A New Beginning: Start with ‘Why’.

A new year brings the promise of new birth or new beginnings. It’s a chance to start over, a stepping-stone into the realm of new possibilities. What better time is there to reflect, recommit, and re-engage to your priorities? But as you reflect on your successes and failures of the past, it is always best to clarify your reasons for wanting to move in a particular direction, before proceeding forward.

It’s been twenty years since I walked out the door of corporate America for the last time. I’ve since been living the life of a “passionpreneur.” That’s an entrepreneur in pursuit of his passions. At the end of the year, I usually take some time to reflect on what I’ve done thus far and clarify the focus of the coming year. The first question I ask myself is ‘why’? Why do I do what I do and why is it important for me to move in a certain direction?

‘Why’ is not just a question, it’s a laser beam penetrating to the very core of what motivates us and leads to inspired and purposeful action. So as I reflected on all the things that I have done over the past twenty years as a passionpreneur, I came to the realization that it is time to broaden my focus from that of a coach, to assuming my role as a guide. Guiding those who burn with the same fire of existential hunger (the drive to find freedom, pursue our passions and live with purpose) as I still do.

So my mission for this year and beyond is to share my personal journey as I expand into and embrace my role as a guide—helping others stay physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused, and spiritually aligned.

What’s your BIG WHY?

In case you’re wondering, a resolution isn’t the same thing as having a ‘why’. What’s the difference? A resolution is a wish, it’s nonbinding. It’s “a first class ticket to nowhere,” to borrow a phrase from the Pharrell Williams song, “Here.” A BIG WHY, on the other hand, is a blueprint, the inspiration and motivation you will need to get you there—wherever ‘there’ is.

So stop right now and ask yourself these simple questions: Why do you do the work you do? Why are the things you spend your time doing important to you? Why do you want to lose weight, get fit, get healthy, take charge of your finances, or whatever else you may have had on your New Year’s Resolution list? Why are they important to you?

Remember, recommitting and re-engaging to a plan of action without knowing why you’re moving in that direction is the same as being on a treadmill that is going nowhere.

So whatever you’ve done or not done in your life so far, forget about it. The past has no power over your future. It’s a new beginning, filled with new possibilities. Start with why. And may “the best of your today be the worst of your tomorrow.”

*Photo: freedigitalphotos.net