Micro-Whys: Finding Purpose in Mundane Activities
We are often told that we need to find our purpose in order to become happy, fulfilled or even successful. Gurus everywhere tell us that to live a meaningful life, you must know your purpose and live your life to fulfil it. This can be quite overwhelming to your average Engineer, Manager, or Office Clerk. What if they don't feel like they have a purpose? Or, what if they are happy with the way their life is right now, but can’t really identify what that purpose may be? Does this mean they are living an unfulfilled life? This search for purpose can be very daunting if you do not know where to start. Equally important is understanding that the journey towards your purpose is as important as living your purpose.
Chasing your purpose is like trying to catch butterflies with your hands. Grasping and reaching only sends them flitting away leaving you empty handed. If we instead quiet ourselves, connect with nature and allow them to come to us, they will.?Being calm, observant, allowing, let's us experience their beauty up close.
In the same way, I believe it is better to focus on micro-whys in order to connect with your life purpose. Instead of overwhelming yourself trying to identify your life purpose, try instead exploring what micro-whys you identify with daily.
What is the purpose for walking the dog or doing the dishes or brushing your teeth? These activities are all mundane and rudimentary, yet they are important things we do every day. Does this somehow make them less worthy? Have you ever examined your ‘why’ behind brushing your teeth?
These are all legitimate reasons for your ‘why’. They run the gambit of functional to vanity to subservience. Depending on the situation, may all apply at different times. I will often brush my teeth before an important meeting because I want to have fresh breath and a clean smile. Yet, when I brush my teeth at bedtime it is more mundane and just something I do before I retire for the night. It is part of my bedtime routine and it serves the purpose of self-care.
Recognizing that even a routine daily activity, such as brushing your teeth, has a purposeful why behind it, can you help you move through your day with more mindfulness. This acknowledgment of purpose in mundane actions, can help you identify your core why. Knowing your core why helps you maintain motivation and alignment towards your goals.
Using the example of exercising as the activity, we can begin to see how our micro-whys layer upon each other. Starting with the external focus, explore why you want to exercise: to lose weight, look good, get fit, etc. All legitimate reasons to exercise.
Now let’s dig a little deeper and explore the internal focus. By losing weight and getting more toned, this might lead to increased strength, which will lead to better mobility. And, if you have better mobility, this might lead to less pain and, ultimately, to you feeling better about yourself and being more active in general.
Taking this one level deeper, ask yourself why all of these things are meaningful to you. If you lose weight, get fit, gain strength, increase mobility, relieve pain, then this all leads to better health and that means as you age, you are less likely to become ill or dependent on others. Additionally, you will be able to play with your grandkids more easily. In this example, the core why for exercising is about independence and playing with your grandkids as you age.
By taking a mindful approach to understanding the ‘why’ behind everything you do, every action you take, every thought you think; you are opening yourself up to recognizing what is your core ‘why’. By knowing your deeper purpose, you are better able to make decisions that are aligned and keep you on that purposeful path. When you learn what makes you happy, what makes you come alive with excitement, what drives you and what your ‘whys’ are for daily activities, that is when you can begin to recognize your purpose in life.
I challenge you to start identifying your micro-whys and see what happens. Keep a journal of your observations, dig deep and go beyond the internal and external why's of the activity to understand the core why. Identify any patterns. Are there things you do that are more joyful than others - those are the ones to really pay attention to.