WHY and WILLPOWER, which do you need first?
What if I told you that willpower is nothing and your why is everything. First of all willpower is defined as self-control. Secondly, what if you don't have self-control? Yet?
Back in the day, I was trying to drink more water. I had a habit-trackers, water drinking app and an accountability partner. Yet I couldn't be consistent.
Then one day I started doing some serious cardio, as in perfuse sweat and sloppy hair. As a result I consumed water. The motion [serious cardio] triggered the emotion [NEED water] and as a result I found my WHY.
I needed the water because I created a WHY not a WILL. Does that make sense? Stay with me I'm adding more to this equation.
Eventually...
My WHY turned into a WILL, becoming a habit, a natural part of my lifestyle.
The WILL came after I anchored my WHY through movement which linked to a feeling. There you go! My unofficial, official theory of WHY & WILL. [Now I can stop italicizing why & will.]
Below are five steps to developing your WHY. I've also included the original post that inspired this message here.
5 Steps to a strong "WHY"
#1
Movement solves a plethora of problems. First of all it helps you circulate and secondly it repositions you physically. In other words, if you sit in the problem you become stagnant. Movement allows you to gain new perspective by simply changing your physical point-of-view.
#2
Loss of focus has so many consequences. Most of them are felt after the situation has passed. Imagine the winning lap for a runner and they turn to look back. Taking their eyes off of the focus, which was the finish line. It might have been a split second but it caused her/him to fail.
Taking a time-out from mobile devices, digital expectations like social media, can help you find your focus and reconnect to your WHY. Nature is especially great at this task. Read: Fit to listen.
#3
Your WHY will also go through seasons of change. It's important to notice how you feel because it can effect the strength of your WHY.
Example: Around May I felt melancholy and rarely worked out. My WHY shifted, but how? After deep reflection I remembered that May had some residual sorrow.
After realizing and releasing I changed my movement. As a result my fitness routine included a lot of outdoor adventures. It allowed me to workout, drink water and honor my feelings.
#4
If you tried 1-3 and sense a wall of disconnection then this will be your best option. Seek out inspiration and guidance. This can be in the form of a book, YouTube channel or podcast.
Reaching for a solution is the perfect "ask" because it adds motion to your quest of creating a strong WHY.
#5
Most of us stop at number four but in all honesty it might take more. I purchased every book on the creative business topic and learned a lot. However once I engaged with an expert, their level of excellence gave me such a boost.
A coach and mentor allows you to ride on the wind-of-their-wins. A good coach can outline steps but a great one will help you draw the blueprint, giving scope to your imagination.
“The only difference between willpower and why is the emotion behind it. And emotion is triggered by motion!”
I'd like to close with a comment from a Native American Elder, "You were given the gift of life, now you have to earn your living." [Below is an exerpt from another blogpost I wrote.]
In other words we don’t wake up winding a dial that’s attached to our heart. The heart has its own intelligence, that’s the gift of life. Yet how we take care of our heart is an example of us earning a living.
Your why is the emotional connection between appreciating the gift and earning it. It’s your anchor into everything you do. This is the secret sauce to having a powerful why, the type that moves mountains.
