If I ask you, “why are you doing what you’re doing?” or “why did you make that choice?”, what would your answer be. Some answers are better than others because…

• …because it’s the way it’s always been done.
• …because “so-and-so” is doing it.
• …because there’s purpose
• …because of vision

In the last two posts in this series we’ve looked at some not-so-good ways to answer the question WHY you are doing something or making a particular choice.  For the next two posts I’m just going to quickly look at a couple good ways to answer this question.

The first is probably fairly obvious.  You should be able to answer the question WHY with a clear defined (and as simple as possible) purpose.  Not because it’s the way it’s always been done, or not because so-and-so is doing it but because in doing so I’m accomplishing or fulfilling a particular purpose.  Here’s the thing,  everything is done for a purpose but more is accomplished when you can articulate it.

Not only that, but when you can articulate the purpose that answers WHY – then when you complete what you are doing or carry through on your decision there’s a greater sense of fulfillment because what you did or decided had purpose.

I remember when I was a young boy and my parents made me practice the piano.  I hated it.  I like playing the piano, I just hated doing scales and all that  ”practice music”.  My answer for why I practiced was because my parents made me –  in my eyes there was no purpose.  My parents did everything they could to show me that there was purpose to the grind – the practice would enable me to play better and eventually play music that was incredible.  Eventually I was able to understand and articulate that purpose for myself – and when I did, practicing the piano became much more fulfilling.  There was purpose for the practice all along – I just hadn’t articulated (or understood) it yet.

I wonder how many people can give a purpose for WHY they are doing what they do or choosing how they choose?