Why Is The First Success Question

Let the universe know what you’re passionate about achieving.

How was I able to avoid bankruptcy at age 28 when my father suddenly died, leaving me as the primary owner (and suddenly CEO) of a company with 1,000 full or part-time employees, and virtually no infrastructure? What’s more, two months after my dad’s funeral, the bank called all our loans, giving me 90 days to raise $30M.

I made it, thanks to a lot of help from my friends. What turned the tide was discovering my “why.”

In Start With Why, Simon Sinek wrote: “Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do what they do. When I say WHY, I don’t mean to make money – that’s a result. By WHY I mean what is your purpose, cause or belief? WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning?”

My “why” became to help those with mental illness. When my kid’s friend Jack took his own life, this became emotionally urgent. I was facing my own mental struggles and those of family members. So when this community tragedy happened, it broke my heart wide open. Now I had a focus for my entrepreneurial skills way beyond being successful. I had a purpose.

What happened to me when Jack died was an epiphany. I wrote about this phenomenon in my book. I’m sure everyone reading can remember a few of these peak experiences. They change us forever.

In Academy of Management Discoveries, Erik Dane, distinguished associate professor of management at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, observed, “Epiphanies resolve psychological tension,” he says. “It’s often something someone has been grappling with that leads to an epiphany. Maybe they’re discontent in their career and don’t know where to go.”

And, recognizing the challenges, he added, “We’re often resistant to a solution because it could change our lives or our place within an organization,” says Dane. “The real question is, are you psychologically ready for the solution to emerge? If you’re not ready for the consequences, you might have mental barricades that hinder problem solving.”

The biggest “mental barricade” I experienced was my resistance to fundamental change. Tweaking is one thing, transformation is another. Discovering my “why” started a process of deep change, both in my personal and my business life. That’s risky territory for all of us but I never really felt like I had a choice in this case. I’d jumped in the river of change, and it was whisking me along at full speed.

Where was I going? That’s the thing about finding your calling, it takes you somewhere you can’t predict ahead of time. And it keeps calling, like a voice out in the forest, urging you to keep exploring. So much for routines and predictability!

So, where are you going? Why do you get out of bed every morning? What’s motivating your fellow workers, your employees, your boss? How many have a burning “why” that keeps their fire blazing all day long?

According to a recent Gallup poll, only 3 out of 10 employees are actually engaged at work any more. That’s crazy. Especially when someone figured out that a highly engaged workforce increases profitability by over 20%.

So, think about your personal profitability and ask another why question: “If being engaged is more productive, why aren’t I?” Here’s an even better way to ask: “If I wasn’t already doing this right now, would I choose to today?”

That’s a dangerous but potentially liberating question, which you can pose about anything. “If I wasn’t working here at this job would I choose it? If I wasn’t married to X, would I propose today? If I wasn’t living in this home, in this town, with these friends, would I choose all this today?”

If you come up with even a slight hesitation with any of them, it’s time to contemplate your why. You’ll know you’ve got it when you shoot out of bed every morning, eager to face the challenges that show up once you’ve let the universe know you’re serious about accomplishing something.