My personal "Why" statement in life is to be worth everything that has been given to me, and to have as much of a positive influence on the world as possible. But what is a "Why" statement? How can you find your own "Why" in life?
You need to find and define your own personal "Why" in life. Every single person has a deep motivation that fuels their life in the grand scheme of things. If you keep questioning why you do the things you do, you will eventually find your own personal "Why" in life.
This article shows you how you can find your personal "Why". I've included actionable tips and different examples of others. After finishing this article, you will know exactly how to find your "Why".
Contents
- What is a "Why" in life?
- Finding your "Why" in life
- Examples of corporate "Why" statements
- Why it's important to find your personal "Why"
- Defining your own personal "Why" in life
- Examples of personal "Why" statements in life
- "My why is to share the power of therapeutic humor with others."
- "My why is to help people be more connected in their life, career, and business."
- "To push myself to be the best version of myself so that I know my mom is smiling down on me."
- "To leave the world better than I found it and be remembered by the people whose lives I touched as a force for good in their lives."
- What is my personal "why" in life?
- Wrapping up
What is a "Why" in life?
What is your "Why" in life?
This question is very common but makes you think about what you truly want out of life. How do you find out what your "Why" in life is? By asking as many questions as possible:
- Why do I do this?
- Why do I value this over that?
- Why am I not happy when X happens?
- Why am I stressed now?
If you keep asking these questions, it's likely that you'll eventually end up with the same answer. That answer is almost always your "Why" in life. That's the reason that makes you go forward in life.
The reason why you're unhappy now is that your situation doesn't align with your "Why".
Common answers to these "Why" questions are usually a variation or combination of the following:
- Providing for my family.
- Success.
- To leave a legacy.
- Feeling loved.
- Having a positive impact on the lives of others.
- Fortune.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking: “I want everything you just said!” And without giving more thought to this question, you might plan out your life to be a successful and rich person with a huge positive impact on the world.
Because that sounds like a good reason to be alive, right?
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Finding your "Why" in life
So how do you find your "Why" in life? Here's how you don't find it:
- By sitting in a chair by the window, waiting for someone to tell you what your "Why" should be.
- By having a "eureka!" moment.
- By copying someone else's "Why" in life.
No. In order to find your personal "Why" in life, you really have to take a shovel and dig deep down in your conscious mind. How do you start digging? By asking yourself the questions that I've listed above.
Here's an example:
A: Why am I so stressed all the time?
Q: Because my work makes me stressed.
Q: Why do I work every day from 7:00 to 16:00?
A: Because I need money in order to do the things that I value most.
What do these answers show me? That my "career" has absolutely nothing to do with my "Why" in life. I only work because the money allows me to do the things that I value more. Let's continue.
Q: What do I value most?
A: To live a happy life and to be surrounded by people who I can have positive interactions with.
Okay, so this already becomes more existential, right? Your "Why" in life is usually not connected to a single factor in your life (like a career, a hobby, or a single good cause). It usually is bigger than that.
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Let's go on.
Q: Why do I want to have a positive influence on the world?
A: Because I've been given an opportunity in life that not a lot of other people have gotten (good upbringing, basic needs, family, health, education). I don't just want to take these for granted. I want to use this opportunity to give back to the world.
A-ha. There we are. This is a "Why" statement that I can personally be happy with. With just 3 questions, I've dug down to the bottom of my "Why", which shows me what drives me to do the things I do in life.
Examples of corporate "Why" statements
The "Why" statement has become quite popular ever since the book Start With Why by Simon Sinek became a global best-seller.
This book covers the importance of "Why" statements in the corporate world, and how leaders can inspire more people to do the same by starting with the question "why?"
What this basically comes down to is that everything you do - whether you're a business or a person - should have the same fundamental reason. So if somebody started to question your actions (why do you do that? why this? why that?), eventually, you'd ideally circle back to your main "Why" statement.
Since "Why" statements are very common in businesses already, I've decided to include a couple of well-known examples here. Personal "Why" statements are still less common, but by reading these examples, you might get inspired to reconsider your own versions!
- We aim to challenge the status quo. We aim to think differently. - Apple
- To connect millions of people in real life all over the world, through a community marketplace– so that you can belong anywhere. -Airbnb
- To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. -Microsoft
- To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. -Google
Why it's important to find your personal "Why"
A "Why" statement is often used in the corporate world, but why is it also important to determine your own "why" statement?
