Why and how matter the most. It’s not what we do things, as we would like to think. Even in the midst of hard times and crisis, human kind has been around to know better.
In my business practice, very often, my clients come to me saying “I don’t know what to do”. But I have learned in time, that WHAT may be the easiest answer. Interestingly, what really flows naturally when you get clear on your values, your motivation, and your purpose. That’s why, even though I do offer tech assistance and marketing tools to my clients, the first thing I like to work is WHY AND HOW. 
Why and how matter the most!
Every single time. I know this. Every single time I jump that little step, things don’t work out. When I offer assistance or join a project where my client doesn’t have a clear why and how, the potential for chaos is unleashed. Results don’t come, and frustration becomes a constant. This happens because, believe it or not, we are more emotional and purpose-based than we believe most of the time. We tend to enjoy saying we are rational beings, trying to change our thoughts and our ideas. But the truth is, our emotions and motivation are a key element to our daily routines, our communication, interactions, and basically, to our every decision and action.
Why you do what you do.
Your dreams and inspiration are a key part of who you are. You may not give them credit regularly, but they will come back to haunt you if you hide them in the closet. If you grew up wishing you could be an astronaut, a singer, or a race car driver, it matters! You may decide not to pursue that specific career path. Life, needs, or choices may have led you away. However, you need to remember why those dreams were part of you. It’s worth to take a look at your past. Maybe you wanted to be a ballerina because you liked music, movement, beauty. It didn’t necessarily mean you wanted to be a ballerina, but you liked what it represented. Why?
Your purpose, whether you believe in a divine calling, or a practical reason for your existence, that’s a purpose. You see where you fit. You see what you bring to society. Your gifts and skills are put in alignment with something else. It really doesn’t matter if it’s the supply chain, the organization’s mission, or your inner calling. There is a why to your being here and now. Whatever it is you’re doing, there is a why.
How do you do it?
I’m a sucker for biopics and documentaries. I have to admit it, learning more about the life path and journey that people take is one of my passions. Our personal evolution is a testament to our identity, our environment and our loyalty to the potential within us.
I have seen people turned into heroes and benchmarks of success merely because they made a lot of money. Regardless of the path of damage and misery that they left along the way. I have seen people called “respectable” even after stepping over each and every one of the people around them. They achieved their “vision”, yes but at what cost to the collective? Being “the first” who did something is valued. But rarely do we mention those who fixed all the chaos that “the first” ones left behind.
LOVE CHALLENGE ALERT: If you’re an innovator or a leader, before you launch the next “first”… Ask yourself: Is this good to me? To society? The planet? How about the community? Am I doing this the cleanest, fairest, most loving way?
Because of love.
Going back to the biopics and documentaries. How many times have you seen, heard or read that someone did “it” because of love? Because they loved cars, the environment, their country, others… Check it out. How many business people became business owners and built their business around a product or service they loved? Not just because the market demanded it. Or perhaps because they “could” or had the resources to do it.
It may sound too romantic, idealistic or naïve. But I can bet you, the people who ran companies successfully without ever complaining of how long it took them to build them, or what they sacrificed, did so out of love. A true passion and commitment with what they did.
Many have accomplished the unimaginable because there was something that made an impact in their lives. A disease, a death, loss, struggle, war… You name it, it was a trigger that unleashed an intense passion and love for making things happen.
Doing good.
When I was growing up, I remember thinking that anyone who was really successful had most likely doing it at the cost of others. I used to think that you had to give up something to succeed. You probably had to give up having friends, free-time, or even principles and morals. That’s what I saw around me. Working hard and being successful seemed to be all of that. It wasn’t until I went to college that I experienced something entirely different. People were making more money, more impact, and holding more fulfilling careers when they did it according to their principles.
This means that if they preached that family came first, they indeed made time for family first. When they said that they were guided by a set of values or principles, they did build business practices around them. Anywhere from caring for the planet to providing free education resources for underprivileged families. Through the practice of what they preached, I noticed the difference.
Stop listening to the noise.
I have to say that a couple of years in the “real world” brought me back to the usual programming. There is so much noise out there! That obsession with being rational ruins the most basic of our principles. Yes, keep learning, and gaining knowledge. But no amount of knowledge will ever compensate what your purpose, motivation, and values can do for you. Why and how matter most, because they open the doors that no amount of resources and connections can surpass. I have been involved in projects with millions of dollars invested, teams with skillful and qualified people, that amount to very little long-term impact.
But then, there comes a little project with little resources, and one or two people who lay their lives on the line, and change everything around them. One or two people who listened to their passion, their purpose and to the values that they had within. And you can see it! You can see how they inspire everyone they touch. Anyone and everyone who interacts with them grows. Regardless of the trends, the industry, the political situation, or the algorithm. When you get clear on why you do what you do, and how you are going to do it, what you do flows naturally.
Saying no.
Yes, that may require you to say “no” to things that seemed like the obvious choice. There may be tempting opportunities that appear to be easy, fast, simple, and profitable. But if you do them in spite of having every cell in your body cry “no!”, they will not feel as good as they seemed. That’s the noise. The fear, trauma, and pain of others, and even your own past crawling back to you. All of these things may reason their way to your mind, but you do know better!
What happens?
When why and how align, everything flows. You find connections, collaborations and resources that unblock all that reason and technology couldn’t. When you own your purpose and values, you make better choices. And even when situations and scenarios may change, your ability to react to them increases. That is why, even when you may be in survival mode, striving to find the next paycheck or pay that loan, what you do is really not as important. Why and how matter the most! It feels like magic, but it’s just coherence. Being all of who you really are. Your ideas, your skills, your values, and dreams. They all come together to allow you to step fully into YOU. Balance, prosperity, success… the description is irrelevant. It just feels good! You do great, and it feels good!
If you’re ready to dive deep into your why and how, you may find some cool resources here:
