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It’s never the wrong time to discover the why behind what you do, or what you want to do. If you’re in the process of figuring out what you’d like to do with your life, discovering your why is a great starting point. What is the bigger good you get to do for society when you take on a certain role? Only focusing on the outward title can lead to a rather unfulfilling life. In fact, it can leave you feeling lost as you throw all of your energy and hopes into chasing roles without connecting to a deeper drive and desire. When we talk about a deeper drive, we’re talking about things beyond money or status. We’re even talking about things beyond liking the actual task that accompanies a particular opportunity.
It’s wonderful if you enjoy the day-to-day duties involved in your work, but if that’s where the joy stops for you, remaining motivated can be difficult. Think about how often things will stand in your way of even doing the simple stuff. If there isn’t a deeper drive behind the work, you might give up. So really, understanding your why is like lighting an eternal flame that will fuel you in your efforts. In one of my favorite books, Grit, by Angela Ducksworth, the author interviews dozens of highly impressive individuals and finds that they all connect their pursuits to a greater why. Doesn’t that inspire you to find yours? Now the question is, how do you find it? We spoke with a self-trust coach and a Pinterest creator named Nory Pouncil (pictured below) about finding your why. Here’s how to get started.
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Finding your why can be uncomfortable at first
Powerful experiences can be driving forces for many of us, and they may have been powerful in a negative way or a positive one. At the time, those experiences may have felt terrible, but the depth of that emotion sparked something within you. “When it comes to discovering our why, it often lives in a place we don’t want to go to,” explains Pouncil. “The why lives in our trauma…in our pain. When we were children, there may have been things we wished we had, that we didn’t have. When those things are lacking, we learn to develop this mechanism to be able to compensate for the lack.”
