Eight Tips to Help You Uncover Your Why

Tips and Activities to Help You Dig Deeper and Unveil Your Why:

Uncovering your "why" involves introspection and self-exploration, asking you to dig deeper than creating a checklist of things you want to achieve in the coming year. Techniques like journaling, meditation, coaching, or engaging in activities that ignite your passion can help you uncover your deepest wishes and dreams for a more fulfilling, purpose-driven life.

Here are Some Steps to Get You Started:

1. Reflect on Values: Consider your core values. What matters most to you in life? Align your goals with these values. For instance, if family is a core value, how does your goal relate to your family's well-being or desire for a fulfilling family life?

2. Ask Yourself, "Why?" Multiple Times: Use the "Five Whys" Technique. Start with your initial goal and ask yourself why it's important. Then, for each answer, ask "why" again. Doing this multiple times helps uncover deeper reasons behind your goals.

3. Visualize Success: Imagine achieving your goal. How does it make you feel? What impact does it have on your life or the lives of others? Visualizing success can reveal emotional connections that highlight your deeper motivations.

4. Reflect on Past Experiences: Consider accomplishments or times when you felt genuinely motivated. What drove you then? Use those insights to help inform your “why”? What lights you up? What has made you feel in the flow of life? What gives your life meaning and purpose?

5. Connect Emotionally: How does the goal resonate with your emotions? How does it make you feel? Does it bring joy, fulfillment, security, or pride? Understanding the emotional significance can reveal underlying motivations.

6. Consider the broader impact of achieving this goal. How does it contribute to your growth, relationships, career, or community? Understanding a goal's more significant impact can reveal deeper motivations that inspire and sustain you.

7. Discuss your goals with someone you trust—a friend, mentor, or coach. They can provide insights or ask questions that help uncover motivations you hadn't considered.

8. Journaling: Writing down your thoughts, feelings, and reasons for pursuing a goal can help uncover deeper motivations.

Last Thoughts:

By going through these thought exercises, you can better understand your deeper motivations and values, helping you align your goals with what truly matters most. Remember, this process might take time and self-reflection, so be patient and gentle with yourself as you explore your values and deeper desires.

Happy, Healthy New Year!

Infusing Goals with Purpose and Meaning

The Power of Knowing Your Why: Achieving Goals with Purpose

At its core, your “why” is the deep driving force behind your goal, the compass guiding your actions and keeping you motivated to create new habits, even when challenges arise, which they always do. Taking the time to uncover your why amplifies goal achievement and sustainable habits by providing you with:

Clarity and Focus

When you know your “why”, everything you do falls into place. It provides clarity, allowing you to set more meaningful and aligned goals. It's akin to putting a destination on your GPS – knowing where you're headed helps you plan the most efficient route.

Motivation

In pursuing any goal, obstacles and setbacks are inevitable. It's during these challenging times that knowing your why becomes invaluable. Your “why” acts as a reservoir of motivation, reminding you of the bigger picture, rekindling your determination, and empowering you to persevere.

Alignment with Values

Our goals should align with our values for a sense of fulfillment. Knowing your “why” ensures that your goals align with your core beliefs, fostering a greater sense of purpose in your endeavors.

Resilience Amidst Challenges

The journey towards our goals is challenging and full of bumps and setbacks. Knowing your “why” instills resilience. It transforms setbacks into opportunities for growth and learning, enabling you to bounce back stronger with a reaffirmed purpose.

Enhanced Decision-Making

Knowing your “why” is a guiding principle when faced with choices and opportunities. It helps you make decisions that align with your ultimate objectives, steering you away from distractions that could derail your progress. When you doubt your actions or decisions, return to your “why.” Are you in alignment or not?

Increased Satisfaction

Achieving a goal without understanding why it matters can leave you feeling flat or unfulfilled, no matter how hard you worked. Knowing your "why" provides a sense of purpose and satisfaction when you reach your goals, amplifying your chances of maintaining and enjoying the behaviors used to reach them.

