Your why is your purpose in life, the driving force that keeps you going when times get hard and keeps you diligent when things are going well. Everyone has a different why, although there are several common threads. Love, success, legacy, security—these are just some of the main things people might articulate as their why.
Your why might be obtaining financial independence or finding a job that enables you to travel the world. It could be seeking meaningful relationships or pursuing your personal ambitions. Perhaps it’s looking at life with a sense of humor or with a focus on helping those in need. No matter what it is, it can serve as your North Star—a central guiding principle to help you make both everyday and extremely consequential decisions.
Why Identify Your Why?
Crystallizing your why into an affirmative life purpose statement helps you solidify what matters most to you. When you identify your why, you can wake up every morning like it’s New Year’s Day—full of resolution to make positive changes and focus on self-improvement. Identifying your why will make you happier and help you impact people in a positive way. The more you know why you do the things you do and the more purpose you feel in every step, the more likely it is you can improve the world as a whole, too.