What is Your Why? (5 Real Examples to Help You Find Yours) (2023)

My personal "Why" statement in life is to be worth everything that has been given to me, and to have as much of a positive influence on the world as possible. But what is a "Why" statement? How can you find your own "Why" in life?

You need to find and define your own personal "Why" in life. Every single person has a deep motivation that fuels their life in the grand scheme of things. If you keep questioning why you do the things you do, you will eventually find your own personal "Why" in life.

This article shows you how you can find your personal "Why". I've included actionable tips and different examples of others. After finishing this article, you will know exactly how to find your "Why".

Contents

  • What is a "Why" in life?
  • Finding your "Why" in life
  • Examples of corporate "Why" statements
  • Why it's important to find your personal "Why"
  • Defining your own personal "Why" in life
  • Examples of personal "Why" statements in life
    • "My why is to share the power of therapeutic humor with others."
    • "My why is to help people be more connected in their life, career, and business."
    • "To push myself to be the best version of myself so that I know my mom is smiling down on me."
    • "To leave the world better than I found it and be remembered by the people whose lives I touched as a force for good in their lives."
  • What is my personal "why" in life?
  • Wrapping up

What is a "Why" in life?

What is your "Why" in life?

This question is very common but makes you think about what you truly want out of life. How do you find out what your "Why" in life is? By asking as many questions as possible:

  • Why do I do this?
  • Why do I value this over that?
  • Why am I not happy when X happens?
  • Why am I stressed now?

If you keep asking these questions, it's likely that you'll eventually end up with the same answer. That answer is almost always your "Why" in life. That's the reason that makes you go forward in life.

The reason why you're unhappy now is that your situation doesn't align with your "Why".

Common answers to these "Why" questions are usually a variation or combination of the following:

  • Providing for my family.
  • Success.
  • To leave a legacy.
  • Feeling loved.
  • Having a positive impact on the lives of others.
  • Fortune.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking: “I want everything you just said!” And without giving more thought to this question, you might plan out your life to be a successful and rich person with a huge positive impact on the world.

Because that sounds like a good reason to be alive, right?

💡 By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, we've condensed the information of 100's of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here. 👇

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Finding your "Why" in life

So how do you find your "Why" in life? Here's how you don't find it:

  • By sitting in a chair by the window, waiting for someone to tell you what your "Why" should be.
  • By having a "eureka!" moment.
  • By copying someone else's "Why" in life.

No. In order to find your personal "Why" in life, you really have to take a shovel and dig deep down in your conscious mind. How do you start digging? By asking yourself the questions that I've listed above.

Here's an example:

A: Why am I so stressed all the time?

Q: Because my work makes me stressed.

Q: Why do I work every day from 7:00 to 16:00?

A: Because I need money in order to do the things that I value most.

What do these answers show me? That my "career" has absolutely nothing to do with my "Why" in life. I only work because the money allows me to do the things that I value more. Let's continue.

Q: What do I value most?

A: To live a happy life and to be surrounded by people who I can have positive interactions with.

Okay, so this already becomes more existential, right? Your "Why" in life is usually not connected to a single factor in your life (like a career, a hobby, or a single good cause). It usually is bigger than that.

💡 By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, we've condensed the information of 100's of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here. 👇

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Let's go on.

Q: Why do I want to have a positive influence on the world?

A: Because I've been given an opportunity in life that not a lot of other people have gotten (good upbringing, basic needs, family, health, education). I don't just want to take these for granted. I want to use this opportunity to give back to the world.

A-ha. There we are. This is a "Why" statement that I can personally be happy with. With just 3 questions, I've dug down to the bottom of my "Why", which shows me what drives me to do the things I do in life.

Examples of corporate "Why" statements

The "Why" statement has become quite popular ever since the book Start With Why by Simon Sinek became a global best-seller.

This book covers the importance of "Why" statements in the corporate world, and how leaders can inspire more people to do the same by starting with the question "why?"

What this basically comes down to is that everything you do - whether you're a business or a person - should have the same fundamental reason. So if somebody started to question your actions (why do you do that? why this? why that?), eventually, you'd ideally circle back to your main "Why" statement.

Since "Why" statements are very common in businesses already, I've decided to include a couple of well-known examples here. Personal "Why" statements are still less common, but by reading these examples, you might get inspired to reconsider your own versions!

  • We aim to challenge the status quo. We aim to think differently. - Apple
  • To connect millions of people in real life all over the world, through a community marketplace– so that you can belong anywhere. -Airbnb
  • To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. -Microsoft
  • To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. -Google

Why it's important to find your personal "Why"

A "Why" statement is often used in the corporate world, but why is it also important to determine your own "why" statement?

