong mission statement and take the time and effort to do so.

It Provides Direction

A good mission statement will always clearly state the direction of a company. It will include the main goal of the business and this is important for customers, employees, suppliers and stakeholders to know.

As your business launches new products and services your customers and employees will understand why you have done that if you have a strong mission statement. They will see how they align with the direction that the company is heading in and will be more committed to them.

It will provide Employee Unification

In any company that has a number of different departments there is often a disconnect between them. These days many businesses outsource work to skilled freelancers and external companies and this makes the problem worse.

For example, if the company is planning to launch a new product then it is very likely that most of the departments and a number of outsourcers and external companies will be involved. If no strong mission statement exists then there is a much higher chance of the overall goal of the project being lost on different people.

When you have a strong and explicit mission statement and you share this with all parties it makes it a lot easier for everybody working on the product launch project to see how they fit in and how important their role is.

A Mission Statement helps to maintain Focus

When a company grows and expands their reach it is often the case that both the bosses and the workers will lose their focus. If your business has a strong mission statement then this can be avoided.

Loss of focus can really harm the reputation of a business. Its brand can suffer and so can its overall image. With a strong and explicit mission statement in place it will provide guidance to all during periods of growth. The mission statement will remind everyone of the main goal and help to keep its reputation intact.

Creating Accountability with a Mission Statement

Any business will exist to fulfill a specific purpose or need and this needs to be stated clearly in your mission statement. A businesses needs to be accountable so that it can continue to improve and serve its customers better. If the overall purpose of the business is unclear then it is going to be difficult, if not impossible, to make these improvements.

You need to make it clear in your mission statement what your business wants to accomplish. This will help to hold both the business owners and employees accountable and ensure that everyone is striving to achieve the same goal.

Communicating Your WHY Statement To Others

When you make a commitment to create a truly powerful WHY statement, it is a good idea to share it with other people in your social circle. You can share your new personal WHY statement with your family members, your close friends, your employer and anyone else that is important to you in your life.

Some people are not going to know what a WHY statement is and why you have bothered to create one. Explain to everyone that you have now found your true life purpose and that you intend to stand by your WHY statement from now on.

Sharing Provides Accountability

By sharing your WHY statement with the important people around you will make yourself accountable and more motivated to live by it. You may not feel that you need this added accountability because you have a strong will, but you will be surprised how much this can help you to be the person that you truly want to be.

Not everyone that you share your WHY statement with is going to hold you accountable. Some of your family members and friends may not even notice that you have deviated from it. Others may notice, but then show sympathy to you and say things like “well you tried and that was the main thing”. This is not going to help you.

Think about who will make a good WHY statement buddy. This is a person who will truly hold you accountable to your WHY statement and will let you know in no uncertain terms of you fall of the rails. They are not going to be sympathetic to any deviances and will give you a hard time if you do not live by your WHY statement.

Is it necessary to Share your WHY Statement with everyone?

There are going to be some people in your circle that just don’t get it. They may even laugh at you for creating a personal WHY statement and tell you that you have just wasted a lot of time and effort.

Some people are going to tell you that you will never live by your WHY statement. They know you very well and feel that you will deviate from your WHY statement at the earliest opportunity. We all have these kinds of people in our lives who see the negative in everything.

So should you share your WHY statement with these people? To be honest only you can answer that question. If you know that a person is going to hit you with a barrage of negativity when you share your WHY statement with them then you need to decide if you are going to be able to handle this.

Some people can handle this kind of negativity well. It actually makes them even more committed to their WHY statement. Others will find this negativity difficult to deal with and it may make them think that they are wasting their time with a WHY statement.

You need to assess what kind of person you are and how you will react to any negativity. If you think that any negativity will affect you badly, do not share your WHY statement with these kind of people.

The truth is you can never totally predict how people you are close to will react to you telling them about your WHY statement. Some will be enthusiastic and show encouragement. But others that you expect the same reaction from may be negative about it. You need to be prepared for any eventuality.

The Three Different People In Life And Why You Need To Choose The WHY Path

All human beings do the things that they do for a reason. They also avoid doing certain things for a reason as well. The reasons behind some of the things that we do are obvious. We eat because we are hungry and want to survive. We bathe because we don’t want to be dirty and smell bad.

But there are other things that we choose to do, or avoid doing, that have more complex reasons behind them. If you know someone that works a job that they really hate then have you ever wondered why they do this? The obvious answer that most people will come up with is “they need the money” or “they are desperate”.

But there are other reasons that can come into play here. Some people just don’t want the extra responsibility that comes from working a higher paid job. Others avoid applying for better jobs because they do not have the confidence and belief in themselves that they can do the job.

When you look at the overall population we believe that there are three different types of people in this world. In this article we will examine these and explain why it is your interest to choose the WHY path. You will understand this more as we go along.

1. The Drifter People

This accounts for the vast majority of the population. They may have dead end jobs or they might have reasonably good jobs but they have no idea what they really want from life or which direction they are heading in. These people drift along in life and “go with the flow”. They don’t like change and are usually happy to be a drifter.

