Honor Your Why
We've all experienced moments of doubt in our lives, whether it be big or small. We have doubted our abilities, strength, resolve, GRIT, or just our overall sense of self. We have gone over a myriad of scenarios in our heads:
Waking up one day and thinking, "I just don't have it in me".
Feeling as though, "There's no way I'm ever going to get all this done, what's the point?".
Considering that, "Maybe I made a mistake in taking all this on".
These moments of self-doubt, like the examples above, can serve one of two purposes when they arise, and the decision of how they serve you is completely in your hands:
❌ These moments will knock me down
✅ These moments will raise me up
The two most common reasons we experience these moments of self-doubt are burnout and flying blind.
Let’s address the less-commonly discussed element of flying blind first. What does it mean to be flying blind? Well, the definition is exactly as it sounds. It means that we are moving forward at a notable pace without being able to see what’s in front of us, or how to arrive at our destination. Now, in an ideal world, we could travel from point A to point B in a straight, unobtrusive line, and reach our destination without incident. In the real world, however, such a path does not exist beyond the smallest known scale of measurement. Therefore, if we desire to obtain successful and sustainable forward movement, we must, at all times, be aware of our past, immediate, and upcoming surroundings. Being aware of our beginning and ending destinations is the basis for the minimum start on your journey. From this point, you can measure your success rate directly to the amount of planning and awareness you are willingly able to put in. The more room you leave the unforeseen, the more moments of self-doubt you will inevitably incur.
Now let’s address the ever-evolving element of burnout. Most notably, burnout refers to being overworked. But these days, burnout encompasses so much more than the amount of hours you work each week. More than anything, burnout is the mental and emotional fatigue we feel from being in the trenches day in and day out. Some of this fatigue can be countered through creating a foundation, implementing consistency, and driving automation.
There is another aspect we must consider; that we see ourselves in the trenches of war. When we view ourselves in the trenches, our way of thinking gets reduced to fight or flight mode. And, while this way of thinking is quite effective for survival, it doesn’t do us justice in the way of making progress in life. This way of black and white thinking removes the entire spectrum of possibilities in front of us and diminishes them down to the fight or flight options, neither of which get us closer to our goal.
Whether we short change ourselves by flying blind, or over extend ourselves through burnout, both paths inevitably lead to the same outcome of how those moments of self-doubt will serve you;
❌ These moments will knock me down
So, how can we face those moments of self-doubt as an opportunity to raise ourselves up? It all comes down to honoring your why. Everyone’s why is different, but just as equally important. Our why is what drives us. It is what pushes us forward when we feel we have nothing left to give. It keeps the spotlight of our focus on our foundation; our passion, that spark at the beginning of our journey, and the dreams we fight for each day.
If you too have found yourself experiencing moments of self-doubt, I challenge you to find and honor your why. Turn your why into art and hang it somewhere you will see and interact with it every day, as often as possible. To help you find your why, start by answering each question listed below in as much detail as possible. Take your time with each question. Close your eyes and visualize your answers. Pay attention to the emotion each of your answers evoke. If at least one of your answers doesn’t evoke a strong emotional reaction, dig deeper. You’ll know you’ve struck real gold if a tear comes to your eye, or you feel your heart rate increase in excitement.
What prompted this goal / idea / business?
What drives you each day?
What gets you out of bed on the days you wake up with an empty tank?
What dreams does this goal / idea / business allow you to realize?
What does your finish line look like?
When you’re ready to take the next step, we’re here for you.
