Have you ever read the book ‘Find Your Why’ by Simon Sinek? I hadn’t until the concept was spoken about in a leadership programme I was on in 2020/2021. After I’d heard about the concept, I was given the book to read and it really changed my thought pattern. I have read it several times over the last three years and I would recommend it to anyone to read. In the session where we was talking about ‘why’, we were asked to write down our own why and I had no idea, I knew in my heart of hearts why I do what I do, but it meant being vulnerable around loads of people.
I remember some time on, near the end of the programme, I was presenting a Business Plan and I knew I wanted to include the concept as part of my presentation, I had spent ages trying to figure out a way to write it down and I eventually came up with ‘I support young people overcome challenges and obstacles on their journey to finding their why, ensuring that the path they are on is one where they have support available, as well as opportunities to learn and grow as individuals, with the goal that they can achieve whatever they set their mind to’. I was pretty happy with that. I think for the first time I had listened to what others around me had said to me, and I felt in a place to be able to put pen to paper to explain it myself, in my own words. I think over the years I have developed it further and maybe expanded it a bit more, but it was a good starting point for me. My 2023 why might be worded slightly different now. I think I wanted to make sure I had written something down and given it some thought, but also knew deep down that it was going to be some kind of art form trying to really dig deep and figure it out properly, and I still am trying to work it out a bit more.
The Golden Circle. It’s often thought that people consider these things in different orders, but Simon Sinek explains the rationale in beginning with why, and the importance of beginning with why as it helps to frame and shape the how and what. If you want a really good explanation from the man himself, he did an amazing Ted Talk which I will link below. This video, and his books, Find Your Why and Start With Why have helped me so much on my journey over the years. I knew that lots of people knew about it but I don’t think I realised how many organisations referred to this to encourage people to consider the same questions.
In the book, it is explained that the outer circle of the Golden Circle, the ‘what’ links to the outer section of the brain, the neocortex, the area responsible for analytical and rational thought, allowing us to understand facts, figures, language, etc. Whereas the middle two sections of the Golden Circle, the ‘why’ and ‘how’ link to the middle part of the brain, the limbic system, the part of the brain which is responsible for all of our behaviours, decision-making and feelings!
Simon Sinek later goes on to explain that this is where gut feelings come from, as well as the inabaility or difficulty and struggle to explain how we’re feeling or putting thoughts into words, as well as justifying some of this too. But also, how important does this make the why now! For me, this is why the ‘why’ is so incredibly meaningful and important to me, because actually, how I think and feel about things is far more important to me and how I make decisions compared to the stats, data and analytics. Yes they play a part of it, but the real important bit for me is the why. Sometimes it’s hard to explain the why, you just know.
If I could hope that anyone would do anything, it would be to ask themselves these questions as well, and to start with why, do it on your own, ask a friend or trusted individual to help if you think it might help. Consider the why before anything else and see if it changes your direction of thinking, how you’re viewing or perceiving something, or just if it shifts your mindset slightly.
I’m still on a massive journey of well, the rest of my life, I’m only 25 and know my why is probably likely to change and develop over the years but, it will likely still have the same thoughts, feelings and purpose attached to it. I still don’t know if I’ve found the ultimate statement of my why and that will take time to craft but it’s a good starting point and journey to be on. My why underpins me as an individual and who I am, it’s really important for me to feel like I have a sense of purpose whilst navigating on my journey. So maybe I haven’t fully found my ‘why’, but I think at the minute, as long as I’m helping and supporting people to realise they have a purpose and can do anything they set their mind to, so that they can discover their why and be successful, in whatever way, I’m doing something I feel like I was put on Earth to do.
Each one of us only has one why. It’s who we are as individuals when we are naturally at our best. if you’re living it, write it down, shout it loud, live and breathe it everyday. If you’re struggling to find it, identify it and live it, try and find your purpose. It’s a good starting point to allow you to discover and develop further. What is your story that underpins and aligns everything else in your life to your why. Dig deep and think about it, it might take minutes, it might take months or even years, but really trying to navigate your why and finding it, could also be life changing.
madsjournals 