Unlocking the Power of Purpose: How Knowing Your 'Why' Drives Success
Jan 29, 2024
Hannah Andersen and Sara Swanson
When Sara and I peeled back the layers of our personal commitment challenges, it felt as if we uncovered a map to self-discovery. Imagine finding out that the key to achieving your dreams isn't just about sheer willpower, but also about building a foundation of trust within yourself. In our heart-to-heart, we share the intimate details of our struggles and triumphs, like my own skirmish with giving up coffee for health reasons. We journey through the significance of revisiting the reasons behind our goals, highlighting how a deep understanding of our 'why' can reignite the passion and fortitude necessary to persist.
As we navigate the stories of our lives, the episode takes shape as a tapestry of insights on aligning our endeavors with our innermost values. Sarah and I dissect societal pressures and the allure of external achievements, contrasting them with the fulfilling pursuit of goals resonating with our souls. We delve into how the untapped power of knowing your 'why' can lead to overcoming fears and steadfast dedication across various life facets. Join us as we offer a guiding light to those looking to reflect on their vision boards and life choices, ensuring that each step taken is a true reflection of what matters most.
When Sara and I peeled back the layers of our personal commitment challenges, it felt as if we uncovered a map to self-discovery. Imagine finding out that the key to achieving your dreams isn't just about sheer willpower, but also about building a foundation of trust within yourself. In our heart-to-heart, we share the intimate details of our struggles and triumphs, like my own skirmish with giving up coffee for health reasons. We journey through the significance of revisiting the reasons behind our goals, highlighting how a deep understanding of our 'why' can reignite the passion and fortitude necessary to persist.
As we navigate the stories of our lives, the episode takes shape as a tapestry of insights on aligning our endeavors with our innermost values. Sarah and I dissect societal pressures and the allure of external achievements, contrasting them with the fulfilling pursuit of goals resonating with our souls. We delve into how the untapped power of knowing your 'why' can lead to overcoming fears and steadfast dedication across various life facets. Join us as we offer a guiding light to those looking to reflect on their vision boards and life choices, ensuring that each step taken is a true reflection of what matters most.
What's up y'all? Welcome to Mindfully Moody. I am here, sarah, with my best friend, my co-host Hannah. It is 2024. I cannot believe that, and you know, right as I'm talking we're talking about building trust with yourself and all of these amazing things. I'm thinking about that I told myself that I'm not going to drink coffee and I'm literally desperately thinking I need a coffee right now. So how can I keep building trust with myself and not go drink a coffee?
Speaker 2:
You need decaf. Can you drink decaf?
Speaker 1:
I don't know. I mean, I actually do have a no acid coffee and it's not. It's good. It's not that good, you know, but I still feel like it triggers my mucus. So I'm having a for all the listeners out there. I'm having some health discoveries, so I'm trying to get my health super on track in 2024 so that I'm able to feel and be my most optimal self. But coffee getting rid of coffee man after years and years and years of drinking coffee is so painful and hard.
Speaker 2:
I've been also not doing coffee, and I well, I don't drink as much coffee as you. I don't think so it's not as hard for me, but like, it's definitely like I need something. I need something. I need like a decaf. I just ordered some mushroom coffee, so hopefully that will with some cacao, you know just sprouts is about to get delivered in an hour. Oh, they have it there.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, oh, okay, I didn't know you could. Yeah, okay, they probably have that in stores. Now I have this. I have one too, this mushroom, like all different kind of blend from this brand called Rise, and I've been drinking their matcha too. It's like, listen, I love matcha, but you know it's not the same.
Speaker 2:
Coffee is so good, it's just like this sweet little. I mean you would drink black coffee right.
Speaker 1:
Do you add creamer Towards the last, like probably year and a half? I was adding creamer, yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, I like to doctor it up a bit, then it's a real treat in the morning.
Speaker 1:
I know I want that. I want it right now, like I literally it feels like it's a part of me. You know Coffee.
Speaker 2:
Coffee, coffee. Anyways, let's talk about the why we are talking about why we do things, why we set goals, and the why behind the goals. So why do you want to quit? Yeah, why do you want to quit? Let's talk about this real life, because I want to feel better.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I want to feel better and I just love the idea of this topic because, as we're talking about all of these things that we do in 2024 or we do every year, that like motivation that you get of. Okay, I want to, you know, quit my job and get a new job. I want to start a business. I want to be the healthiest I've ever been. I want to meet my dream partner. I want to go on this amazing vacation, whatever it is. All these like very specific, you know, usually very specific things, but sometimes we get so stuck in, like the, the want, the desire that we have, the more tangible thing, that we forget why we're even doing it to start with.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, it reminds me. I was at this party and this girl is a dating coach. She hosts like dating experiences in Austin and I was like you know, I can't wait to like meet my person, like blah, blah, blah. Like just going in and telling her like you know, dating scene is hard in Austin, all this. And then she's like well, what are you looking for? And I'm like Like I was like well, someone's asking me like what, oh what am I looking for?
