“When you know your WHY, you can endure any HOW.” -Viktor Frankl
During COVID, I went through a 2-month period of poor me. The pity party was focused on what had been taken away from me and what I couldn’t do any longer. I really started to stress financially. You see, the majority of my job prior to COVID had been in person. If I couldn’t meet with teams and clients in person or give keynote talks in front of an audience, how was I going to make a living. Worse, what if we never came out of this situation and no one could pay me for my services.
Luckily, I had a friend who knew my “why.” Your “why” is the bigger picture, why you ultimately do what you do. My “why” has always been to make a difference, to help others (especially athletes) overcome adversity and live a confident life. My “why” wasn’t to make a paycheck…sure I need one to pay my bills, but I would do my job for free if I could.
The point is that once my friend asked me my “why”, it changed my focus. During my pity party I had been focused on results and outcomes. By reminding myself of my “why,” I shifted back to what I needed to do to live my “why.” What then started to occur was a planting season. I started doing everything I could to reach as many people as possible. The more people I reached, surely would enable me to make a difference, right? I did free sessions for teams that were struggling. I got on any and every podcast I could and did free webinars and zooms.
Due to this planting season, I was able to have an abundant harvest this year. It wouldn’t have happened without that 3-letter word, “why.” It got me back to focusing on doing all the things to make a difference and then the desired results happened without focusing on them. –Tami Matheny
Summary:
Your “why” is what gets you out of bed every day with a burning desire. It’s what gets you to show up even when you don’t feel like it. Your “why” can guide you through decisions and provide clarity in your life.
One of the biggest barriers to confidence and being able to overcome adversity is not knowing your “why” or not being aligned with it. When you are connected to your “why”, your confidence is less impacted when things don’t go your way. You don’t allow short term events or results to deter you from your “why”. Instead, it keeps you going during challenging times and gives you a clear vision helping you avoid distractions. It steers your focus to what you need to do in the moment.
Reflections:
- What is your why?
- Don’t sacrifice your why for short term results. What short term results are you allowing to distract you from your why?
- How can you and/or your team use this message to help you?
Moving Forward:
- Use your “why” to ignite your life. Say your “why” to yourself in the mirror every morning. Then say it as needed to guide you through the day.
- Share this story with someone that is too focused on results and not their why.
- The following blog shares a tool to help you figure out your why: https://jeffheggie.com/2019/08/01/seven-levels-deep/.
“Don’t’ sacrifice your WHY for short term results.” -Unknown
This story along with 29 others can be found in “Challenger Deep Stories, Fables, and Lessons to Help You Rise Above Adversity” https://tamimatheny.com/product/challenger-deep-stories-fables-and-lessons-to-help-you-rise-above-adversity/ or on Amazon.