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“…To be free. To travel. To have a healthy, supporting, loving family. To continuously learn and develop. To be happy and enjoy new experiences. To have fun. To create, educate, inspire, excite, transform lives, make a difference…”
This quote is taken from my “why” statement. It is much longer so I’ve just chosen a few of the most powerful lines
I read my “why” statement every morning, before I kick start my day.
I wrote my why statement about 2 weeks ago.
Since then, wonderful things have started coming into my life. No, writing the why statement is not the only thing I did. But once I had it written down, I felt much much better. Much more relaxed.
Why?
Because when your “why” is clear, everything suddenly makes sense.
Everything you do gets a new meaning.
Suddenly, it makes perfect sense to do things like:
- Pouring coffee at Starbucks, getting orders from ego-driven supervisors, carrying heavy, smelly, dripping rubbish bags(not fun.)
- Chopping bananas and carrying 20kg carrot bags at the juice factory (not fun at all.)
- Writing articles for $5 per 500 words (flipping burgers could me more fun…)
- Spending over an hour writing replying a single email at times.
Everything makes sense because you know that you’ve got a reason to get up in the morning and you’re no longer a victim reacting to circumstances like most people believe they are. You’re in control, you’re the captain of the ship which is your life and everything you do, yes everything, takes you a few miles further to your destination. And you’re enjoying every minute, well, almost every minute, because you know you’re in the flow and be being present you’re putting all your energy into anything you do.
You’re not yet another call center worker, but rather you’re giving the best customer service you can possibly give.
You’re making the perfect cappuccino to the hard working London folk, so they start their day on the right foot.
You’re producing the perfect fruit juices so that people can enjoy their lunch breaks and be more productive at work, thus providing more value to their clients and companies.
Everything matters. Every single moment and action bears a meaning. Everything and everyone are connected. Every fragment is part of a bigger picture, another piece assembling your life’s jigsaw.
And no, while goals are important as well, they are entirely different.
Example:
“To have fun” – the why; “To visit Disneyland” – the goal
“To create, educate, inspire…” – the why; “To become a world renowned public speaker” – the goal
The “why “is a general statement about your destiny, about the reason you’re actually going through all of this journey. Your personal raison d’être, if you like. It has to be something really big, really meaningful, something that will make you thrilled and excited each time you read it. Something that keeps you up at night and a worthy reason to get up in the morning. Some call it a “vision statement” but it’s basically the same thing.
The goals are the fragments, when you break down the why jigsaw. They are much more detailed, much more specific, and some people like to give them dates.
What next?
- I highly encourage you to read follow Jaime Tardy’s tips on how to set your goals and write down your “why.” She explains it very clearly and I’ve followed her guidance when writing down my why statement. She’s a very nice lady and I’m sure she’d love to hear from you and answer your questions.
- Edel O’Mahony is my spiritual inspiration and she can really teach you how to set goals and write down your gratitude statements. I like her approach because she teaches methods that actually work. I know because they’ve worked for me, time and time again. I’d urge you to follow her on Facebook, Twitter and to join her on her path of the peaceful warrior.
Now let’s talk about you for a second…
Have you written a why statement? Goals?
Can you share some of them here, so that we all get excited?
If that article has helped you, please share the love so that others can enjoy as well… Thanks 
About Adam
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Hi bro.
Finally I got easy way to motivate my self every single movement in my life.
Gonna write my why statements now.
Thanks a lot for such much motivational post.
So glad I could help and motivate you.
I wish you all the best of luck with this.
You will see how great you feel afterwards
Great post man. Love the inspirational work.
I call my “why statement” my “definite chief aim”. Google that + Bruce Lee. YOU WILL BE IMPRESSED.
I formated mine based on his, EXCEPT 1 CRUCIAL part.
You have to format in present tense. Do not say things to yourself like “I will be…” Then you are telling your subconscious that no matter what, you are not good enough NOW because you are saying ” You WILL be…”
Always go with am, is or are.
Perfectly put by Henry Ford, “Whether you think you are or you aren’t. You are right”.
True to the core dude!
Surfs up,
Thanks a lot Sal.
You are right, all your statements and goals have to be in present tense.
I say my statements every morning and now there’s one statement less to say because it’s already achieved
Henry Ford… reminds me of a story from Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. Here goes:
“A few years back, Ford decided to produce his now famous V-8 motor. He chose
to build an engine with the entire eight cylinders cast in one block, and instructed
his engineers to produce a design for the engine. The design was placed on paper,
but the engineers agreed, to a man, that it was simply impossible to cast an eight-
cylinder gas engine block in one piece.
Ford said, “Produce it anyway.” “But,” they replied, “it’s impossible!” “Go ahead,”
Ford commanded, “and stay on the job until you succeed no matter how much
time is required.”
The engineers went ahead. There was nothing else for them to do, if they were
to remain on the Ford staff. Six months went by, nothing happened. Another six
months passed, and still nothing happened. The engineers tried every conceiv-
able plan to carry out the orders, but the thing seemed out of the question; “im-
possible!”
At the end of the year Ford checked with his engineers, and again they informed
him they had found no way to carry out his orders.
“Go right ahead,” said Ford, “I want it, and I’ll have it.” They went ahead, and
then, as if by a stroke of magic, the secret was discovered.
The Ford DETERMINATION had won once more!”
Oh, and I absolutely LOVED the Bruce Lee statement.
Guys & girls, if you’re reading this, please go to:
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/03/my-definite-chief-aim.html
afterwards come back here and tell us what you think in the comments.
Super stuff, really powerful.
It is indeed very important to get that feeling every morning, that I am the captain of my life ship and I will not let the circumstances take control of my life.Loved this post of yours! Its indeed very inspirational.I have been doing the same thing for almost 20 years now, allowing circumstances to take control of my life, but I guess its high time to change things..Will drop another comment here Adam if I succeed! A big thumb’s up to the post! Highly recommended for all my friends
Thanks a lot Arnab. Getting a comment like this makes all the blogging efforts worthwhile for me.
One advice: you’ve said: “Will drop another comment here Adam if I succeed!”
Drop the “if”! You will succeed if you’re committed to your Why. Looking forward to hear about your success!
Hey Adam, I have always believed that it is questions and not the answers that we give that drives our success. You came through with that very well and hit the nail right on the head when you said that your “why” makes sense of everything. Only if we knew how to ask the right kind of questions.
Thanks Adam, it came through really nice
Thanks Martin. I think you’ve just nailed it here. Most people don’t succeed because they are not clear about their Why. It’s funny because it’s probably the easiest thing to find, once yo get to the bottom of it you realize that your Why is so powerful that it won’t let you go, just like any obsession. Your Why is the place to start. Just like I once heard: “Ask good questions and get god answers!”
I completely agree on the importance of knowing your “why.” But making it so long completely dilutes its power. And by turning out a wish list of operational items in no particular order, you make your why sound just like everyone else’s. Simon Sinek’s video on ted.com suggests that a much shorter statement has worked for great leaders, but doesn’t tell how to get it. For two years, my original and simple 4-stage process has been helping companies and individuals come up with a why statement only a few words long, which they keep to themselves rather than using it as a tagline. I offer my process for free. Let me know if you’d like a why statement with real power.
You’ve got a point. It might me more powerful to have a short and punchy Why statement. Just like Bruce Lee did here:
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/03/my-definite-chief-aim.html
(see my reply to Sal on 26.11.11 further down in this thread)
I think the next stage for me is to come up with a few shorter, more focused statements.