Speaker 2:
Like, what do I want? Like what qualities? And I was like it was like kind of scary to even like say it out loud, kind of thing. But then I like started explaining it and it's that was a reminder of like yeah, this is why I want these things, because I want to be in this type of relationship. But it reminds me of that, like with our goals, like do we actually continue to revisit the why on the things that we want. Like we're working day in and day out to like get these things, but why are we doing it? Because, if we can remember that why and returning back to the why I feel like the why is going to be motivation of doing the little things each day to contribute to that, and I feel like we should talk about a why we should talk about our wise.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I mean you, you can have many different wise too, but, like, I feel like so many of them can summarize, too, you know, why do I want to reach a goal, why do I want to be an entrepreneur, why do I want to, you know, be healthy, why do I want to have you know X, y and Z things in my life? Because I want to have the most fulfilling, peaceful, energetic life that I could possibly have. You know and I just made that up on the spot but it's like that is why I do the things that I do every day, and it's making me think about, you know, me being where I live now, and there's so, so, so many people that are wildly successful. You know, super, super financially successful, and I feel like so many people along the way forget why they're even working so hard.
Speaker 1:
You know, like you see someone who maybe works super hard, maybe they're working 60 plus hours a week. You know they're not at home with their family, they're grinding, grinding, grinding. And it's like you just get in this routine of like this is just what I've been doing for X amount of years. I've been showing up in this way, I've been delivering these things, I've been making this much money. I've been whatever that it's like you know. You could stop someone and say why are you doing what you're doing? And they're like beats me, I don't even know. You know because they lost their why two decades ago.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it's really interesting also to hear other people's why well, and our own, because like why's can be fleeting, like, for example, if someone wants like, they can be fleeting and maybe the why is for like, not a good reason, kind of thing. Like I'm thinking about someone who wants to be an influencer, for example, or someone whatever have be successful entrepreneur. You know, if your why is like I just want to be rich and famous and be filthy, like have money pouring into my bank account, if that's your why, like are you actually going to get there? Compared to like if you had a why of you. Know, I want to financial freedom. I want to experience like time, location freedom, be able to work for wherever I want. I want to be able to build a good life for my family.
Speaker 2:
Like it's interesting, I feel like that comes to like your values almost as a person and like what contributes to what your why is it's. Yeah, I don't know what do you think about that? Because I'm just like you almost need to have a why that's almost aligned with your values as a human in order for, like you, to actually go after that. Because it's like, if you just want to be rich, just to be rich and famous and like have all eyes on you, like what is it?
Speaker 1:
Because maybe that is aligned with their values, I guess though, yeah, I mean I'm sure there are people that are that way. I mean I'm thinking of big influencers right now in my head that I'm like yeah, I mean, what's Tana's why you know, like, you know what I mean. It's like there, I don't know. You know what. Come on, let's talk about it, girl, let's have a chat about it. But yeah, I mean, I think that it does come down to your values.
Speaker 1:
I think that if you're aligned too with your why, like if it's something that really is coming from you and your heart, that you're more likely to achieve the thing. Like, for example, if you, you know, have a desire whatever to be rich, because you were taught that that's the only way that you were going to be accepted, or that your family needed you to do X, y and Z, and then you kind of create that as, like, you know, this whatever foundation for you going to make the money that you're going to make, it's like it's not totally aligned with you, because maybe your truth is not that you actually need to be rich to be accepted or whatever, but you've kind of morphed that into it. So I think there's a lot of like discovery when you're thinking, okay, yeah, what is my why. Why do I want to weigh X pounds? Why do I want to? You know, why do I want to go to the gym five days a week? You?
Speaker 2:
know why.
Speaker 1:
Is it because I think that I'm supposed to go to the gym five days a week, or I think I'm supposed to weigh 150 pounds to be accepted? Or is it because, you know, I desire to be really strong so that I can, you know, do X, y and Z things in my life?
Speaker 2:
I feel like it's identifying your why and then asking yourself does this why actually aligned with the core values in my life? Because I feel like a lot of I'm. Now I'm just going out on this rabbit hole, but I'm thinking about, like Donald Trump, like sorry to bring him up on this podcast. What is your why? Or like you know, people in like Hollywood or something, like people who want power and control, like those are like evil. It's like an evil frequency or something. You know what I'm saying 100%. Yeah, so interesting A lot of things are playing there.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, like okay, I don't even want to go on that rabbit hole, but anywho, why, why, why, why I?
