4 Questions to Find Your Why
Your purpose, your why is much different than your goals
A common struggle many people have is clarifying their purpose – why do they do what they do. A lack of clarity on your why will limit the success and fulfillment you find in your life and in your work.
Your purpose, your why is much different than your goals. Simon Sinek says to inspire action toward our goals we must start with why.
Why are you in business or your profession, why are you pursuing your goals, why are you living the life you’ve chosen? Our why is the deepest desire of our hearts, even why we exist. Most of us are not really in touch with these deep desires.
In my first five years of work after college I had four jobs because I didn’t have a well-defined purpose. My goal of making money was really a short-term goal, and without a clear purpose beyond that I struggled at work. I was actually very good at my sales jobs, but I was unhappy and unfulfilled because I lacked a clear purpose.
Perhaps you can relate to that. I wanted more from my life and that is where I find many people struggling today, even when they are years or decades into their business or profession. German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche once said, “He who has a why can endure any how.” But how do you find your why?
I like what Dr. Margie Warrell* says because she perfectly describes what I believe. She is a best-selling author who writes on living and leading with courage and says, “your purpose sits in the intersection of your talents, skills/expertise, passions & deepest values.”
She offers four questions to help find your why.
What makes you come alive? What are you passionate about that makes you come alive?
What are your innate strengths? What are your natural skills that make you productive and bring you fulfillment?
Where do you add the greatest value? Knowing your strengths and where you are most productive opens the door to the opportunities that will bring the greatest fulfillment.
How will you measure your life? Living with purpose means focusing on what matters most to you. Once you understand what is most important you can focus on how you will live your life.
The average person has over 12 jobs in their life, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Recent surveys reveal over 60% of people in the US workforce would change jobs if they could find one they like better. This tells me that many people are not clear on their why, nor are they fulfilled in their present situation.
Ephesians 2:10 says that “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He created in advance for us to do.” I believe that each of us is uniquely created by God with a desire or passion to pursue something that is innate within us.
Our why is in our DNA, it is our heart’s desire. It is what makes us come alive. No matter how successful we are, there is still God given talent and ability within us still to be unlocked.
When we link these elements together, we find the energy and drive to develop the skills and competence needed to successfully pursue our why and live a fulfilling life.
Identifying our why begins with understanding how we are wired (passion and values) and developing our skills and talents to enable us to live in the sweet spot where we find true joy and fulfillment.
What has helped you unlock your potential to pursue a life of meaning?
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*Margie Warrell is the bestselling author of Stop Playing Safe, You’ve Got This, Make Your Mark and Brave (Wiley), and Find Your Courage (McGraw-Hill). Her website is
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