Exercise: Finding Your Why
In Simon Sinek’s book ‘Start with Why’, he introduces ‘The Golden Circle’ - a model for how to approach purpose in work. Purpose, Sinek argues, should be at the center of what you do - figure out your ‘Why’ first, then the ‘How’ and ‘What’ will follow.
Sinek means for his model to be used mainly with organizations trying to find their purpose, but I found it useful on an individual level too.
Instead of looking at the ‘what’ I’m doing, it’s helpful to get really clear on the ‘why’ first.
At its broadest, this question asks: Why am I working? What do I want to accomplish during my work life?
This is a really hard question to answer. But spending some time to think through your ‘why’ can help clarify what you are working towards.
I have spent a lot of time on this question. And after a lot of reflection, I have defined my own North Star to be:
To help marginalized populations feel seen, heard and valued
To inspire people to do the things that inspire them.
That second one I just added on recently - my North Star can evolve as I evolve.
I can use this North Start statement as a filter through which I evaluate new opportunities, to understand if those opportunities advance this purpose or not. Using this, I can make sure I am focused on the ‘why’ instead of the ‘what.’
Exercise:
A helpful way to approach this question for yourself is to look backwards. Chances are, you’ve been unconsciously pursuing your purpose without articulating it. Look back at the jobs you’ve had and the extracurricular activities you’ve pursued. What are some common themes that link them together? Remember, look at the ‘why’ behind them, not the ‘what’.
Building community?
Creating something new?
Refining and perfecting a talent?
Leading a group of people towards a purpose?
Once you identify some themes, you can start thinking about how they impact your bigger ‘why’ - why you do the work you do. Then you can try those out in a North Star statement of your own (It doesn’t have to be pretty - just clear to you.)
Sit with that statement for a few weeks. Does it help you make decisions on what opportunities you want to pursue? Do you need to tweak it a bit to reflect where you want to go?
A North Star statement, even just a work-in-progress, can serve as an invaluable filter when making a decision on what to pursue next.