Because you're more likely to be happier when you live a life that's aligned with your purpose in life. We've written an entire article about this topic here.
We've studied this topic in a large-scale survey recently, and found that 34% of people associate their purpose in life with their happiness.
Another interesting study followed 136,000 people for about 7 years and came to the revealing conclusion:
The analysis showed a lower risk of death for participants with a high sense of purpose in life. After adjusting for other factors, mortality was about one-fifth lower for participants reporting a strong sense of purpose.
Purpose in Life and Its Relationship to All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Events: A Meta-Analysis
So it's clear that finding your "Why" in life is important and beneficial for your happiness. But how do you find yours?
Defining your own personal "Why" in life
You can't go around and copy & paste somebody else's "Why" statement and expect to be happy by doing the same things.
No, you have to define your own personal "Why" in life.
Just as much ashappiness is something that's unique for every single person, the "Why" differs from person to person.
Richard Branson's "Why" in life might be "to have fun in my journey through life and learn from my mistakes", while your own personal "Why" can be to just provide the best life to your family and children.
Copying and pasting the "Why" of somebody that you respect and look up to will probably leave you unhappy and unfulfilled. For example, I think Richard Branson is doing spectacular things, but I wouldn't be happy if I were in his shoes. My own "Why" is wildly different from his!
I have defined my own purpose in life, and I advise you to do the same!
Examples of personal "Why" statements in life
Even though you have to define your own "Why" statement in life, it's still interesting to read about other people's statements. That's why I've asked around to include examples of personal "Why" statements in this article.
I don't want you to copy and paste these "Why" statements and make them your own. I only want to show you how diversified these statements can be!
Here are actual examples of personal "Why" statements of the people I asked!
This personal "Why" statement comes from David Jacobson, who is the president of Humor Horizons. I think this is a great example of how simple a personal "Why" statement in life can be.
My why is to share the power of therapeutic humor with others. Humor has been life transforming for me. It has enabled me to cope with chronic pain and severe arthritis. I have been able to do a 50-miles unicyle ride as a fund raiser which I partially attribute my sense of humor to helping me complete. I wrote a book on the humor habits that I use to help me cope and I am now beginning a research project to use positive depression tests rather than negative (how happy are you vs how sad, etc). My sense of humor is my source of happiness!
"My why is to help people be more connected in their life, career, and business."
This "Why" statement comes from Beth Bridges and shows how a life event can solidify your purpose in life. Beth is an author and specializes in the power of networking. She also runs The Networking Motivator, which is a website about sharing networking strategies with others.
Here's how she defines her "Why" in life.
My why is to help people be more connected in their life, career, and business. A year and a half ago, my husband of 17 years had a massive heart attack and was gone in minutes. What saved my sanity? The friends and business connections who gladly helped me with things small and large. Without that community, I would have been lost in despair and sadness. Now, I want to make sure that everyone has the tools and knowledge to build their own community so that they can survive whatever life throws at them.
"To push myself to be the best version of myself so that I know my mom is smiling down on me."
This personal "Why" statement comes from Colby West, who shares a very touching story on how a life event can influence your "Why". I think this is a great example of how you can be driven to make the most of yourself by defining a fundamental reason, a.k.a. your "Why".
I lost my mom to alcohol abuse on the 14th of March 2017, which I didn’t know the degree of until it was too late. It took me about 2 years to realize that I needed to make a change in my life in order to become the person I know she would want me to be. Almost 4 months ago, I decided to work smarter AND harder and “spread my wings” a bit. I quit drinking alcohol, committed to health and wellness so much that I got my body fat % down to about 5%, all while adding 3 (soon to be 4) income streams to my life. Though I’m nowhere near finished, and will likely never be satisfied, I will continue to push myself to be the best version of myself so that I know my momma is smiling down on me, 100%.
"To leave the world better than I found it and be remembered by the people whose lives I touched as a force for good in their lives."
This one comes from Paige, which I find a really inspiring example. "To leave the world better than I found it" is such a simple but powerful purpose. Paige started a global branding and marketing firm - called Mavens & Moguls - 18 years ago. She's been happily married for 27 years, has a close circle of friends, nieces, nephews, and god kids.