If you were to stop one of these people in the street and ask them what they really wanted in their life then they would not be able to tell you. They may come up with a few material things like a nice house and a car but they do not have any real plans.

Ask them where they want to be in the next 5 years and you will get a blank look. Most of them don’t know where they will be in the next 5 days. These people never set any goals for themselves with the exception of setting New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and other things that they never follow through on.

2. People that find themselves Stuck

These are a much smaller percentage of the population who are not happy with their current situation and want to change it. They want to identify and follow their true purpose in life but they are stuck trying to find it.

As a result of being stuck then tend to go off in all different directions searching for that thing that will make them fulfilled. This is better than being a drifter but very frustrating as you are largely relying on luck to find real meaning in your life.

3. People that know their real purpose in life

This is an even smaller percentage of people that have identified their true calling in life. The know exactly what their WHY is and they are driven to achieve it. They have goals and plans and work on them relentlessly every day.

We recommend that you choose the WHY path. When you discover your true WHY in life you can set the right goals and attain total fulfillment. Don’t let life dictate your future – take control right now and identify your true purpose in life and go after it.

The Best Way To Find Your WHY

There are a small percentage of the population that spend a great deal of time trying to identify their true purpose in life. This is agonizing for them and some will find their true WHY and others will not.

The reality is that some people just don’t care about their WHY. They are happy for life to control them and drift along day by day. But you need to find your WHY because it is very important. Once you know your true reason for being then you can pursue this with passion and vigor to attain complete fulfillment.

Ways you can Find your WHY

Most people try to find their WHY using trial and error. They jump on every opportunity that they can to see if it leads to the Promised Land. This may work in a very small number of cases but will fail most of the time.

Another thing that you can do to try and find your WHY is to follow others. Maybe you have a friend or someone else that you are close to that you believe is a lot happier than you are and want to do the things that they do.

So you decide to set the same goals that they do in the hope that you will find the same fulfillment. The problem is that you are not going to be as committed to these goals as your friend is. When your heart isn’t really in something then there is not much chance of you achieving your goals.

Maybe you have seen something on TV or on the Internet. You see people are really happy with this so you decide to pursue it as well. But you need to bear in mind that most of this is marketing and that the people looking happy in the ads are being paid to do this. Please don’t believe everything that you see on TV or the Internet.

Finally you can decide to really find your true purpose in life. It is not going to be the easiest path for you to take but you know it is the right one. Trying to follow the passions of others is rarely the best thing to do. You need to know what your true passions are and then do everything possible to follow them.

We are all different and all have different passions. Only when you identify what yours really are will you find fulfillment. So don’t waste your time with trial and error or following someone else because it is not going to work.

Ask yourself Questions to find your WHY

If you want to find your true purpose in life then you need to take the time out and ask yourself some soul searching questions. This is not going to be an easy task and it will take you time to do this. But the rewards are certainly worth it because discovering your WHY is one of the best things that you can do in life.

So find yourself somewhere quiet where you can spend some quality time asking and answering the right questions to find your WHY. You don’t want any distractions while you are doing this. Bring your journal with you or a pen and paper as you will need to write down your answers. Here are the questions to ask yourself:

• How can I improve the life of others?
• What are the things that I do where time seems to pass by quickly?
• What did I really enjoying doing as a child?
• When people ask me for help what help do they want?
• What would I do if I didn’t have to worry about money?     

Use your answers to these questions to determine your WHY and create a WHY statement.                                                                                 

How To Write A Good WHY Statement

Once you have discovered your true calling in life you want to create a WHY statement around it. Your WHY statement needs to be compelling because you want to use it to motivate you every day to do the right things to attain fulfillment in your life.

There are a number of formats that you can use to write your WHY statement but at the end of the day it is up to you. There are no hard and fast rules here. The most important thing is that your WHY statement really resonates with you and that it is effective.

Four Elements of an Ideal WHY Statement

Although you don’t need to conform to any set rules there are four elements to a good WHY statement that we strongly recommend that you follow. Your WHY statement need to be very clear and as concise as possible for you and any people that you choose to share it with. So we strongly recommend that you include these 4 elements in your WHY statement:

1. Make your WHY statement clear and simple

It is really important that your WHY statement provides you with clarity about your life’s purpose. It needs to be simple to understand and as concise as you can make it. At the end of the day it needs to make sense and resonate with you.

2. Your WHY statement needs to promote action

Your WHY statement must inspire action. There is no point just writing a WHY statement and then do nothing with you. It needs to inspire you to work towards your true calling in life and motivate you to work on this every day.

3. Include your Contribution to others in your WHY statement

If you can help others then you will help yourself. Every good WHY statement needs a contribution element to it so make sure that yours does as well. Having a contribution element will inspire you to move forward each day.

4. Make your WHY statement positive and ensure it resonates with you

It will actually be pretty difficult for you to create a WHY statement that is negative but ensure that it is really positive. When you read your WHY statement it needs to resonate with you and motivate you to take action towards your life’s purpose.

How long should your WHY Statement be?