Speaker 1:
hear what you're saying, though, and it's like why some people you know, like maybe a Donald Trump or a celebrity or whatever, it's like, well, they clearly got their thing, no matter what their why was if it was evil or if it was, you know, but did they, but did they, you know? No we don't actually really know. You know, just because it looks like on the outside that someone has something you know doesn't mean that they are really fulfilling their own inner authentic needs.
Speaker 2:
You know, and I think that's why it's important to obviously be aligned with your, your soul, energy and like being able to shed the shed the trauma, so you can know who you are and know who those, what those core values are, so you can create a why that's going to contribute to that. Like thinking about me, like why, why am I so driven to like have this business and like make money on my own? Is because my why, I guess, is because I want just the sense of freedom in my life, like I don't want to be locked down or like controlled. I want to be like the driver in my own car, of my life and my own destiny, and also I want to help people. I just want a service place is like really, I think, huge too.
Speaker 1:
A hundred percent. I just want to pull up because when I was in the beginning of my life coaching program, like that was the first thing that they have you do is like you're building your brand in your service. It's like we do this thing called brand on a page. But the first thing is, what is your why? Like, what is the purpose that drives you to being a coach? And I wrote well, I wrote on this specific thing, I wanted to pull it up that my why is to help others ignite joy and purpose in their lives so that they can create their dream reality. So that's kind of my thing, that I would put all all over my you know business ladder, let's say.
Speaker 1:
But I also can have otherwise in my life, like why do I care about my you know my health? Or why do I care about working out, or, you know, because it makes me feel the most embodied, the most connected to myself. And I desire to feel that way Because it allows me to they all connect, can connect to each other. It allows me to help others ignite joy and purpose in their lives when I'm at my best, you know. So there's so much like interconnectedness with the wise.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, this is so inspiring to me right now. It's like I want to put this on my wall or something. It's like, almost this is like the next step of like goal setting and like tapping into your dream version of you. It's like, yeah, you have the things, you have your goals, you have your intentions, but what's the why? Because the why is what's gonna get us motivated to do the things like yes, I want to help people See their potential and like live their dream lives, but am I remembering that when I want to host a workshop, a free workshop, online, or I want to, you know, host a workshop in person, and that fear is coming up?
Speaker 2:
Returning to that why like? No, I'm doing this because I want to help people and Not allowing like the fears in the moment to like override the why. I think is really important because that the fears will stop Us from doing the why, like in so many different things, whether that is like food, okay, I want to be healthy and like feel like the most healthy I've ever felt in my life, because that makes me feel calm, that makes me feel peaceful, it makes me feel confident as I get this food that's approaching, you know, like unhealthy meal. Returning back to that why, and Not like leaning into the stress or the anxiety that's gonna make me go down that route. So I think that constant reminder is so important, but we don't think about that when we're in the moment, you know.
Speaker 1:
No, because I feel like that's not really I don't know. It's like why is this not taught to us at like five, six, seven years old? You know, like even as young kids of like why, so you can start to understand why do you do the things that you do? Like this, to me, is just intentional living, which is not really a thing in our society, like it's not talked about that way. It's most people just live, you know, flying by the seat of their pants, just living in their subconscious minds, repeating the same patterns that they've been doing for years.
Speaker 1:
But it's like isn't it more intentional to say, okay, yeah, why am I doing these things? Why do I want this? Why do I want to create my own business so that you know I can help other people Live their dream life? Like where does that come from in me? Right, like you can even go deeper, like you can have yours. Whatever statement of a why, but like even go deeper than that. If I'm talking About my statement of helping others, it's like where does that even come from? Why do I want to help other people? What? Yeah, where did that even originate in me?
Speaker 1:
You know I want to help other people because I know what it like, what it feels like, to not be helped and To be helped, and I see how much strength that I've gotten from being helped by other people in my life and I want to be a support system for other people because maybe there are times in my life that I didn't feel like I had a support system. So like how can you keep, you know, like damn, that's emotion. And then thinking about what emotions even come up with that, okay, it makes me feel, you know, whatever way, you know it's gonna depend on the person, but like, really digging into, digging into that, you know, I feel like certainly so many people have health goals us included, it, you know, at the beginning of the year, that's another really, really good one to like Dive deep into the why on.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1:
What's funny. You can laugh. Bring some, bring some, bring some laughter, bring some fun. Bring some joy to the moment. That's okay.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
I feel like, if you are starting this year with all of these goals and You're thinking, okay, I want to do this long list of things, I want to achieve this, I want to have this, I want to make this much money, I want to have this Car, this house, this, whatever, I want to weigh a certain weight.