She says:
Quite simply I want to leave the world better than I found it and be remembered by the people whose lives I touched as a force for good in their lives.
I lost 7 people very close to me in 6 years and know first hand no one on their deathbed wishes they worked more, made more money or won more awards. They just want to be with the ones they love most and to tell them they mattered. I think of those people often and the roles they played in my life. I want to be remembered for passing along the very best in me to others so their lives are better and happier in some way because I was part of it.
I hope these examples of personal "Why" statements inspire you to reconsider your own. What is the fundamental driving force in your life?
Here's my personal answer.
What is my personal "why" in life?
Here's a short version of my personal "Why" statement:
"To be worth it."
In order to explain what this means, I have to go back in time. Actually, I have to delve through my happiness journals.
On the 17th of July, 2014, I wrote a journal entry that eventually went off-topic into a rant about how lucky I was. This is what I wrote down:
"Seriously, I've been extremely lucky in my life so far. I have great parents and financial security. As a result, I've gotten a solid education, friends, safety, hobbies and I can easily get around. More importantly, I've not had any major setbacks in life so far.
That leads me to think: Am I worth it? Do I actually deserve all these things? More importantly, how can I make sure that I actually deserve everything that I've been lucky enough to have so far?
Simply appreciating what I have is definitely NOT enough. No way. I want to give back to my parents and to make them happy. I want to help other people as much as I've been helped in the past. And most importantly, I want to have a positive influence on the world.
Come to think of it, I need to be the best version of myself I can. I need to reach my full potential.
But what is my potential? I think I can potentially do a lot of good things in my life. I'm smart, physically fit and mentally healthy (I think). But why? Because I've been so lucky in the past already. My luck has given me so many potential opportunities, and if I want to be "worth it", I need to make sure that I don't let these opportunities go to waste. There are people with fewer opportunities (aka less luck) that still manage to have an amazing influence on the world by reaching their full potential. I need to do the same. I need to be worth it.
How?
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- By giving my "luck" to others as much as I can.
- By "paying it forward".
- By not letting my opportunities go to waste.
- By appreciating everything that I have and not just taking it for granted.
- By being the best person I can.
I don't believe in karma, but if I did, it basically comes down to accumulating as much positive karma as possible. That's how I can be worth it."
Even though I wrote this years ago, this is still exactly how I feel about my life. At the time, I didn't worry about my wording. Instead, I just wrote whatever thoughts raced through my mind.
But now, after giving it some more time, I have redefined my personal "Why" in life like this:
To be worth everything that has been given to me, and to have as much of a positive influence on the world as possible.
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Wrapping up
There you have it. There are many different reasons to do the things you do in life, but they generally follow the same fundamental driving force. If somebody started to question your actions (why do you do that? why this? why that?), eventually, you'd have to be able to circle back to your main "Why" statement. If you've made it all the way down this article, I hope you know how to define your own personal "Why" statement.
I'd love to hear from you now! What is your "Why" in life? What makes you do the things you do on a daily basis when you really think about it? Let's share more examples in the comments below!
Hugo Huijer Founder of Tracking Happiness
Founder of Tracking Happiness and lives in the Netherlands. Ran 5 marathons, with one of them in under 4 hours (3:59:58 to be exact). Data junkie and happiness tracker for over 7 years.
FAQs
What is an example of my why statement? ›
"My why is to help people be more connected in their life, career, and business." "To push myself to be the best version of myself so that I know my mom is smiling down on me." "To leave the world better than I found it and be remembered by the people whose lives I touched as a force for good in their lives."
How do you write a why statement? ›...
Find Your WHY and Communicate Your Purpose
- simple and clear.
- actionable.
- focused on how you'll contribute to others, and.
- expressed in affirmative language that resonates with you.
When you know your life's purpose, it becomes easier to focus on where you are going, what matters the most in your life, and what decisions are aligned with your goal. It makes you committed and passionate about your goals. Having a purpose will help you find your true passion, your dream job, and commit to it.
What are some examples of people's purpose in life? ›For some people, purpose is connected to vocation—meaningful, satisfying work. For others, their purpose lies in their responsibilities to their family or friends. Others seek meaning through spirituality or religious beliefs. Some people may find their purpose clearly expressed in all these aspects of life.
