You know WHAT you want but WHY do you want it?
My flatmates say that in 2 weeks I have become a different person!! In 2 weeks I have gone from someone who gets home from work at 6:30-7, and (if I didn’t have something on) -watched TV, played guitar and rarely touched my laptop.
This week I have worked 14 hours Wed & Thurs and worked about 5 hours on Saturday. They were honestly a bit concerned – and also surprised. They wanted to know whY?
Why was I spending all my time working on this? Why was I so concerned about no money?
I have only lived with them for 6 months (although I’ve known them through church for a long time). They probably hadn’t noticed that I am a hard worker and a bit driven (OK sometimes a bit obsessive..). They hadn’t seen that I worked 3 jobs for years while completing uni part time and later my CA (Chartered Accounting course).
ASK YOURSELF WHY?
But to ask yourself WHY? is a very good thing to do – so I went away and wrote 2 pages of bullet points about:
why I want to do the nomoney site (to help young people & earn money myself)
why I want to be financially free (lots of reasons here – from most selfish – I’d like more time to relax,go surfing - to least selfish - giving money to charities/church)
why I might want to go into business for myself down the track (similar to answers in financially free question). I also asked myself a few other questions.
Ask yourself Why? – Your Goals
Perhaps the most important question when you think about your goals is – Why do I have these goals? Or Why is this important to me?
Perhaps you need to ask 3 times before you get to the real answer (I think it is Stephen Covey – author of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People who came up with this 3 x whyY? approach)
So for example – My goal is to get good grades.
1. Why? so I can do well at school/uni.
2. Why? so that I can get a good job
3. Why? (insert your own answer here) Your answer might be anything but a few examples: so I can support myself/family, so I can buy clothes, fit in with society, become CEO, become respected/popular/famous, etc.
Or another example The Fisherman vs. The Business Person - this example best shows the WHY in operation, however it is the original article from Achievers Group that I have stuck on my wall at work.
How your WHAT might fall apart with the WHY
You might think that you want a High-paying job. But when you think about it you realise that your WHY for getting a job is to support your family and relax. But with a high-paying job you have to work more hours and would probably be more stressed – so you might decide that you are happy with a normal paying job that you can leave at 5:30pm.
So in thinking about the WHY – you might well realise that you are content where you are (the link goes to why I choose to be happy/content).
I’d love to hear from you at nomoneyau@gmail.com if this has helped you, or you have other comments (or if you hate this article, or if you think I should stop writing and put my head in the toliet , etc.)
Postscript:
Just as another thought – I thought I would tell you WHY I work at my job as an accountant (these aren’t ranked- just in the order I’ve written them down).
- I love to help people – (I like to please people, I want people to like me, I am HAPPY from making other people happy, whether this is by serving them at the supermarket and talking about their day to helping them save tax or providing quick, practical service)
- I love stuff involving money and business and find it fascinating (which is why many people say to me… I could never be an accountant!!!)
- I am a bit curious about people and how they live their lives (and I have met a huge range of people through working)
- I have a really good boss (look I am not a suck up but Bill is one of the most nicest and most patient guys I’ve met. He isn’t perfect (who is?) but he is someone who I try to be like in many ways. Keith (who I report to) have quite different personalitities but he has always treated me with respect and is also a very nice guy)
- I like the company I work for (So many geniune people, good working conditions, people who will listen if you suggest a better way to do things, and a team building day a year to celebrate)
Tags: asking why with your goals, fisherman vs business man, fisherman vs the business person, goal, making great goals