How to Find Your “Why”: The Missing Piece in Why You’re Not Motivated
Let me be the first to say that staying motivated is no easy task. We go through peaks and valleys in our lives that impact how we feel, and that includes our level of motivation.
So, what do we do when we lack motivation? More often than not, we procrastinate. We put off our to-do lists and leave things for tomorrow.
If you’re anything like me, lacking motivation feels like living life in slow motion - and not the cool, romanticized slow-mo we see on social media.
The type of slow-motion that feels draining because nothing we set off to do ends up working out for us. When I procrastinate, I never end the day feeling fulfilled or happy with how the day went.
After living life this way for probably too long, I decided it was time for me to make a change. I started exploring all sorts of podcasts and self-help books looking for the answer to why I couldn’t find the motivation to do anything - like anything.
And ironically, my answer to why I wasn’t feeling motivated was because I, myself, was lacking a why. Fast forward a few years and a couple of months, I feel confident in my why, and I want to share how it changed my life with you.
The Importance of Why
Now you may be asking, why does it matter if I have a “why”? What difference is it going to make? Let’s start here, because I understand how it can seem so insignificant - when in reality, it’s the complete opposite.
Your “why” in life is what keeps you going. It’s what motivates you (see, motivates!).
This is massively important for a few reasons.
Your why drives you to succeed at what you want to achieve.
Your why is the reason you keep going.
Your why motivates you.
Understanding Your Why
It’s time that we start trying to figure out what your why really is. Ask yourself the following questions, and see if anything comes to mind.
What do I value in life?
Are there any people in my life that make me want to be a better person?
Who am I at my core?
On my deathbed, what do I want to be remembered for?
To find your why, you’re going to need to dig deep. Using your why to stay motivated will only work if you have a true connection to what it is.
Let’s get a bit personal. My why for working on building my own business and brand is because I want a life in the future where I can stay home with family, prioritize relationships, and live slowly. This is something that is close to my heart, so on the days I feel like giving up or throwing in the towel, I draw back to what I’m working for - I think back to my why.
You don’t need to decide what your why is today. Maybe take a week, month, or however long you need to really think about what matters to you. Or maybe, as you’re sitting here reading this, you immediately know your why.
Either way, make sure it’s something you know will make you keep going even on the days you don’t want to.
Applying Your Why
There are a couple of ways you can start applying your why to your life, and I personally have one that works the best for me.
The first is to simply keep a small reminder of your why in the back of your mind. If you’re a mental person who thinks a lot, maybe this will work best for you.
If you’re someone who needs something a bit more tangible, try having a piece of jewelry, a photo, or anything else that’s small enough to where you can keep it with you every day.
I have a bracelet that has a chicken on it, and for me, that symbolizes having a farm one day and sharing that space with the people I love (my ultimate why).
The next way you can apply your why is through visualization. This is where you create a vision or dream board of all things revolving around your why.
I create mine digitally Canva and Pinterest, but you can do a physical paper as well.
The idea here is to collage and collect a bunch of images and words that relate to your why. For me, I have images of what I want my future home to look like, quotes that inspire me, and small pictures of healthy habits I want to add to my routine.
This is great if you’re a visual person, since you’re going to have a visual reminder of your why. I would encourage you to make it your home screen on your computer or phone so it serves as that constant reminder for you.
At the end of the day, we all need a why. Try thinking about what yours is this week and apply it to your life in small ways. The impact it can have is truly incredible.