The Case for Multiple 'WHYs'

Simon Sinek tells us that we work better and more happily if there's a sense of purpose about what we do.?And he certainly gives us many examples in the book of companies and individuals that were able to achieve extraordinary things through this sense of WHY – companies like Apple, Southwest Airlines, the original Wal-Mart and individuals like the Wright Brothers and Ernest Shackleton.?Their sense of purpose gave them greater motivation and direction, which in turn led to success than their competitors.

A WHY is important to enjoying our work lives – it gives us a sense of meaning an accomplishment.?But it is not always just about what we do or who we provide a service for – it might also be connected to the people we work with (teams and co-workers can contribute to a great sense of shared identity and purpose) and what our work allows us to do – to spend time with the people we love and perhaps even to explore our passions.

And this brings us to an interesting point – can we have multiple WHYs??And should we?

This month, we've been challenged through our reading of the book to spend some time considering what our why is and how this impacts our working lives – but why not take this a step further??Let’s consider whether we have multiple purposes in our lives and why this might in fact be a good thing.?

If a sense of purpose enriches our working lives and assists towards business success – can being conscious of other kinds of WHY lead to similar results outside of the workplace??Let’s explore this idea together.

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY….

While work is an important part of our lives – it is not ALL of our lives.?

The old adage is that we spend a third of our day working, a third resting and a third in recreation… and while we know it never really works out exactly like this, and many of us are guilty of extending our work days just to get things done, this old saying does acknowledge that a sense of balance in all things is important for a fulfilling life.

Having a WHY outside of work ensures we maintain that balance and develop other passions.?We can give our all to work and be invested in that from 9- 5, but outside of that, another strong passion and purpose ensures we make time for ourselves and our mental health – avoiding depression and burnout.

These passions might range from sporting interests to intellectual pursuits… they might be connected to family or travel or even charity.

These WHYs make us more complete people and arguably more interesting.

MULTIPOTENTIALITY

As the standard of living is so high, we have so many more opportunities open to us than the generations preceding us. We are liberated from limiting ourselves with a single identity or label.?

We can afford to embrace multiple purposes – and whereas once we may have scoffed at the “slashes” – those who defined themselves as waiter/writer/performer and so on, nowadays this is becoming more and more common.?You can be more than one thing – and these things can complement each other. My passion for reading and mentoring that once found a home as an English teacher and pastoral care leader, has still found a home in my new calling and helps me to feel connected to my new community.

Embracing multipotentiality is an acknowledgement that perhaps there is no one “true purpose” to our lives – but that we can explore many different ideas, creative pursuits and versions of ourselves.?My partner’s daughter recently told me that later in life, she wants to be a vet, a ballerina and perhaps even a singer. And why shouldn’t she explore all of these ideas for as long as she is passionate about them?

Embracing the idea of multiple WHYs across many areas of our lives may also assist us to feel less “locked in” to our choices. Many of us spend years studying to complete a degree to pursue a chosen field... but research tells us the average amount of jobs we hold across our lifetime may be as many as 12.?

Another young person I know trained to be a psychologist… ended up working as a travel agent (which she loved - before COVID) and now has channelled her energies into dance – beginning as a student and now teaching some classes herself.?At each stage of her life, she was – and is - blissfully happy with her choices.

CH..CH..CH… CHANGES

Life is full of unexpected occurrences – and things can change quickly and drastically.?We need to be flexible if we are to navigate the slings and arrows of what Shakespeare called “outrageous fortune”.

If circumstances prevent us from exploring or fulfilling our WHY, having others and the capacity and mindset to develop more ensures our resilience.?I think we all discovered this during COVID as did one of my examples above.?Although COVID put an end to her very successful career as a travel agent, she had the confidence to believe she could reinvent herself.?

Perhaps having multiple WHYs will make it easier for us if life takes away something we are passionate about – whether it be through illness or a business ending or simply our bodies aging.

Each stage of our professional and personal lives is an opportunity to discover and invest in something new.?If we are brave enough to learn and be open, we realise that nothing really ends.?It might just transform into something else.?We can keep creating meaning – and we can keep changing and growing.