What is Your Why?

Any successful entrepreneur is going to give you the same advice when you’re first starting out: Know Your Why. Your ‘Why’, simply put, is just that. Your reason for living, your reason for doing, the ‘thing’ that gets you out of the bed every morning with that ‘fuck yeah, let’s go!’ mindset.

If you’re someone who has been living a life of reaction*, getting clear on your why might seem like a rather intimidating process but it doesn’t have to be, especially if you start with your VALUES.

I’m currently working my way through ‘Insight’ by Tasha Urich and she begins her book with the introduction of the seven pillars she believes make up the anatomy of Self Awareness.

Now, this is not a book report so I’m not going to go into the details of all seven pillars but instead, focus on the one I believe to be a quintessential foundation for getting to your ‘why’: Understanding, Studying, and Honoring Your Values.

What are Values?

‘Values’ is one of those buzzwords that seems to have a different definition depending on who you ask. For the sake of this blurb, I’m going to use the following:

Values: a core set of principles that guide how we want to live our lives

When you make the decision to pursue an entrepreneurial lifestyle, you opt to trade in the bureaucracy, rigid structure, and traveled path in favor of independence, flexibility, and possibility.

Here’s my problem with this trade off; In the same way ultimate power corrupts, ultimate freedom engulfs. When you decide to pursue your own path in life, the possibilities are literally, endless. The only limitations are those that exist in your own mind. The caveat? If you don’t understand your mind, you can’t master it.

The first step to this mind mastery is viewing our values through the lens of who you want to be and how you’ll evaluate your action.

7 Steps to Discovering Your Values

Interested in spending some time diving deeper into your unique values? Check out this 7 Steps to Discovering Your Personal Core Values from Scott Jeffrey!

In summary, the 7 steps are:

STEP 1: Start with a Beginner’s Mind

STEP 2: Create Your List of Personal Core Values

STEP 3: Chunk Your Values into Related Groups

STEP 4: Highlight the Central Theme of Each Value Group

STEP 5: Determine Your Top Personal Core

STEP 6: Give Your Core Values Richer Context

STEP 7: Test the Ecology of Each Value

Check out the printable PDF here to work through the actual resource!

Once you find clarity around your values, you’re on your way and one step closer to better understanding your why.

Figuring out your life’s purpose isn’t something that you should expect to master in a day. I’ve been on my discovery journey for years and my why is continually evolving.

As always; Love the Process.

In Growth & Freedom,

Taylor

*reaction vs. action oriented.

Reaction= constantly acting in RESPONSE to what is happening to, for, or around you. Example, “My Boss is an ass so I decided to quit my job.

Action= I think there’s a better opportunity out there for me where I’d be more fulfilled so I’m going to pursue that.