Want to learn how to uncover your “why”? Head on over here.

Last Thoughts:

When setting your goals, take the time to delve into your “why” – it might just be the missing piece that transforms your aspirations into reality.

Rethinking Resolutions: A Better Approach for 2024

For many of us, the start of a new year can feel invigorating, a chance to wipe the slate clean and reinvent ourselves. We commit to New Year’s resolutions and pledge to overhaul our habits, health, careers, and relationships. Yet, despite our best intentions, statistics consistently show that most resolutions fall by the wayside within a few weeks. By Valentine’s Day, 80% of us have abandoned our resolutions, putting ourselves and our dreams on the back burner until the following year, when we do it all over again—an endless loop of resolutions and defeat.

So why do these well-intentioned resolutions often not stick, and what can we do differently this year to create lasting change?

The Pitfalls of Resolutions

1) Unrealistic Expectations: Resolutions are often set with high expectations when fervor for change is at its peak. Unfortunately, this initial inspiration might not sustain the long-term effort required for significant change.

2) Lack of Specificity: Vague resolutions like “lose weight” or “be happier” lack the specificity needed for effective goal-setting. Losing track of wins, pitfalls, and motivation is a given without a clear plan or measurable steps.

3) All-or-nothing mindset: Many resolutions are made with an all-or-nothing mentality. When setbacks occur (as they inevitably do), this rigid mindset can lead to feelings of failure, defeat, and abandonment of the resolution.

A Shift in Approach

Instead of setting traditional resolutions that often fizzle out and leave us feeling defeated, adopting alternative strategies can help create more sustainable and meaningful change.

1) Reflect on the Past Year: Take stock of what worked well and what didn’t. Celebrate achievements and use the lessons learned from challenges to help you create the change you desire in the coming year.

2) Think broadly: What do you want more of (community, financial stability, family dinners) and less of (harried mornings, work stress, sleepless nights) this year? Use these reflections to design intentions and goals for the coming year. What do you want to bring in, and what do you want to leave behind?

3) Let One Word Be Your Guide: Think of a word that describes what you want to cultivate this year, and let everything flow from that word. When you feel unsure or off track, return to that word and ask yourself if your actions, habits, and decisions align with your intentions for the new year.

4) Know Your “Why”: Understanding your “why” (why this goal?) allows you to go deeper and get in touch with the real purpose behind your goal. For example, if your goal is to get in shape, ask yourself why you want to get in shape. Is it just to look good in a bikini, or is it to feel more confident, healthy, and energetic, and looking fit will help drive that bigger, more meaningful goal? Check out this post on the importance of understanding your “Why” and then head here to learn how.

5) Set Intentions, Not Resolutions: Rather than focusing on rigid goals, consider setting intentions. Intentions are about how you want to approach life, the mindset you want to cultivate, or the values you want to embody. For instance, instead of resolving to lose 20 pounds, set an intention to prioritize your health and well-being. Then set SMART goals that are aligned with that intention.

6) SMART Goals: When setting goals, make them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). Break down larger goals into smaller, actionable steps. For example, if you intend to go to the gym more, a SMART goal might be to exercise for 30 minutes three times a week. Check out this post to learn more about setting SMART goals.

7) Focus on Habits Over Results. Instead of fixating on the goal or end game, concentrate on building sustainable habits. Research shows that habits form the foundation of lasting change. Start small, be consistent, and gradually build upon these habits.

8) Practice Self-Compassion: Embrace setbacks as part of the journey. Be kind to yourself when things don’t go as planned. Understand that progress isn’t linear, and each day is an opportunity to start anew.

Takeaways:

As we embark on a new year, let’s reconsider the traditional approach of setting resolutions that often lead to frustration and disappointment. By shifting our focus to intentions, setting SMART goals, prioritizing habits, knowing what motivates us, and practicing self-compassion, we pave the way for sustainable change and a fulfilling life.

Happy New Year! May this one be filled with love, health, and well-being.

xo Lisa