How to stay motivated by finding your WHY

Perhaps one of the most important things that you can do on this journey is to figure exactly WHY you are wanting to change.

In the Sleekgeek Coaching Program, helping our clients find their why is one of the first things that we do with them.

At first, they give us answers like:

• “I want to lose 10kgs.”

• “I want to run 5km without being out of breath.”

• “I want to look good on the beach.”

• “I want to fit into smaller size clothes.”

Those are all great ways to get started!

Imaging yourself thinner, fitter, better looking, and more comfortable in your clothes can easily give you a big boost in motivation!

In the short term…

But what about when life gets “messy”?

You know, when work is stressing you out, you’re sleep deprived, finances are tight, emotions are all over the place, and willpower is at an all-time-low?

It’s times like that where “wanting it” is just not enough.

What’s really at stake?

I’d like to take you through the EXACT exercise that we do with our Sleekgeek Coaching Program clients to help them figure out exactly what is at stake.

It’s called the “5 Whys?” and is a system originally pioneered by the Toyota Motor Corporation.

If you’re getting flashbacks of your 3-year-old son or niece asking you “Why?” all the time, don’t worry, this is not like that.

OK, actually it kind of is like that… But turns out it’s a really really good way to learn more about stuff (especially yourself).

It’s very simple and really cuts to the core of why we want or do something.

When you want to accomplish a goal, you ask yourself “Why?”.

Then, with whatever answer you come up with, you ask yourself “Why?” to that answer. So on until you’ve asked yourself “Why?” 5 times.

I think you’ll be surprised with what you find…

The “5 Whys?” Exercise:

Here’s an example of the “5 Whys?” exercise in action from a coaching client.

She said that she wanted to lose weight, so we asked her “Why?” 5 times:

WHY #1) Why do you want to lose weight?

• “Because I want to fit into a smaller size of pants.”

WHY #2) Why is that important to you?

• “Because when I’m wearing smaller pants, I think I’ll look better.”

WHY #3) And why is that important?

• “Because when I look good, I feel good about myself.”

WHY #4) And why will that make a difference?

• “Because when I feel good about myself, I’m more assertive and confident.”

WHY #5) And why will that matter?

• “Because when I’m more assertive and confident, I’m in control and better able to get what I want out of life.”

WOW! As you can see, that’s a LOT of insight for a few little questions.

For this client, wanting a smaller size of pants really meant being in charge of her life and living it to the fullest.

That’s how you stay motivated!

For that client above, if she quits on her goals, she doesn’t just lose out on the smaller pants size…

She loses out on being more confident, more assertive, more in control, and better able to get what she wants out of life!

When you have a much deeper and more significant reason behind why you are doing something, it’s so much easier to push through when times get tough.

If you can find a way to remind yourself of your 5th “Why?” every single day, then it will help you stay motivated on the bad days and get even better results on the good days.

Set a reminder on your phone, stick a post-it note on your mirror, put a picture that signifies your end-goal on your fridge. Do whatever you have to do to keep this top-of-mind.

So…

I wonder what YOU have really been quitting on every time you have given up in the past?

All those people wanting to be thinner, fitter, better looking, and more comfortable in their clothes ACTUALLY wanted to:

• Be thinner, so that they could feel more respected and loved.

• Be fitter, so that they could live long enough and be well enough to play with their grandchildren.

• Be better looking so that they could have a better relationship with their husband.

• Be more comfortable in their clothes so that they could have a successful and fulfilling career.

What you do with this knowledge and insight is up to you.

Some of our Sleekgeek Coaching Program clients choose to quit the program because they realise that they don’t actually need to be thinner, fitter, better looking or more comfortable in order to achieve their 5th “Why?”

But 99% of them get even more excited about what else we have to teach them and how we help them step-by-step to achieve their goals.