Finding Your “Why” | Integral Wellness

Self-awareness is vital when you are on a journey towards self-improvement. If you do not have a grasp on who you truly are — not who you believe you should be or who you wish you were — it will be a more challenging road.

Your life will become brighter when you know your true values, motivators, strengths and weaknesses and embrace it all as the beautiful mosaic that is you. Finding your “why” is vital to growth and understanding.

If you do not know why you want to change or why you want to achieve a goal, you won’t find the intrinsic motivation to achieve it. Everyone has different personalities and lived experiences that have shaped us.

Each one of us is driven by different values, and will act upon situations in different ways. If we have a firm grasp on who we are and why we do the things we do, both positive and negative, it will greatly help us in figuring out how to harness our strengths and overcome our weaknesses, in order to succeed.

According to Develop Good Habits, there are scientific reasons for finding your “why” as well.

Helps you live longer. Results of a long-term study published in the Psychological Science journal reveal that people who have a strong sense of purpose in life, especially those who are at retirement age, tend to live longer than those who do not.
Strengthens your health. People who feel that their lives have meaning tend to demonstrate better physical and mental health than those who don’t see meaning in their lives.
Clarifies your focus in life. When you know your purpose, you shape your decisions and actions according to this purpose. You do away with the unnecessary, giving you the opportunity to focus on what’s truly important.
Makes you brave. When you’re living a life of purpose, you learn to trust that all your actions are infused with grace. This allows you to make decisions that you’d normally be afraid to make when you are still figuring out your life’s purpose.

There are 2 aspects to look at when finding your “why”:

First, take a deep dive into self-discovery, find out what your true personal values are, what drives you. Understanding your personal values helps you live an authentic, happy life. Once you identify them, use them in decision-making.

Find out what motivates you, your different personality traits, your learning style, and how they can be harnessed for positive outcomes. For years researchers and doctors have been studying what motivates us as humans. There are so many different ideas, theories, assessments and quizzes out there.

Are any of them going to give you all the answers? No.

What these assessments can do though is give you some insight into a certain facet of yourself. They can get you to reflect and really look within. They can give you the opportunity to look at yourself through a new prism, in a new light. While doing these assessments, it is important to be truly authentic and honest with yourself when it comes to what your values are, not what you think they should be.

Secondly, when looking at a current goal or vision you have for yourself, ask why do I want this? Then keep asking yourself until you get to the true underlying reason. This will be your “why”. Knowing the true reason can help keep you motivated because if you are trying to do something that you do not truly want but think you should want, then you are most likely not going to succeed

Many times, these two pieces, finding your values and finding your “why” go hand in hand. If you are trying to implement a change that goes against your values, it will be a much harder road because at your core you will know it doesn’t feel right.

For example, if your goal is to take more hours at work for more financial security but your top personal value is “family” then the hours you would be away from your family would leave you feeling unfulfilled, even if you achieve that goal.

Your values are the foundation of fulfillment in your life and when you stay true to them, implementing change that is in line with your personal values will feel authentic. It’s like you are fitting the right puzzles pieces together in your life. You will feel like life has purpose and you are living with purpose and excitement for life.

So what’s your why?

If you feel like it’s time for yoy to make a change and need help setting meaningful goals, hit BOOK below and my team will get in touch and invite you for a chat and FREE assessment to help you find your way.