Why do you do what you do? What’s your purpose?
Contrary to what you may have heard, curiosity did NOT kill the cat. (Having just written that, I wonder how many people under 50 will understand it?) Curiosity is one of the most important qualities that you bring to your life and your business. Keep asking questions, because there is always more to discover and to learn. Inquiry helps us fine-tune what’s now, leads us to what’s next, and yields solutions.
Ask why. Ask why you’re doing what you’re doing. Ask why sales are down. Ask why your staff turnover is through the roof or customer satisfaction has waned.
On the flip side ask why things are going so well. Why are sales up? Why is your staff happy and hard working? Why are customers advocating for you? As much as you should course-correct when you are off track, you should know the “why” of your success so you can repeat and amplify what you’re doing.
On a deeper level, the importance of asking “why” relates directly to this being your one life. Sure, if there is something to reincarnation, you may be back for another go around. But this is your one life at this moment in time. Being in business is one way that you are choosing to express and share the gifts that you have.
Maybe you’re passionate about the product or service that you offer, or about the people that you’re helping, or about building, running, and selling businesses. Whatever it is, identify it and keep it firmly in front of you as your north star. Let your passion be the thing that inspires you and calls you into each new day.
Personally, each success inspires me to the next desire. It keeps me expanding, moving, experiencing, discovering, and inventing. As I see it, if you’re not growing, you’re shrinking. There is no neutral.
Move forward each day with great anticipation for what is to come, and with equal appreciation for what you currently have. Appreciation for the present and a desire for the future, both coexisting in harmony.
As the saying goes, you can’t have a happy ending to an unhappy journey. If there is no pleasure in the present moment and no taking stock of past accomplishments, but only a sense that something is missing until and unless you reach whatever your next goal is, you’ll never be able to fully enjoy a happy life.