What is your why and why? ›What Is Your “Why”? Your “Why” is a statement of purpose that describes why you do the work you do and why you live the lifestyle you do. It is your calling. It is your conviction.
How do I find my why at work? ›- Feeling connected to something bigger than yourself.
- Knowing your work matters.
- Understanding how your work affects other people.
A Big Why is a reason for doing something that drives you forward despite the opposition, challenges and struggles. It's more than just a reason, though. It's something you connect with on an emotional level that DRIVES you when the going gets tough. You can think of it as your “purpose” or “mission”.
What are some examples of purpose? ›- Traveling around the world and exploring different cultures.
- Supporting your community.
- Fighting for a social cause like climate change.
- Being a positive, supportive person for your loved ones.
- Building a business that makes a difference in people's lives around the world.
November 6, 2019. Supplemental Essays. The purpose of the “Why us?” or “Why this college” essay is to demonstrate—through specific details and examples—why you're a great match for a particular school. In some cases, the “Why us?” essay is an important way to demonstrate interest in a particular college.
What do I want to be known for examples? ›- Kindness. I have a good friend that I once introduced to a neighbor. ...
- Generosity. Many are drawn to riches, but few are drawn to generosity. ...
- Perseverance. At some point, everybody gets knocked down by life. ...
- Faithfulness. ...
- Empathy. ...
- Intentionality. ...
- Cheerfulness. ...
- Selfless.
What are the whys of your life? ›
Your WHY is the reason you do the things you do (Maybe for your family, to prove something to someone or yourself) – Your PASSION or PURPOSE is your mission in life. It might be your work, your contribution to others, your art or creations.
How do you answer why? ›'Because' is the traditional reply.
What's my personal Why? ›A personal why is a statement of your purpose in life. These can also be situational such as your professional purpose, business purpose or a purpose related to your student career. A personal why is similar to the mission statement of a company -- it captures a compelling purpose.
What are 6 reasons people work? ›The six main reasons people work are: play, purpose, potential, emotional pressure, economic pressure, and inertia. It's not compensation. performance, while the latter three hurt it. Play is when you are motivated by the work itself.
What should I say for why this job? ›Talk about specific examples of how you can help this company achieve their goals and highlight any relevant transferrable skills that will make you stand out as the right candidate. Write down any recent achievements you can talk about or any challenges you've faced recently that might be related to this new job.
What is a why statement? ›A Why Statement is a sentence that clearly expresses the team's distinctive contribution and impact. For anyone who is interested in learning more about the concept of a Why Statement, we got the idea from Simon Sinek, who has an interesting Ted Talk on the subject.
How do you make a big why? ›To find your Big Why, you need clarity and courage. These will help you determine what needs to drop away and face the reasons you aren't taking action. Additionally, you need influence with yourself—to help you follow through—and energy to put behind your passion and purpose.
What are examples of big? ›Big Sentence Examples
What a big family it was! The snow was coming down in big heavy flakes now. His big hands came up, grasping her wrists and pulling her forward until her armpits rested on his shoulders. She greeted them with a big smile, hugging each of them as if they were old friends she hadn't seen in a decade.
If something happens in real life, it actually happens and is not just in a story or in someone's imagination.
What are the 3 types of purpose? ›Types of purpose include persuasion, information, and entertainment.
How do you write a goal statement example? ›
Here are some personal goal statement examples to inspire you: “I will become the director of research operations at my company within the next five years. To do this, I will develop my administration and leadership skills and build a positive relationship with the research teams.”
What is the 5 point essay format? ›The five-paragraph essay structure consists of, in order: one introductory paragraph that introduces the main topic and states a thesis, three body paragraphs to support the thesis, and one concluding paragraph to wrap up the points made in the essay.
What are the 4 types of essays? ›There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays.
How do I find my way in life? ›- Examine your purpose in life. Find your purpose. ...
- Evaluate your life values. ...
- Analyze your strengths. ...
- Examine your career choices and designation. ...
- Assess your opportunities. ...
- Explore your hobbies and passions. ...
- Take field trips and observe other people. ...
- Read, learn, and get inspired.
- #1 Try Out New Hobbies.
- #2 Talk To Your Loved Ones.