Because you're more likely to be happier when you live a life that's aligned with your purpose in life. We've written an entire article about this topic here.

We've studied this topic in a large-scale survey recently, and found that 34% of people associate their purpose in life with their happiness.

What is Your Why? (5 Real Examples to Help You Find Yours) (5)

Another interesting study followed 136,000 people for about 7 years and came to the revealing conclusion:

The analysis showed a lower risk of death for participants with a high sense of purpose in life. After adjusting for other factors, mortality was about one-fifth lower for participants reporting a strong sense of purpose.

Purpose in Life and Its Relationship to All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Events: A Meta-Analysis

So it's clear that finding your "Why" in life is important and beneficial for your happiness. But how do you find yours?

Defining your own personal "Why" in life

You can't go around and copy & paste somebody else's "Why" statement and expect to be happy by doing the same things.

No, you have to define your own personal "Why" in life.

Just as much ashappiness is something that's unique for every single person, the "Why" differs from person to person.

Richard Branson's "Why" in life might be "to have fun in my journey through life and learn from my mistakes", while your own personal "Why" can be to just provide the best life to your family and children.

Copying and pasting the "Why" of somebody that you respect and look up to will probably leave you unhappy and unfulfilled. For example, I think Richard Branson is doing spectacular things, but I wouldn't be happy if I were in his shoes. My own "Why" is wildly different from his!

I have defined my own purpose in life, and I advise you to do the same!

Examples of personal "Why" statements in life

Even though you have to define your own "Why" statement in life, it's still interesting to read about other people's statements. That's why I've asked around to include examples of personal "Why" statements in this article.

I don't want you to copy and paste these "Why" statements and make them your own. I only want to show you how diversified these statements can be!

Here are actual examples of personal "Why" statements of the people I asked!

This personal "Why" statement comes from David Jacobson, who is the president of Humor Horizons. I think this is a great example of how simple a personal "Why" statement in life can be.

My why is to share the power of therapeutic humor with others. Humor has been life transforming for me. It has enabled me to cope with chronic pain and severe arthritis. I have been able to do a 50-miles unicyle ride as a fund raiser which I partially attribute my sense of humor to helping me complete. I wrote a book on the humor habits that I use to help me cope and I am now beginning a research project to use positive depression tests rather than negative (how happy are you vs how sad, etc). My sense of humor is my source of happiness!

"My why is to help people be more connected in their life, career, and business."

This "Why" statement comes from Beth Bridges and shows how a life event can solidify your purpose in life. Beth is an author and specializes in the power of networking. She also runs The Networking Motivator, which is a website about sharing networking strategies with others.

Here's how she defines her "Why" in life.

My why is to help people be more connected in their life, career, and business. A year and a half ago, my husband of 17 years had a massive heart attack and was gone in minutes. What saved my sanity? The friends and business connections who gladly helped me with things small and large. Without that community, I would have been lost in despair and sadness. Now, I want to make sure that everyone has the tools and knowledge to build their own community so that they can survive whatever life throws at them.

"To push myself to be the best version of myself so that I know my mom is smiling down on me."

This personal "Why" statement comes from Colby West, who shares a very touching story on how a life event can influence your "Why". I think this is a great example of how you can be driven to make the most of yourself by defining a fundamental reason, a.k.a. your "Why".

I lost my mom to alcohol abuse on the 14th of March 2017, which I didn’t know the degree of until it was too late. It took me about 2 years to realize that I needed to make a change in my life in order to become the person I know she would want me to be. Almost 4 months ago, I decided to work smarter AND harder and “spread my wings” a bit. I quit drinking alcohol, committed to health and wellness so much that I got my body fat % down to about 5%, all while adding 3 (soon to be 4) income streams to my life. Though I’m nowhere near finished, and will likely never be satisfied, I will continue to push myself to be the best version of myself so that I know my momma is smiling down on me, 100%.

"To leave the world better than I found it and be remembered by the people whose lives I touched as a force for good in their lives."

This one comes from Paige, which I find a really inspiring example. "To leave the world better than I found it" is such a simple but powerful purpose. Paige started a global branding and marketing firm - called Mavens & Moguls - 18 years ago. She's been happily married for 27 years, has a close circle of friends, nieces, nephews, and god kids.

She says:

Quite simply I want to leave the world better than I found it and be remembered by the people whose lives I touched as a force for good in their lives.