Again there are no strict rules to follow here. Your WHY statement needs to be as long as you need it to be. Having said that we recommend that you keep your WHY statement as short as you can.

The most important thing is that your WHY statement contains the 4 important elements that we discussed above. While others may be able to write their WHY statement in one sentence this may not be enough for you. This doesn’t matter at all so please do not concern yourself with this.

Aim for an Evergreen WHY Statement

An evergreen WHY statement is one that you will not have to change very often, if at all. You want to use your WHY statement in all aspects of your life both in your work and personal life.

When you are writing your WHY statement, think about it as a way to express the value that you provide to others at work and in your personal life. There is no need for you to write two WHY statements to cover this.

6 Reasons Why You Need A WHY Statement

Most people do not know what their true calling in life is. Some people just don’t care about this and are happy to be a drifter in life and just “go with the flow”. Others do care about it but have problems with identifying their real purpose in life. So here will show you 6 reasons why you absolutely must create a WHY statement.

1. It will provide clarity about what your purpose in life is.

If you don’t know your true life’s purpose then you will end up doing things that you really don’t want to do. There are so many people working jobs that they hate just to pay the bills. They dread Monday mornings and always feel apprehensive on Sunday nights. This is no way to live your life.

When you know what your true purpose is in life you can take action to achieve this. You will have more confidence and can get a job that will align with your purpose. You will have more energy and be motivated every day.

2. A WHY Statement Sharpens your Focus

Without the right focus in your life it is easy to set goals that you are not truly committed to. A lot of people follow their friends and other influencers in their life and end up setting the same goals as them. We are all different and this rarely works out well.

When you identify what you really want your life to be about this clarity helps you to work out your next moves a lot more easily. You can use your WHY statement to drive you forward each day and achieve what you really want from your life.

3. You will make the Right Decisions

Have you ever made wrong decisions in your life? Of course you have we have all done that. When you have a strong and compelling WHY statement it will help you to make much better decisions in life.

A lot of decisions have serious consequences and if you don’t know your true purpose then you can dismiss these consequences in exchange for short term pleasure or gain. With a good WHY statement you will assess the long term consequences and be able to make better decisions.

4. It Provides more Accountability

People that have no purpose in life tend to shy away from accountability. They are just happy to drift along but then complain bitterly when things go against them. It is never their fault of course and always someone else’s.

With a powerful WHY statement you will know where you are going in life and be accountable for this. You will think things through more and only take action where it aligns with your WHY statement. This additional accountability will make you a better person.

5. You will be Healthier and Happier

If you only want to consider one of these reasons to have a compelling WHY statement then this is the one to choose. There is nothing more important than your health and your happiness. When you are happy then you tend to be healthier. If you are unhappy then your resistance is down and you can experience all kinds of health issues.

6. Your Resilience will Increase

Everyone has to face problems in their life. For some people these problems are too difficult to handle and they become overwhelmed and stressed out. When you have a compelling WHY statement you can see these problems as opportunities for you to grow and attain fulfillment in your life.

Ways to Improve Your Strategic Thinking Skills

Having the ability to think strategically maximizes your problem-solving skills. When you improve your strategic thinking skills, you’ll enable yourself to be able to plan any part of your life, business, or job logically and quickly. You’ll be able to use your mind to make better decisions that align with your values and the intent you have for the situation.

Keep Your Mind Open

Being open-minded doesn’t mean that you’re being gullible. When you open your mind to new perspectives, it allows you to see additional, innovative ways to accomplish something or reach your goal. These new discoveries enable you make well-informed choices according to your needs.

Accept Your Biases

Don’t worry about how it’s always been done because that is a bias that you have that may or may not be correct. There may be a better way. However, if you stick to your old preferences without assessing and exploring new information, you won’t likely make new discoveries or acquire new knowledge that helps you grow.

Ask More Questions

Curiosity is essential in developing your ability to think strategically. The more questions you ask, the more information you can gain to help you see more sides of the problem. As you work through the various aspects of the problem, ask the questions that come to your mind. Don’t worry about if they’re right or wrong.

Listen More for Understanding

As you listen to and learn about the information that is going to help you plan, it’s essential to listen for understanding. That will help guide the kinds of questions you ask. When you get one answer, it should lead to another question.

Stay Alert for Opportunities

Keeping alert for opportunities requires that you are aware of what is happening in the environment of your life. For example, what’s happening in your industry of work or business? What’s new in parenting discoveries. It never hurts to learn about the ideas that exist, even if you disagree.

Understand the Consequences of Your Decisions

The impact of each decision you finally make is also significant. After all, that’s how you know when you’re going in the right direction. The results of the choices you make matter more than anything. For this reason, it’s a good idea always to map out the possibilities for any one option.

Keep Learning

Don’t stop learning new things. The more you learn, the more information you from which you can consult to help you think more strategically. Most choices we make in life are based on the knowledge and experience we develop over time.

Improving your strategic thinking skills requires that you are open to being wrong. You’ll also need to practice curiosity, ask lots of questions, and be open-minded enough to learn new things even if they challenge your deeply held convictions.