Speaker 1:
I want to meet the person, start sitting down over the next few weeks week and really reflecting on what is the reason that I want these things, because I feel like what we've been talking about about becoming an energetic match for the things that you want connects a lot with this too. If you don't even know why you want it, how are you gonna be an energetic match with it? You know, like, how can you ever like, okay, if I want to, you know, have my dream body, because my why is that? I want to be able to go through life with energy, with ease, feel comfortable with myself, and you know, whatever. I can continue on, but I'll cut it there. Like, how am I infusing that? You know like I'm infusing those things together the goal, the why, the steps that I'm taking to get there.
Speaker 2:
Okay, I have a question, though. Let's get into this Is the why powerful enough to make someone do the thing? How can we make the why so powerful that you're gonna see that why and then do it Right, because it's like, okay, we have our why. If we're clear on our why, we go deep on the why and understand why we're doing the thing in the first place. Maybe, if it's not motivating you enough to do the thing, maybe it's a shifting of the why. But if you are finding that that why is motivating you to do the thing that you said that you were gonna do, it's aligned. You know what I'm saying? Like, is the why powerful enough?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I think maybe it's not aligned too and maybe or maybe it's not meant for you at this time. You know, like, if you're trying to, I don't know I do feel, like, if we are trying to force ourselves to do something too much, like it's not aligned. You know, like, if you have been, you know, dreaming, let's say, of I don't know, I'm just going to starting a business in my mind, but like maybe you've been dreaming of starting a business for years and you've never been able to, like you have this idea of it but you're not able to take the jump off. Like you're just not taking steps and you set goals for yourself and like you're never able to get there, maybe that business is not aligned for you. Yes, you could also be not able to step out of your comfort zone and not able whatever, but like I don't know if everything, if it's not working, there's a reason it's not working. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, and I think that's for the individual to determine, because what's coming up there is like it could be a lot of fear, like yeah, or do you have it's like fear? I feel like there's just two emotions in life it's like fear or love. So when you have your, why you're not doing it? Going to the matrix of like am I not doing it because of fear or am I not doing it because of love? And I feel like love would be like okay, it's just not aligned, like that would be cool, like you know, to start a business, but it's just not feeling like something that's exciting, like there's something else out there for me, or is it fear that's preventing you from actually doing that thing? Cause I feel like fear just blocks so many people. You know fear of going back to the food conversation, fear of being skinny and like what that brings you know yeah.
Speaker 2:
In my life or yeah, that was the example that was coming up for me like was with dating and like where was it feeling aligned, like? I felt like, you know, I was just like on the apps trying to find the dates. Like it almost my why I wasn't returning to my, why it was more like let me just get a date and like see people who I can go out on dates with and like make a connection. It felt so like forced and I feel like when I let go of that, it kind of like naturally came in. You know.
Speaker 1:
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, dating is a great point, because then you get like caught up and kind of like, okay, yeah, now it's a numbers game. I need to like see more people. I need someone, I need to yeah, okay, I'm seeing other people. I need to now get in a relationship. I'm behind all these things and it's like you're just totally losing sight of, like why you even want the relationship.
Speaker 2:
You're looking to external validation, you're looking to insecurities you know, like that fear, yeah, oh, I'm like I'm alone, I'm not going to find someone, so let me go on more dates, rather than being coming from that energy bank, being in the energetic alignment with your dream partner, your highest version of yourself, like, okay, no, I'm intentionally using the apps Like I'm, you know, calling in what I want. I'm only bringing in people who I feel are at that level that I desire. Like, intentionality is just everything.
Speaker 1:
I'm like 100%, it totally is. It totally is, and that's what the Y lets you do. Live your life with more intention. Live your life as the creator, as the person in the passenger seat. You're saying I'm setting out to do this because of X, y and Z. This is the way that it's going to make me feel. I desire to feel this way, I desire to have these things because of this. And, yeah, it just feels like, I don't know, there's just more of, there's just a shift there, versus like it's more of an attracting than a chasing too of you know, okay, I'm desiring this, and now it's going to come into my field.
Speaker 2:
Yes, I love it. I love it so much. So guys, go out there, relook at the goals you set for 2024, check out your vision board and go and work through them and say, like, what is your Y for everything? Get clear on why your Y is even your Y. You got it.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, go deep.
Speaker 2:
Make sure that they are aligned with your core values as a human in your life and always return to the Y. When you're struggling, when you're experiencing something that's difficult, remember your Y, remember who you are and why you're doing. All the things that you're doing in your life and go after it. Go get it.
Speaker 1:
Go get it. We love you. Thank you for listening. Leave us a review if you enjoyed this episode, and we'll be back with you soon.