I lost 7 people very close to me in 6 years and know first hand no one on their deathbed wishes they worked more, made more money or won more awards. They just want to be with the ones they love most and to tell them they mattered. I think of those people often and the roles they played in my life. I want to be remembered for passing along the very best in me to others so their lives are better and happier in some way because I was part of it.

I hope these examples of personal "Why" statements inspire you to reconsider your own. What is the fundamental driving force in your life?

Here's my personal answer.

What is my personal "why" in life?

Here's a short version of my personal "Why" statement:

"To be worth it."

In order to explain what this means, I have to go back in time. Actually, I have to delve through my happiness journals.

On the 17th of July, 2014, I wrote a journal entry that eventually went off-topic into a rant about how lucky I was. This is what I wrote down:

"Seriously, I've been extremely lucky in my life so far. I have great parents and financial security. As a result, I've gotten a solid education, friends, safety, hobbies and I can easily get around. More importantly, I've not had any major setbacks in life so far.

That leads me to think: Am I worth it? Do I actually deserve all these things? More importantly, how can I make sure that I actually deserve everything that I've been lucky enough to have so far?

Simply appreciating what I have is definitely NOT enough. No way. I want to give back to my parents and to make them happy. I want to help other people as much as I've been helped in the past. And most importantly, I want to have a positive influence on the world.

Come to think of it, I need to be the best version of myself I can. I need to reach my full potential.

But what is my potential? I think I can potentially do a lot of good things in my life. I'm smart, physically fit and mentally healthy (I think). But why? Because I've been so lucky in the past already. My luck has given me so many potential opportunities, and if I want to be "worth it", I need to make sure that I don't let these opportunities go to waste. There are people with fewer opportunities (aka less luck) that still manage to have an amazing influence on the world by reaching their full potential. I need to do the same. I need to be worth it.

How?

  • By giving my "luck" to others as much as I can.
  • By "paying it forward".
  • By not letting my opportunities go to waste.
  • By appreciating everything that I have and not just taking it for granted.
  • By being the best person I can.

I don't believe in karma, but if I did, it basically comes down to accumulating as much positive karma as possible. That's how I can be worth it."

Even though I wrote this years ago, this is still exactly how I feel about my life. At the time, I didn't worry about my wording. Instead, I just wrote whatever thoughts raced through my mind.

But now, after giving it some more time, I have redefined my personal "Why" in life like this:

To be worth everything that has been given to me, and to have as much of a positive influence on the world as possible.

💡 By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, we've condensed the information of 100's of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here. 👇

What is Your Why? (5 Real Examples to Help You Find Yours) (7)

Download Our FREE Mental Self-Care Cheat Sheet!

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 instant tips for your mental health.

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Wrapping up

There you have it. There are many different reasons to do the things you do in life, but they generally follow the same fundamental driving force. If somebody started to question your actions (why do you do that? why this? why that?), eventually, you'd have to be able to circle back to your main "Why" statement. If you've made it all the way down this article, I hope you know how to define your own personal "Why" statement.

I'd love to hear from you now! What is your "Why" in life? What makes you do the things you do on a daily basis when you really think about it? Let's share more examples in the comments below!

What is Your Why? (5 Real Examples to Help You Find Yours) (8)

Hugo Huijer Founder of Tracking Happiness

Founder of Tracking Happiness and lives in the Netherlands. Ran 5 marathons, with one of them in under 4 hours (3:59:58 to be exact). Data junkie and happiness tracker for over 7 years.

FAQs

What are examples of your Why? ›

"My why is to help people be more connected in their life, career, and business." "To push myself to be the best version of myself so that I know my mom is smiling down on me." "To leave the world better than I found it and be remembered by the people whose lives I touched as a force for good in their lives."

What is my personal why statement? ›

What are personal why statements? A personal why statement is a clear, concise statement that includes your core values, main priorities and who you are working for. It narrows your focus, allowing you to spend your time and energy where it matters most.

How do you discover your why? ›

How to find purpose in life
  1. Search inward. ...
  2. Put purpose before goals. ...
  3. Focus on what you have. ...
  4. Take ownership of your life. ...
  5. Think about what brings you joy. ...
  6. Develop your own life vision statement. ...
  7. Discover your true needs. ...
  8. Write out your story.

What is my big Why? ›

A Big Why is a reason for doing something that drives you forward despite the opposition, challenges and struggles. It's more than just a reason, though. It's something you connect with on an emotional level that DRIVES you when the going gets tough. You can think of it as your “purpose” or “mission”.

What's a why statement? ›

A Why Statement is a sentence that clearly expresses the team's distinctive contribution and impact. For anyone who is interested in learning more about the concept of a Why Statement, we got the idea from Simon Sinek, who has an interesting Ted Talk on the subject.

