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If you’re reading this article you’re liking searching for a method to find your why – the “why” that will drive you through the ups + downs of building a brand & business online.
Your why is the force that will keep you moving forward despite frustrations, failures, setbacks, busy seasons, life changes, etc.
Knowing your “why” makes it so much easier to focus on the tasks that will advance you toward that purpose, and to say “no” to things that won’t.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “your why should make you cry”?
I had too, and honestly thought that was pretty darn cheesy…
Until I found myself literally crying the other day over the discovery of my TRUE why. I thought I knew what it was but, WOW, I didn’t “get it” until using the method I’ll describe below.
Which is why I’m so excited to write this article & share the strategy I came across to help YOU drill down and find your emotion-driven why.
So, SOP, I was listening to personal development via my AirPods this week. Specifically, Millionaire Success Habits, by Dean Graziosi who described a method he himself went through with his coach (and now guides his readers & clients through as well) called 7 Levels Deep.
This method guides you through a series of 7 questions – basically probing deeper and deeper into your “WHY” for answering the way you do, until you get to your core emotional motivations to find your why.
Dean says that he doesn’t know exactly why 7 questions does the trick, but that it’s never failed to be the magic number.
And I’m telling you, it certainly worked for me!
In this live video replay from my free Facebook Community (Elevate Academy for Brand-Building Marketers & Mompreneurs), I shared how I went from answering “To be more financially secure as a single mom,” to the question of “What is important to you about becoming successful?” to uncovering that my big why is actually, well…
It went like this:
OVERALL QUESTION: Why is it important to you to achieve your goals & prosper?
Q1: What is important to you about becoming successful?
A1: To be more financially secure as a single mom.
Q2: Why is it important for you to be more financially secure?
A2: So I don’t have to ever rely on any person but myself (here I’m thinking “well that can’t be it. C’mon girl.”)
Q3: Well, why is it so important for you to be self-reliant?
A3: I want to be able to control keeping my daughter and I emotionally safe and healthy.
Q4: Why is it a priority for you to be emotionally safe and healthy?
A4: I lost myself at a point, and I never want that to happen again. To feel that way again. (here I’m thinking “but what does this have to do with motivation to build a business and prosper???”)
Q5: Why is it so important for you to be your true self?
A5: I want my daughter to be able to be HER true self and to grow up with me at my healthiest and most whole.
Q6: Specifically, why is it important for you to be a healthy example to your daughter?
A6: It’s a huge responsibility to be her example of living WHOLE/true, and the impact of that (positive or negative) echoes for generations. I want her to live FREE, and to model the same.
Q7: Why is it important for you to be free to be yourself?
WHOAH, all of a sudden my subconscious just let it all hang out – the emotional reason for why I do what I do. Despite setbacks, discouragement, dips, and even loss…
A7:”Happiness.”
I wrote the word immediately in answer to that question and it floored me. At first I felt guilty, but then I felt a massive breakthrough and weight lifted.
Happiness…
Further, it flowed – to never allow myself to be in a position where pursuing happiness is not allowed or encouraged. In a workplace, in a church, in a relationship.
Even if that means doing things differently, experiencing rejection, or loss of esteem by those with limited perspective. My happiness is important to me. I haven’t been able to say that without shame or consequence for a VERY long time.
The work I do makes me happy. Always has. I remember working 60-70 hours a week as a Special Education Program Admin, and feeling giddy over pressing “publish” and engaging with/encouraging other mamas on Instagram in my “spare” time. It was a creative and emotional outlet when I didn’t make any money from it. And it still is, solely supporting myself on the income this brand now generates.
Happiness. Finally being loyal to myself over any other human has led me to happiness. But beyond my own emotional well-being, knowing for SURE that me allowing, promoting, seeking, setting myself up for, and experiencing happiness has me serving others at increasingly higher levels and being unstoppable in my purpose.
THIS is the example I want to set for my DAUGHTER and those in my sphere of influence. Seeking happiness doesn’t make you selfish. Feeling like you aren’t deserving + worthy of, or right for pursuing happiness in your life is limiting to ALL.
But enough about my why.
Time to find YOURS.
I challenge you to really dig deep, be brutally transparent + honest with yourself, and find your underlying why. The one that will make you unstoppable despite odds or obstacles.
You can use the 7 Levels Deep Method to answer “why” for pretty much any question, but for this exercise I used “Why is it important to you t0 achieve your goals & prosper?”
The worksheets below can be used as a helpful tool in working with a partner or to guide yourself through this 7 Levels Deep method. I would love to know what YOUR true why is, and I hope that it brings new awareness, motivation, and purpose to growing your brand + business online.
SNAG YOUR FREE 7 LEVELS DEEP WORKSHEETS BY CLICKING THE IMAGE BELOW:
Cheers to your impact,
Ashley
