Why?
It’s a simple question, but the answer can be profound. Why do you do what you do?
I said that the answer can be profound, but in today’s world it usually isn’t. Most of the time we’re just going through the motions. We do things for the sake of doing them, because that’s what everyone else is doing, or because we’re taking the path that society has deemed the safe and normal one.
Who can blame us? We’re inundated with so much information and so many choices in the internet age that it almost seems impossible to navigate life purposefully. Our brain is hard-wired for survival by making quick decisions and organizing information into clear-cut schemas. That system doesn’t bode well with the chaotic assortment of information that we experience scrolling through our phones or the constant notification bombing that comes along with it. Navigating through too much information and making choices is exhausting for our brains. This is borne out in study after study. When research participants have to make a significant amount of decisions their performance on any tasks they’re asked to do afterwards suffers significantly. So, logically, our brains choose the path of least resistance.
The thought of wandering aimlessly day to day terrifies me. I don’t want to live a life defined by the path of least resistance and societal norms; and I don’t think you do either. I want to wake up everyday and make choices that fulfill my greater purpose. In order for you to do that, you need to identify your greater purpose. You need to identify your “why.”
Your “why” is the reason that you do what you do. It’s what gets you out of bed on tough days. It’s what pushes you through hard training sessions when you feel like garbage. When defined and reflected on regularly, it’s your north star and your guiding light. It gives you clarity and direction to navigate the impossible choices.
My “why” is three-fold: 1) to Know Christ and to make Him Known, 2) to provide physically and emotionally for my family, and 3) to help our athletes realize their purpose in life and navigate the inevitable physical and emotional highs and lows that come along the way.
Take some time to identify what makes you tick and write it down. Then look at it and think about it each day. Reflecting on my “why” allows me to feel peace and purpose when chaos comes and it should do the same for you.
Be >,
Zach
Dr. Zach Guiser