How do you start a personal statement about yourself example? ›

Start with why you chose it, then try and summarise this in one or two sentences. Be original and refer to personal experiences as a way to draw attention. Avoid overused opening sentences, quotes and clichés like 'when I was young…' They want to know about you now, not your childhood or Shakespeare!

How can I describe myself in a personal statement? ›

Example Personal Statement:

I am a talented, ambitious and hardworking individual, with broad skills and experience in digital and printed marketing, social media and leading projects. Furthermore, I am adept at handling multiple tasks on a daily basis competently and at working well under pressure.

What is an example of a personal purpose statement? ›

Examples of powerful personal purpose statements include: I serve others as a leader, live a balanced life, and apply ethical principles to make a significant difference in the world.

What are the 5 tips for writing a specific purpose statement? ›

5 Tips for Writing a Purpose Statement
  • Be purposeful. As obvious as this sounds, know what you want to accomplish. ...
  • Be direct. The idea here is to be create a “target” — both for yourself and your readers. ...
  • Be concise. Reduce your wording to what matters. ...
  • Be passionate. ...
  • Be assertive.

How do you start a statement example? ›

Try to avoid cliches and the most obvious opening sentences so you stand out from the very first line.
  1. From a young age…
  2. For as long as I can remember…
  3. I am applying for this course because…
  4. I have always been interested in…
  5. Throughout my life I have always enjoyed…

What do I want to be known for examples? ›

12 things we should all strive to become famous for:
  • Kindness. I have a good friend that I once introduced to a neighbor. ...
  • Generosity. Many are drawn to riches, but few are drawn to generosity. ...
  • Perseverance. At some point, everybody gets knocked down by life. ...
  • Faithfulness. ...
  • Empathy. ...
  • Intentionality. ...
  • Cheerfulness. ...
  • Selfless.

How do you make a big why? ›

To find your Big Why, you need clarity and courage. These will help you determine what needs to drop away and face the reasons you aren't taking action. Additionally, you need influence with yourself—to help you follow through—and energy to put behind your passion and purpose.

What are examples of big? ›

Big Sentence Examples

What a big family it was! The snow was coming down in big heavy flakes now. His big hands came up, grasping her wrists and pulling her forward until her armpits rested on his shoulders. She greeted them with a big smile, hugging each of them as if they were old friends she hadn't seen in a decade.

What is the why of a company? ›

It can be helpful to think of a why as a vision statement that describes how a company sees itself and the work it does. Whys are inspirational, but they're not vague. A good why must feel specific to a company.

What is a good personal statement examples for jobs? ›

I possess excellent communication and listening skills, and I work extremely well in a team, as well as being able to work confidently on my own. I have recently volunteered at a local charity shop, as a sales assistant, to refresh my skills, and I am committed to continuing my career on a full-time basis.

How do you start a supporting statement example? ›

The first paragraph should introduce you and give a brief summary of who you are and why you are best for the role, eg 'I am an award-winning fundraiser with strong corporate experience'. It is important to give a strong and positive impression of yourself right from the start.

How do you write a strong personal statement? ›

10 Tips for Writing a Strong Personal Statement
  1. Read the instructions carefully. ...
  2. Focus on yourself. ...
  3. Demonstrate your genuine interest and enthusiasm. ...
  4. Start early. ...
  5. Explain any discrepancies in your application in your personal statement. ...
  6. Review good sentence and paragraph structure. ...
  7. Use the active voice.

What are 5 ways to describe yourself? ›

Positive Words to Describe Yourself
PersistentGenuinePatient
HappyFriendlyThoughtful
KindReliableIntroverted
WarmheartedLoyalBright
EasygoingAdventurousEmotional
17 more rows

How would you describe yourself in 5 words examples? ›

Sample Answer #1:

“If I have to choose 5 words to describe myself they would be fast-learner, hardworking, reliable, attentive, and adaptive. I understand that being a fresher I have a lot to learn and the work environment is far more cutthroat than academics.

What are 5 words that describe you? ›

Consider using the following adjectives to describe yourself.
  • Flexible.
  • Hard-working.
  • Persistent.
  • Reliable.
  • Enthusiastic.
  • Responsive.
  • Analytical.
  • Confident.
Oct 21, 2021

What is your life vision example? ›

Personal Vision Statement Example #1

I will strive to gain mastery over life's challenges through increasing my circle of influence and de-emphasizing those areas of concern over which I have no control. I will behave in a manner so as to become a light, not a roadblock, for others who choose to follow or lead me.

