For those of us who have children, why do we do it? The answer might be different depending who you ask but according to the author of Start with Why, Simon Sinek, it’s for the unexpected glimmers. “Think about it, Sinek says. Who had a picture of a Honda odyssey on their wall as a teenager?” It’s true there are many sacrifices being a parent. A few that come to my mind are financial, time, and sleep. Those are pretty big things to give up. While raising children isn’t easy, I agree that the glimmers do make it worth it.
I was carrying my 2 year old Olivia down the hall to her room when completely unprompted she said, “Daddy I love you.” I teared up a little. It was sort of a déjà vu experience. Just a few short years ago, almost the identical thing happened with Alyssa, now 6. In that moment, every single sacrifice is worth it, and then some.
The Power of Your Why
Your “Why” is your deep core reason for doing something. It’s important to connect with it. I was recently talking to a friend and TBBC member Andrew. Andrew recently lost 19.5 pounds in 4 weeks. You read that right. You might think Andrew did some kind of “quick fix” program or that he had a smooth ride. Not true. It was actually one of his toughest months personally. He just managed to maintain the right attitude, connected to his why, and took small steps each day to get better.
We were looking at a picture of Andrew’s 2 young boys. He looked at me and said, “That’s my why.” You see, I lost my dad when I was a teenager. He was only in his early fifties. I want to do everything I can to be around for my boys. That’s a powerful why. Kind of makes getting up a bit earlier and/or working a bit harder much more doable.
Not every why has to be so deep. It’s really about what drives you. It could be about looking your best so you can be your most confident, best self. The good news is you decide.
What is your why? If you need help figuring it out, I can take you through a simple exercise to determine it.
Billy Hofacker – Owner & Transformation Coach at Total Body Boot Camp – BS, CSCS