Questions have a unique way of stimulating your thoughts. One question that does not get asked nearly enough after becoming an adult is “why”. Many of us do not think about why we do the things we do, why we make the decisions we make, or even why we think the way we think.

 

We most times do things because that’s the way it has always been done, or because it is the way it is expected of us. Some don’t even think about or care to define the “why”, as long as they have got the “what”. That’s like putting the cart before the horse.

 

The “what” is the result, a by-product of the “why”, which is our belief, our purpose, the reason why we do the things we do. The clarity of our “why” will strengthen our “what”. It is a question that can change your life and your perspective.

 

According to Simon Sinek in his TED Talk, Start With Why, people buy the “why”, not the “what”. He said that people who lead (not to be confused with leaders, who may merely hold positions of power) and innovative companies start with the “why”. They do not start with wanting to make profit or to achieve popularity and fame – these are all “whats”; they come with the “why”- they start with vision and purpose.

 

 

When people believe in that purpose, they follow it, and not necessarily for these people or companies, but for themselves, because it is something they identify with. In other words, people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. He said that people took buses for 8 hours to stand under the sun and listen to Martin Luther King’s speech because he communicated what he believed. And everyone whose belief aligned showed up that day, not for MLK, but for themselves.

 

The people who work with you must believe your “why”. The purpose of your organisation must be clearly communicated to them. If you stay with what you believe, you will attract those with similar beliefs and who will run well with your vision.

Few people know why they do what they do. Here are some benefits of knowing “Why”:

 

It will make you intentional

It is easy to become a zombie, but your purpose keeps you deliberate and focused.

 

It will make decision making stress free

By helping in the elimination of options, choices are easier to make

 

It will make you challenge the norm

Having a “why” makes you reformative. You no longer do things because it is the traditional way or because it is the status quo. Challenging the norm brings about innovative changes.

 

Your “why” is evident in your actions. In other words, what you do proves what you believe. It is one thing to say you believe something, it is another thing entirely to live that belief.

 

Today, decide to be deliberate and purposeful. Your “what” must never become important than your “why”. The by-products must not become the most important to you. In the words of Simon Sinek, Start With Why.