The subtle art of knowing your why

You can tell it’s January, can’t you? We’re all back to our desks after a few weeks off, which makes for the perfect time to read the non-fiction books we got for Christmas and become gurus of our own lives. I’ve just finished The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, which was very kindly gifted to me and is a fantastic read.

I found this book particularly liberating because, whilst, yes, it is technically a self-help book, Manson doesn’t mollify the reader. Rather, he reminds us that: no, we’re not particularly special and yes, there is a lot wrong with the world that we have to live with, so we have to get on with it. It is up to us what we do, how we react to external influences and the goals we pursue. Yet it’s not patronising, instead encouraging the reader to reflect on the things in our lives that do really matter to find contentment – and not pursuing the ideals of a “positive thinking” mantra we are so often sold by writers, bloggers and entrepreneurs (and beating ourselves up when we can’t do it 100% of the time).

It’s a refreshing reminder that actions so often centre on chasing bogus ideas of happiness or success, whether that’s in monetary value, respect or otherwise. Whereas when we think back to our proudest or happiest moments in life so far, it rarely comes down to money made or admiration achieved – and I’d hazard a guess that your moments don’t just culminate in the end-result, because the experience (the obstacles, truth, lessons and oh-my-god-what-have-I-done mistakes) is what got you there.

I’m trying to be more conscious of the ‘why’ in what I’m doing, rather than focusing on the end goal. Not just for the business, but for me. After all, it’s a lot easier to form habits if you actually enjoy yourself - I’ve re-joined a gym (okay, I’m two weeks in so maybe too early for back patting), but I’m finding it easier this time because I’m not hoping to look like Tom Hardy in Warrior (which I never will – and that’s okay!) and instead seeing it as a nice time to listen to podcasts, enjoy the serotonin boost and do something where I can switch off.

So, my challenge for you (and me) this year is to try and ignore the “where do I want my business to be in five years” and instead focus on the “why am I doing what I’m doing?” - and if you don’t know, then do something about it.

To start things off I'm doing this to make my sons proud and to make an agency that supports its staff and grows our clients' businesses, all whilst having fun.

I want to hear what your why is so let me know below.