It’s never too late... Are you living or are you existing? Is your work fulfilling or are you just filling in the moments? Have you ever stopped to think about WHY you do what you do? I mean really stopped to see just what is possible when you Focus on WHY. Have you? One night, almost five years ago, it struck me that my husband, Jon, and I had both been filling in the moments, juggling a busy family life with stressful, unfulfilling work. For years we’d drifted off course from our original vision. Regularly getting home late from work, physically, mentally, emotionally drained, we were missing out on precious time with the children. Time we’d never get back. However, this night something was different. If you could have been there, you would have sensed something had shifted. You would have seen what I finally saw, the lifeless shadow of a man, lost in a thick fog, at the point of burnout. This was not my husband. This wasn’t a case of hoping things would get better on their own. I took control, took responsibility and switched off autopilot. It was time to stop existing and start living. It was time to Focus on WHY. I resigned from my job giving myself three years to find a solution to this problem hoping that this timeframe would not be too late. I spent thousands of hours reading business and personal development books, researching articles, attending courses, seminars, webinars and networking events. With sheer determination, passion, purpose and a plan, I started to build a business that would enable Jon to step away from his stressful, unfulfilling job that was taking its toll on his health and wellbeing. When you know who you can help and what impact you can have, you place people at the heart of your decisions and you create purposeful, fulfilling work which solves personal, professional, even global problems. For me, it was personal! WHY is the foundation for everything. Building your business around it so your WHY becomes its constant heartbeat. Who you are and what you do and WHY you do it matters. The way you live your life and run your business is as a result of your everyday choices. Are you making the right choices, making the right decisions? Are you even asking the right questions? WHY is the most enlightening of all questions. So, after those three years of phone calls, paperwork and persistence, what happened on my goal date of 30th September 2019? Not much, however three days later Jon exited his job. Yes, the plan had worked. I had made it happen and hey, what’s three days over three years? It’s never too late to be who you might have been! If you’re wondering how Jon is doing now, ask him, but give him a couple of hours as he’s probably on the 10th tee about now! This month, Jon and I celebrate 26 years together and in June it will be our 20th wedding anniversary! How time flies. Make the most of your time. Carpe diem! Last April, I launched the podcast, Focus on WHY. This time I knew I could help more people. This time it wasn’t a personal problem I wanted to solve, it was a global one. To help unfulfilled people to find fulfilment. Believing that anything is possible and it’s never too late, one year on, 161 episodes later, thousands of positive ripple effects have been made. Understanding WHY people do WHAT they do fascinates me. Guest after guest on my Focus on WHY podcast, each share their purpose, and like me, many were forced into building a business because of their WHY. How about you? Whether it’s business or personal, your WHY is unique, however, when you align your values with those of others, you share the vision and you share responsibility! Sounds simple but do you Focus on WHY? So, what’s the key lesson here? Let me save you 10,000 hours by answering that question! You don’t work, simply to work. You work to fulfil your needs and your values. Align your work with your values to become valued for your work, and it’s staggering, just what is possible individually and collectively, when you Focus on WHY. It’s time to stop filling in the moments. One day or some day will never come. You have to live today! So, what are you waiting for? Stop existing! Start living! Have a Purpose. Have a Plan. Focus on WHY!
ACTION POINT What is it you truly want to be, do or have?
Spend some time to reflect on this question and Focus on WHY!
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