If I were to put a ten-inch-wide, thirty-foot-long plank on the ground and say, “If you walk the length of the plank, I’ll give you twenty dollars,” would you do it? Of course, it’s an easy twenty bucks.
But what if I took that same plank and made a roof-top “bridge” between two 100-story buildings? That same twenty dollars for walking the thirty-foot plank no longer look desirable or even possible, does it? You’d look at me and say, “Not on your life.”
However, if your child was in the opposite building, and that building was on fire, would you walk the length of the plank to save him? Without question and immediately—you’d do it, twenty dollars or not.
Darren Hardy – “The Compound Effect”:
What is the difference between the first refusal to walk the rooftop plank when the second request is done without hesitation? The risk is the same, so what changed? Your reason or your WHY changed.
Importance of a WHY Statement
Today’s culture centers so much on achieving so many goals and wanting results instantly, that we have forgotten to ask ourselves WHY we truly want those things. Commitment is easier if we know WHY we want to do it. Understanding our true motivations behind our goals is important because it helps us have more clarity of where we are going and push through when things get hard.
If our WHY is not strong enough or does not connect with our core values or what makes us happy it will be hard to keep ourselves invested in our goals. Asking WHY you want to achieve something is basically asking yourself “what value do I find in achieving this goal?”. This will not only help you see if your goals are in line with who you are as a person, but also energize you to continue when things get tough, when you get frustrated or lose focus.
The more passion we have, the stronger our resolve to achieve it.
How to build your WHY statement
- Look at your “10” in each area.
- Build your WHY Statement in each area by asking yourself “WHY do I want this?” 5 times.
- You can also keep these questions in mind to answer “WHY”
- What impact will attaining this goal have?
- How will it affect others?
- How will you feel when successful?
Action Task:
Create your WHY Statement for each holistic area.
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