All Those Goals
It’s April, which means we are done with the first season of 2019 and on to the next. All those goals we had January 1, while some of us have committed to them, others have already either amended them or just stopped working on them all together. Why is that? Why do we all go into the New Year determined and by April that dedication has dwindled? It’s because we rely and focus on willpower. We believe we can accomplish this dream because of our sheer desire to do it. Willpower, while on paper sounds like more than enough, varies greatly. When all the stars align, Mercury isn’t in retrograde, and you got the perfect amount of sleep sure your willpower might be high. However, the stars aren’t synchronized swimmers, Mercury does what it wants, and sleep? Yeah, old timers say you get enough of that when you’re dead.
So, how do we commit to our goals, live out life as the best versions of ourselves, and stop giving up? Adjust your lens from your willpower to your “why” power. Your why power is your rationale, your heart, and your reason for what you’re dreaming. Why do you want to eat healthier, learn a new language, get better grades, or be the mom your kids deserve? You can think of it this way. Your willpower will get you through a 100 meter race, but your whypower will help you finish the marathon.
Your Why Power
Harnessing your why power is actually quite simple. In all situations in life, ask yourself why you are making this decision. If tempted to get the cake instead of the salad, ask yourself why you are choosing the salad. It might be because your doctor told you that you’re pre-diabetic, or because you want to look good in a swimsuit this summer, or because you want to live long enough to see your great-grandkids born someday. Regardless of your “why” let that be the focus in every choice you make during the day. Why am I choosing to walk on my break? Why am I choosing to wake up an hour earlier? You’re fully capable of doing anything you desire. Think of all that you have been through until this moment. You have conquered incredible feats and slayed countless dragons in your way. Trust me you can accomplish anything. When we give up on our dreams and goals, it’s not because we don’t have the time. It’s because our “why” isn’t big enough. You have the time, what you lack is the why. Wake up earlier, and yes that means go to bed earlier instead of scrolling through Facebook until 2am. Schedule it. Whatever your goal is if it’s not on your calendar it won’t get done, so put it on there. Just like you wouldn’t break a promise to your boss or best friend, don’t break promises to yourself. If your calendar says go to the gym, go to the gym. When you’re struggling to follow through, take a few moments and remind yourself of your why.
Remember the saying “April Showers brings May Flowers.” That’s the season of life we are in today. As we enter April, harness your why power into nourishing the life you want a month, year or decade from now. There are going to be showers. There are going to be days that just drain you and you don’t feel like going to the gym, writing the chapter, cooking the meal, or attending the meeting. Don’t let your willpower limit your abilities. Unleash your why and watch those flowers start to bloom.
This is so good
I absolutely LOVE your concept of WHY power! I will add it to my collection … as sometimes I have to call upon my WONT power when my WILL power runs me off course. And I find that when my will power takes the wrong turn, it’s usually because I’ve been neglecting my own needs. Either I haven’t been getting enough sleep or eating right or scheduling any me time, then it seems my will power searches for a short cut or a quick fix which really isn’t in my best interests. It is that piece of cake instead of that salad, which is a temporary fix in the wrong direction from my goals I was trying to obtain. So I from now on I will use my won’t power and my why power when my will power goes sideways. Thanks for your post Cassandra!
Outstanding message. Your are blessed with you writing skills. Love it!
Wow, and another blog is born. I’ve been working on negative vs. Positive and your why power fits in perfect. Why should we be positive instead of negative. Do we have the power to be positive are we strong enough to be positive when there is so much negative around us. We have the why power to be positive to show others positivity to say to others you can make it and this is why. Thank you for that blog really meant a lot.
Love it. I really need to employ Whypower in my life. I needed this today, thank you!
Dang this is amazing. ‘Why’ is such a big part of everyday life! Just got to keep pushing forward for those “why’s”!
Yes!!! This is so great! “Your willpower will get you through a 100 meter race, but your whypower will help you finish the marathon.” This is definitely something I’m going to keep in mind. Great post!
Great job Cassandra! This is an important practice for all of us!