Wouldn’t it be amazing to jump out of bed just about every day, excited for what the day would bring? That’s what it’s like when you have found your “why.” At B.Komplete we exist to help others. This blog is dedicated to helping our readers find your why.
One of the key components to goal setting is finding your why. How many times have you set a goal and then gave up on it a few weeks in? You prepared, made a plan, and thought this was finally it. However, when your motivation started to dip, it was easy to throw in the towel.
This is the reason it’s important to have a strong why. You should set goals that mean something to you because it will help you stay motivated. Achieving goals still requires hard work, but it will be easier to keep moving forward if you are strongly connected to your why. When you continually do things that align with your why, you will feel more fulfilled in life.
Internal vs External Motivation
There are a wide variety of things that motivate us. Internal motivation involves doing something that is fun, enjoyable, and makes you feel good. External motivation comes from the desire to gain a prize or approval.
Here are some examples of internal motivation
- Learning a new hobby because you like trying new things
- Spending time with the people you love versus someone you want to impress
- Exercising because you enjoy the challenge versus wanting to lose weight
- Painting because it’s calming rather than painting to sell your artwork
- Volunteering because you feel fulfilled instead of doing it to meet a requirement at work or school
While it is not bad to be externally motivated, focusing on internal motivation will help you set goals that align with your values and make you feel fulfilled. Read this article to learn how to use internal motivation to perform better at work!
How to Find a Strong Why
Figuring out what your why is can be challenging. It can be easy to pursue things that seem right, but don’t actually align with who you want to be. Doing things based on external motivation may be less fulfilling than turning towards your internal motivation. You have to consider what is important to you versus what you think you should be doing. To help you determine your why when setting goals, here are 4 questions you can ask yourself.
What gets you excited?
Determining what you are passionate about will help you set goals that are more fulfilling. If there is a specific kind of work or hobby that lights you up, set more goals around them. This is also a great thing to consider when setting career goals. While making money is motivating, you won’t feel as fulfilled if you aren’t passionate about what you are doing.
What has helped you find success in the past?
Think about a time where you set a goal and achieved it. What made you successful? Were you doing something you really enjoyed? What motivated you the most?
What are your strengths?
Think about your skills and qualities that you are also passionate about. These areas can make great hobbies or potential careers. Doing what you love and what you are good at will help you stay motivated to grow.
What matters most to you?
Determining what is most important to you will help you set more meaningful goals. You should consider the people in your life, the impact you want to make, your career, hobbies, etc. Build the life you want to have, not the life you think you should have.
It is important to think about your “why” when setting goals are your health, career, lifestyle, etc. When you think about your purpose and values, it’s much easier to set goals with a strong why. Your actions will start aligning with who you want to be and you’ll start living a more fulfilled life.