Resilience, grit, determination, and perseverance are traits that make people successful.
Yet, they are qualities not everyone possesses.
Some people seem to have an unending well of motivation, overcoming challenges and breaking down barriers, while others struggle to find the energy to face the day.
What is the differentiator?
Let’s delve into it.
The key lies in the ability to find your “why”—the driving force behind your actions, your life’s purpose.
To help you all find your purpose, I’ve compiled 30 questions to help you out.
The Importance of Finding Your “Why”
We’ve all heard how crucial it is to have a “why” in our lives.
As I mentioned in my book, “Take the Stairs,” discipline becomes dormant in the absence of a dream.
To harness our perseverance and resilience, we need a long-term vision to endure short-term sacrifices.
Our resilience and grit are directly proportional to the clarity of our vision and our “why.”
The Power of “What” Questions
Finding your why can seem overwhelming.
It’s a lofty goal, and many people struggle to identify it.
However, I’ve found that the key to discovering your why lies in a series of simple “what” questions.
Answering these questions will gradually reveal your why.
Here are the 30 “what” questions to guide you on this journey:
- What issues are you most passionate about solving for the world?
- What problems are you most capable of solving for other people?
- What type of person can you serve in the deepest way?
- What are the biggest challenges that you have overcome?
- What practical skillsets do you have that you want to develop more of?
- What skills do you want to learn and master?
- What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
- What do you feel called to?
- What places in the world do you want to visit?
- What type of family do you want to have?
- What physical attributes do you want to exhibit in your body?
- What type of job title do you want to have?
- What type of clients would you most enjoy working with?
- What amount of vacation would you like to take each year?
- What type of house do you want to live in?
- What city and state would you want to live in?
- What type of neighborhood do you want to live in?
- What type of car do you want to have?
- What do you want your ideal dream daily schedule to look like?
- What amount of money will you need to fund the type of lifestyle you want to have during your retirement?
- What do you want your taxable income to be?
- What activities do you love doing that are life-giving?
- What activities do you hate doing that are life-taking?
- What would the self-talk be of someone who had already achieved all of these things?
- What would you have to learn to achieve the things on this list?
- What person or people do you know of that would already know exactly how to achieve the things you want to achieve?
- What type of coaches would you need to help you get to where you want to go?
- What behaviors do you need to stop doing?
- What behaviors do you need to start doing?
- What would you be willing to give up if you knew you could have all of these things?
Don’t worry if you can’t answer all of these questions right away; revisit them as often as you need, they are designed to help you identify your purpose and drive.
Finding Your Why and Building Resilience
These 30 questions can be split in to three sets, each to provide a different perspective on your why.
The first set helps you understand your purpose— what you feel called to do.
The second set asks you to visualize what you want to have, do, or achieve.
Finally, the third set urges you to consider what kind of person you need to become to realize your goals.
Understanding these aspects of yourself enables you to develop resilience, determination, and grit.
It helps your brain focus on a goal, providing a reason to push through and persevere.
By discovering your why, you unlock the drive needed to be more resilient.
Finding your why is integral to becoming more resilient and determined.
Take the time to answer these 30 questions—really consider your answers—and I guarantee you’ll see a marked increase in your perseverance.
Share this with someone who needs to find their why!
Remember, your why is waiting for you—go out and find it.