Define your why

I’m going to kick start this newsletter with something classically British (because I feel like it deserves acknowledgement) – the weather. Now, I don’t want to complain about the fact we have beautiful sunny weather, but the stickiness can sometimes feel very unpleasant. By the end of the working day, I feel very hot, sticky and bothered – I’ve found myself in the supermarket most evenings just to get some aircon! I am fortunate enough to be spending a few days by the seaside soon and this weather will certainly be welcome then.

This week, I listened to a podcast with Simon Sinek which was all about defining your ‘why,’ his model for inspirational leadership. I know for a lot of people, some of this leadership stuff can be a little off-putting and tedious, but I found that it triggered me to contemplate some larger questions.

So what is a ‘why’ statement? According to Sinek:

“The compelling higher purpose that inspires us and acts as the source of all we do.”

Here are some of the steps that he uses to help define your why:

–            When are you at your best?

–            When are you at your worst?

–            What are you passionate about?

–            When do you feel most energized?

–            What is the core purpose of your role?

–            Why does it matter?

I’m not going to bore you today with my answers to these questions, but I certainly found them interesting to reflect upon. The one I stumbled on the most, was the question about core purpose. The first three questions were easy for me, but core purpose? And of which role? As a dad? A husband? A managing director? Friend? Employer? I am yet to figure this one out. However, reflecting on this made me realise that I have so much purpose and so many different (and sometimes conflicting) roles to maintain. But it’s not just about maintaining those roles, it’s about enjoying them. I think sometimes the roundabout that is life has us feeling like we are just ticking check boxes rather than really enjoying the small moments and being present. The questions above are ones that I am going to continue to reflect upon over the following weeks but if you already know what your ‘why’ statement would be, I would love to hear it! The most confusing thing for me is definitely the overlap of your personal why and your career why. I feel that my why statement needs to be encompassing of both of these worlds. I look forward to reading some why statements.

Big Love

Mark