- #3 Journal.
- #4 Work Out.
- #5 Relax.
- #6 Set Goals.
- #7 Read Books.
- #8 Get Dressed Up.
- Step 1: Find out what drives you. Source: Pixabay. ...
- Step 2: Find out what energizes you. Source: Pixabay. ...
- Step 3: Find out what you are willing to sacrifice for. ...
- Step 4: Find out who you want to help. ...
- Step 5: Find out how you want to help.
[M] [T] John and Mary have known each other since 1976. [M] [T] She wouldn't have married him if she had known him better. [M] [T] If he had known her phone number, he could have called her up. [M] [T] If I had known about your illness, I could have visited you in the hospital.
Do you want to tell us anything about you examples? ›- "As a recent graduate, I worked hard to maintain my GPA of 3.75. ...
- Though this would be my first full-time job, I believe my work ethic and most up-to-date knowledge of programming languages could help me contribute to your business immediately.
- Career/Financial.
- Developmental/Educational.
- Physical/Health.
- Family/Relational/Social.
- Spiritual/Value.
The biggest question for most must be, “What is the purpose of life?” A fundamental purpose of earth life is personal growth and attainment.
What are the 7 areas of your life? ›
- Social & family Relationships.
- Career & Educational Aspirations.
- Financial Security.
- Physical health/ leisure.
- Life's routine responsibilities.
- Society & contribution.
- Mental, emotional& inner well-being.
A Big Why is a reason for doing something that drives you forward despite the opposition, challenges and struggles. It's more than just a reason, though. It's something you connect with on an emotional level that DRIVES you when the going gets tough. You can think of it as your “purpose” or “mission”.
What is someone's why? ›Your WHY is the reason you do the things you do (Maybe for your family, to prove something to someone or yourself) – Your PASSION or PURPOSE is your mission in life.
What is an example of a vision statement? ›Vision statement: To be Earth's most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online. This statement communicates that Amazon wants to provide customers with anything they might want.
What is the why of a company? ›It can be helpful to think of a why as a vision statement that describes how a company sees itself and the work it does. Whys are inspirational, but they're not vague. A good why must feel specific to a company.
What does it mean to make a statement? ›Make a statement is a common phrase that means to express an idea or belief without using words. How you deal with conflict not only makes a statement about your personality, but also about the way you have learned to deal with life.
What is an example of a desire statement? ›Sample script for Attracting More Abundance: I'm in the process of attracting and allowing all that I need to do, know, and have to attract my ideal Abundance. I love how it feels when I am gifted free lunch, coffee or dinner -- it is evidence of my abundance.
What should I answer to why? ›- Because I Said So. ...
- Because God Says So. ...
- Because Adam and Eve Messed Up. ...
- Why Not? ...
- As people get older, their “why” questions do tend to become ever more existential. ...
- Soul Evolution. ...
- Quantum Fluctuation. ...
- White Hole.
"Why" is the question that really exposes purpose (the reason why something exists or is done). How many times do you set off to do something, and if you aren't stopped and asked, "Why are you doing this?" you don't really know the answer.
What is life best answer? ›Life is the aspect of existence that processes, acts, reacts, evaluates, and evolves through growth (reproduction and metabolism). The crucial difference between life and non-life (or non-living things) is that life uses energy for physical and conscious development.
What gives my life meaning? ›
According to Drageset, Haugan, and Tranvåg (2017), there are four main experiences that encourage meaning and purpose in life: Physical and mental well-being. Belonging and recognition. Personally treasured activities. Spiritual closeness and connectedness.
What is your life vision example? ›Personal Vision Statement Example #1
I will strive to gain mastery over life's challenges through increasing my circle of influence and de-emphasizing those areas of concern over which I have no control. I will behave in a manner so as to become a light, not a roadblock, for others who choose to follow or lead me.
What are the main characteristics of a vision? Research on visionary leader- ship suggests that visions have five characteristics: a picture, a change, values, a map, and a challenge (Nanus, 1992; Zaccaro & Banks, 2001).
How do you write a vision statement for yourself examples? ›- My career goal is to become a doctor working in a large hospital. I've always wanted to help people live healthy lives and cure illnesses.
- I want to work with young people in the community as a social worker. ...
- My career goal is to become the CEO of a technology company.