Find Your WHY, Build Your Vision

When I started my first business in 2006, one thing was certain: My dreams were big.

As a first-time entrepreneur, I wasn't entirely sure about the exact steps to take to bring me closer to those dreams. Though the macro vision for my business was crystal clear, the roadmap was less so. Over time, I realized that to achieve these ambitious goals, I not only had to have a clear vision and destination, I also had to create a sustainable day-to-day process that would support me in my journey toward achieving these goals.

In 2020, it’s hard to come across someone—a millennial, in particular—who hasn’t set goals for themselves. It’s also hard to come by someone who hasn’t forgotten the goals or gave up on those they once set. You know those old, crinkled-up note pads? The vision boards carefully tucked away in the corners of our rooms? The abandoned New Year’s resolutions? We’ve all been there. 

But we don’t have to stay there.

Want to realize your potential and drastically improve your chances of success?

1. Start each goal with WHY.

Before you determine WHAT you want to accomplish, you must take the time to find your WHY.

Why start your goal-setting process with WHY? Starting with your WHY gives you the reason behind everything you’re doing to accomplish the goal. It motivates you to persevere through all of the obstacles you will inevitably face along the way as an entrepreneur. And with your purpose known, it also ensures that the outcome brings you a sense of fulfillment.

So, how do you find your WHY? One way is to ask yourself what success really means to you. Is it wealth, freedom, supporting your family, power, making a difference?

You start to discover your WHY when you begin to sense that your goals align with your personal values and purpose.

The Haute Mindset community was born from this same exercise. After starting eight companies and reflecting on my journey as an immigrant and Woman of Color entrepreneur, I realized that the mindsets, habits, and values I practiced—largely because of the unique circumstances I faced—contributed to my overall success as an entrepreneur. I’ve always been passionate about women’s empowerment, and reflecting upon my journey, I felt inspired to share my story and throw down the ladder for other WoC founders to climb up.

For me, success is helping women and girls reach their fullest potential. I started the Haute Mindset community to help WoC founders navigate the difficult journey of entrepreneurship and support them with the resources they need to grow their businesses. Having experienced the day-to-day struggles firsthand, who better to advocate for immigrant women as they launch their first business?

That’s my WHY.

Keeping clear on my WHY in business and in life ensures that I'm on the path that feels most fulfilling to me. And when I feel most fulfilled and connected to my purpose, I perform my best. It's a win-win.

All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year.

― Simon Sinek?

Have a “reality check” mindset.

Goal-setting is really an art and a science—it requires striking a balance between aspirational and realistic. The first step to goal-setting is instilling a belief in yourself that whatever you are aiming to achieve isIS both possible AND and valuable. If the goal is unachievable or unattainable—a.k.a. not rooted in reality—our imagination may fail to get us there and will in fact hold us back (whether or not we are actually capable).

If we set goals that are completely out of reach, oftentimes the pathway forward will feel daunting and complicated. So daunting, in fact, that we may get too demoralized and end up leaving those goals behind. Goal-setting strategy is built around a simple insight on human behavior: We will work harder when we feel like we are winning.

On the flip side, we have to be cautious and thoughtful that our set goals are not slam dunks that require little effort or transformation to get us there. In the process of achieving our goals, we should be building character by embracing a growth mindset. Easy wins won’t help us along that process.

Keeping a “reality check” mindset means that even if your goal feels like a daunting long shot, you can envision the smaller, actionable steps needed to get us there. This will help ensure that you don’t gloss over the details as you keep your grand vision top of mind.

2. Be clear about your destination, but focus on the process.

The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game.

— James Clear

Your WHY is your start but not your finish. Starting with WHY will inspire you to achieve goals, help you bounce back from failure, and might even give you the confidence to change the world—but you still need to put in the work.

We all have things that we want to achieve in our lives, and if you're on my blog, one of your goals is likely to build a successful business. 

And for most, the roadmap to goal achievement includes setting a specific and actionable goal. This is the primary way I approached things until I discovered the power of creating systems. What are systems, you ask?

Systems are the process-oriented tiny actions you make every day to propel you towards your goal.

They're the incremental steps you take that may look small on the surface but compound over time to create your desired outcome. Even if you're not able to make huge strides towards your goal today, you can commit to one action each day that brings you 1% closer to your destination. It's all about discipline and consistency—and the intentional acts that compound over time.

How are systems different from goals?

Goals are not actionable; systems are. Goals give you direction, while your system provides the steps to progress you forward.

With that said, while some folks suggest doing away with goals, I believe goals and systems are complementary. You don’t want to climb to the top of the ladder to find it’s leaning against the wrong building (if you know what I mean). For example, you’d take a completely different approach if you were running to train for a marathon instead of simply running to improve your health.

Growth and progress come about when goals and systems are in lockstep with one another. Your goals are your north star. They help you get started, give you direction, and a tangible target to aim for. Your system is the procedure and habits you will use to reach the target.

Always remember that big goals are accomplished with small steps.

3. Excellence is a process, not an outcome.

Ordinary people focus solely on the end game, while extraordinary people focus on the process. This is how they achieve such big goals. The best professionals were at one point beginners. And in fact, everything is hard before it becomes easy.

I believe that you only live up to the standards you set for yourself. And your life is a direct reflection of those standards as well as the standards you set for others. This is a universal truth that applies to every aspect of your life, from business to your personal finances, relationships, and appearance.

Part of setting those standards means setting the systems in place to help you meet them. Successful entrepreneurs don’t wait for inspiration to dive in and do the work. They simply do it—and give it their best shot. By focusing on systems—doing the work each and every day—they become more focused, faster, and more skilled. When you say, “I can’t,” you hold yourself back. Remove those words from your vocabulary and watch what happens.

You’ve probably heard the 4-minute mile story: Until 1954, running a mile in four minutes was thought to be impossible. But that year, ever since Roger Bannister accomplished it for the first time, and since then, 1,400 other athletes have done it as well.

At the end of the day, we achieve what we believe we can achieve. And if we think we can’t, then that becomes the truth. Releasing your limiting beliefs is essential and will ultimately play a significant role in how you feel and how you see and show up in the world.

I certainly wouldn’t be the serial entrepreneur I am today if I let “I can’t” stop me. The right mindset is the key to success.

When you're creating an environment to support your goals, remember that you get in life what you tolerate. Put another way, you will get in life what you accept and expect you are worthy of.

― Darren Hardy

Final Thoughts

Systems are the biggest difference between someone who achieves their goals and someone who doesn't. Achieving your goals is a matter of process. Don’t shy away from making smaller changes. Those smaller changes compound over time and lead you to your biggest dreams.

Additionally, here are some links to the books mentioned via quotes in this post! Let’s support women-owned and women of color-owned businesses as we continue our own journey.

• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
• The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
• Start With Why by Simon Sinek 

→ Check out this article and others on my blog at HauteMona.com/blog.