Why knowing your "why" isn't good enough for world domination.
I am not original. If anything, I excel at retelling what most of us already know in a concise, punch you in the face for not seeing it sort of a way. I'd like to think that at least part of the time I am not coming from left field.
I am also an unapologetic Simon Sinek fanboy. When doing research for a TEDx talk at LSU 3 years ago, I fell upon Sinek's now famous TEDx talk in which he espouses the idea that people inspire action not through what they do, but rather "why" they do it. It was inspiring enough for me to wrap my TEDx story in a "why" context. By the looks of the views, he has done a little better than I...so far.
But what if knowing "why" isn't enough? What happens after you've decided you know why you do everything in your life, and yet you are still unfulfilled and or unsuccessful at parlaying this into some form of "happier ever after"?
For years I've felt like I've been driven to make my slice of the world, a healthier, fitter, space. Through opening healthy restaurants (FRESHJUNKIE), to starting races (The Louisiana Marathon, FRESHJUNKIE Racing), and through coaching nearly 100 different people over the last 3 years, I felt like I have been neck deep in my "why". Alas, the Brinks truck has yet to back up to my house and neither Ellen, Jimmy Fallon, or even someone from cable access have called begging me to come on TV. "WHY"?
The reason is simple. Knowing your "why" isn't good enough for world domination. Now that may not be your goal, and that's fine, and knowing your "why" may be plenty for Ted from accounting. But for people who want to be the best of the best, a "why" is just the start. How do I amplify my "why" in tangible ways???
I awake everyday questioning. "Am I where I need to be?" "Am I doing what I need to?" "Where is the effing coffee?" "Where am I?" "Where are my pants?". Sometimes the questioning can be crippling. No bullshit. I sit there and wonder, "What do I think I am supposed to be doing with this day?" As anyone who is trying to build there own brand knows, there is no correct answer, and no one dropped off a playbook or manual. You write it daily.
Along with a why, you gotta have a DO. EVERY DAY. The only way out of my hole is always to DO. Moreover, your DO doesn't have to be perfect. Some days I DO the wrong things, but I try to consistently evaluate those things and improve, so that I am spending the most time DOING the things that both move my "why' forward in the most positive ways. These days, I am making sure that it moves forward on a secondary level of profitability as well as simply for saying the right things. Saying is the beginning. DOING IS THE AMPLIFIER.
DOERS > SAYERS
There are a lot of freaking quotes in this post. For that, I apologize.
GO DO SOME SHIT!
h+hf
PF
