Understanding Your Why

Before we get started, it is important that we get to your why. Why did you decide to take this course? Why is going from being emotionally exhausted to firmly flourishing important in your life? We’re going to start with asking yourself why and continue asking yourself why is that important to you four to five more times until you get to the deeper reason. Understanding your why will help you stay clear and focused so you can continue to move forward even when obstacles present themselves.

Here's an example of this process:

The first step is really two questions. Why do I want this goal? What will it give me?

Perhaps your answer is I decided to take this course because I am tired of being tired all the time and being irritable. This course will give me some balance in my life.

The second why questions are: Why do I want that and what will it give me?

In this example, why do you want balance in your life? Because right now my life feels unmanageable. What will balance give you? Balance will give me a sense of control.  

The third why questions then become: Why do I want control and what will control give me? I want control because I want to feel like I am living my life. Having a sense of control will help me feel like my life is my own. 

The fourth why questions then become: Why do I want to feel like my life is my own and what will that give me? Because I am getting older and have lost loved ones who died with regrets. I do not want that for myself. I want to live a life I am proud of and that I enjoy. I want to stop living for others.

The last answers are the deeper why, the true reason. I have lost loved ones who died with regrets and I do not want that to happen to me. I want to live a life I am proud of and that I enjoy. I want to stop living for others.

You may find your true reason, your why, anywhere from three to seven whys. Keep going until it feels right to you. 

Writing Exercise: Do the exercise above for yourself. Understand your why for this course and for taking care of yourself.