What is an example of personal mission and vision in life? ›

My vision is to be an honest, empathetic and impactful project leader and to be recognized internationally within my industry. I am committed to growing as a leader and delivering value-added projects to the end users. My mission is to create and lead a dream team where everyone is playing to their strengths.”

What is a good personal vision statement? ›

A vision statement should contain your interests and passions, what you enjoy doing in your free time, and what you would do all day long if you didn't have to work. A well-formed statement should include what you are good at.

What are 5 questions to ask about your specific purpose? ›

5 Questions to Help You Find Your Purpose in Life
  • What Are You Willing to Struggle for? ...
  • What Did Your 8-Year-Old Self Love Doing? ...
  • What Makes You Forget to Eat? ...
  • How Are You Going to Save the World? ...
  • If You Knew You Were Going to Die One Year from Today, What Would You Do and How Would You Want to be Remembered?

What are the 4 main purposes your reason for writing? ›

There are four purposes writers use for writing. When someone communicates ideas in writing, they usually do so to express themselves, inform their reader, to persuade a reader or to create a literary work.

What are the 4 types of writer's purpose? ›

An author's purpose may be to amuse the reader, to persuade the reader, to inform the reader, or to satirize a condition.

What are 10 statement sentences examples? ›

Statement sentence example
  • His statement did nothing to slow Fred down. ...
  • No doubt he told them that Alexia had died, because after Jonathan's statement, that would be easiest. ...
  • The only defense in that statement was honesty. ...
  • It wasn't a question, but a statement, as if it were inevitable.

What is a good sentence to start? ›

Start with the chase. A good hook might also be a question or a claim—anything that will elicit an emotional response from a reader. Think about it this way: a good opening sentence is the thing you don't think you can say, but you still want to say. Like, “This book will change your life.”

How do I start my first sentence? ›

10 Tips for Starting a Sentence
  1. Consider your central theme. Before you get started constructing a sentence, consider what your essential point is. ...
  2. Examine the previous sentence. ...
  3. Use transition words. ...
  4. Use a preposition. ...
  5. Try a subject opener. ...
  6. Try a clausal opener. ...
  7. Use an “ing” word. ...
  8. Use an “ed” word.
Sep 7, 2021

What is your why and why? ›

What Is Your “Why”? Your “Why” is a statement of purpose that describes why you do the work you do and why you live the lifestyle you do. It is your calling. It is your conviction.

What are good topics for a personal statement? ›

Maybe these potential topics can inspire you:
  • Hobbies you have outside of school.
  • Social causes you care about.
  • A volunteer opportunity that changed your view of the world.
  • An event locally or even internationally that's affected you.
  • An academic subject that has led to experiences or personal study outside of school.
Aug 25, 2022

What is a good hook for a personal statement? ›

Personal Statement Hooks… What Are They? The hook is a literary device at the beginning of an essay meant to grab the reader's attention and compel them to continue reading. A hook can be many things: a serious anecdote, a short autobiography, a funny story, a quote, etc.

Why is it so hard to find your purpose in life? ›

That's because your true inner self knows that your life purpose is out of sync with your outer life. The latter is often a false self, but you've identified with it because it's been so rewarding to your ego. I think most people retain at least a glimmer of awareness of their life's purpose within their inner being.

What is a strong personal statement? ›

Your personal statement should help the reader get to know you and make them want to learn more. Write about your unique achievements, interests, experiences, qualities, or opinions. Avoid irrelevant or inappropriate topics—they won't make you memorable for the right reasons.

What are the 5 types of hooks? ›

5 examples of essay hooks
  • 1 Statistic hook.
  • 2 Quotation hook.
  • 3 Anecdotal hook.
  • 4 Question hook.
  • 5 Statement hook.
Jan 14, 2021

What are the 5 ways to write a hook? ›

  • 5 Types of Hooks to Grab Readers' Attention. “The best writers hook their readers with voice, not just action.” — Stephen King. ...
  • Rhetorical question. ...
  • Provocative or strong statement. ...
  • Shocking fact or statistic. ...
  • Story or personal experience. ...
  • Quotation.
Jul 7, 2020

What are the 6 hook ideas? ›

6 Types of Writing Hooks
  • Writing Hook #1: The Startling Statement. A good hook is sometimes something that is completely unexpected. ...
  • Writing Hook #2: The Anecdote Memoir. ...
  • Writing Hook #3: The Inspirational Quote. ...
  • Writing Hook #4: The Rhetorical Question. ...
  • Writing Hook #5: Shocking Statistics. ...
  • Writing Hook #6: The Musing.

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