As I’m moving about my morning, I like to listen to business-related podcasts. Even though they vary in topic and intensity, I almost always get some juicy nugget from the content. I don’t remember where I heard this — was it from Gary Vee? Amy Porterfield? Stu McLaren? Jasmine Star? Marie Forleo? Any of the other hosts I enjoy? — but a phrase really hit me in the heart…
What’s your WHY?
As this was specific to business, that was an easy answer for me. When it comes to teaching yoga, I love seeing people find their strength, both physically and mentally. I love watching folks come into class and leave a completely different person. There are other things I love and personally acknowledge, but I’ll save that for another time.
After I thought about my business Why, I took it a few steps further: Could I use this philosophy in other places in my life, to propel me into that person I so aspire to be? The answer, of course, was yes. I started to think about what my Why was for everything in my life.
Relating to personal development, I want to be the best version of myself possible. I realize how much I don’t know in just about everything, so I’m continuing to expand my horizons through reading, podcasts, videos, and online classes. My Why here is because I need my mental state to stay vibrant so I can thrive as I age.
My Why for eating healthy morsels is because I notice how inflamed my body gets with certain foods. I try to avoid them so my body isn’t in so much discomfort or flat out pain. One would think that would be a big enough reason to ditch certain foods from entering my mouth. One would be wrong. Keeping this Why in mind helps me during the times when my willpower is down and my cravings are up. Admittedly this subsection is a challenge because I’ve always been a foodie who used to have a very quick metabolism. Old habits die hard. Sometimes my Why isn’t strong enough, so I’m taking this opportunity to dive deeper.
As for exercising, to be completely transparent, I don’t love working out. I’m not someone who enjoys going to the gym. My body gets pissed just walking around my block because of old back injuries. But I know I need to get my heart rate up every day. Even making it fun doesn’t give me the motivation to do it, so I went bigger. Why am I working out? Sure, losing a bit of weight and gaining strength are nice fringe benefits. But that’s not a big enough enticement, unfortunately.
Why do I want to be healthy? Because I want to live a longer life. Why? Because I want to spend as much time on this earth as I can with the people I love. Why? Because I want to see my kids grow old. I want to enjoy my grandchildren and even great-grandchildren and still be able to play with them when I’m older than dirt. I want to dance with my boyfriend in the rain until my dying day. Visions of those future actions will get my butt out of bed earlier in the mornings and deter me from snacking on crap that does more harm than good. Keeping this Why at the forefront of my mind will ensure that I follow through, that I don’t slack when things are inconvenient, that I don’t keep hitting snooze or scrolling through my Twitter feed first thing in the morning.
Now that I’ve shared my Whys, where are the places that you can Why yourself to be your best version? Why are you on this planet? What brings you joy? What lights your soul afire? Once you’ve identified your biggest Why, feel free to share it below. You just might inspire someone else to take action.