Why?

It’s time for a check-in. 

Just a small one. With a simple question. 

So give it a chance, and it might just change your current trajectory. 

“WHY?”

It’s not a question we ask ourselves often. But to be fair, it’s not something we grew up practicing. Society values speed and output. So please don’t think, just do. 

“What is the purpose of this?”

It’s a tough question, but if we took a moment to ask it, we’d save ourselves plenty of ummingg and ahhing down the track.

Short term effort, for long term clarity. 

So I’m not going to let you get away with it today. 

- WHY are you working there?

- WHY are you buying those things?

- WHY are you seeing those friends?

- WHY are you taking on this project? 

WHY are you doing what you do? What’s your purpose? What are you doing this all for?

Does it align with your values? (ie does it fulfil you?)

Knowing why you do something generates clarity. 

Like a cool breeze cutting through humidity. 

You might subconsciously know it, but there’s something about saying it out loud, or writing it down that amplifies its impact. 

After knuckling down on my WHY, I realised this: 

1. It’s your strongest motivator

It doesn’t let you give up at the smallest inconvenience, or the biggest, scariest hurdle. It’s the fuel that no one sees, but you.

If you know why you’re doing something, it takes the guesswork out whether what you’re doing is worth it. 

2. It forces you to take action

This applies to when our ‘why’ doesn’t outweigh the effort we’re putting in. 

For example, I was originally dissatisfied with my casual retail work, and my ‘why’ was purely financial security (ie enough $$ for korean fried chicken and other necessities). 

So I asked myself “is there a job that can offer the same income with something I’d actually enjoy?” 

Some of my brainstorming ideas included:

- Hospitality staff (Income, an environment that encourages talking, etc)

- Health Sector support work (Income, an opportunity to practice my theoretical science knowledge)

- Food/travel tour guide (Income, environment which needs talking, focuses on my interests) 

With the current situation, this is the perfect chance to figure out your why, and acknowledge what is and isn’t serving you right now. 

Good luck x

Jo