Your Secret Weapon to EC Biz Success Year After Year
Have you ever had difficulty staying motivated, making decisions, or setting goals for your preschool, play cafe, childcare, enrichment program, or other early childhood business? Do you look at other successful business owners and wonder how are they doing it all and still finding success even during the dark times?
Finding your why is the secret to uncovering a clear understanding of your mission and purpose that will help ensure success year after year. It truly is your secret weapon that will get you through the darkest times.
Finding your ‘why’ can be essential for achieving success and making long-term progress. When we focus on why we are doing something rather than just what needs to be done, our minds create more meaning and purpose in our lives. The importance of uncovering and exploring your true purpose as you continue on your business journey is what will keep you getting back on the path every time you fall off.
If you want to ensure your early childhood business's success year after year, having a clear understanding of why you do what you do is essential. Knowing your why — your mission and purpose — can be the secret weapon that helps you make informed decisions, stay motivated, create clarity and focus when setting goals, and unify your team in working towards the same end. In today’s ECBME podcast episode, we'll discuss why understanding your why is so important and provide helpful tips on how to uncover it.
Today we are discussing everything from why it's important to find ways to make it tangible. Including:
The Importance of Knowing Your Why
The Major Benefits of Knowing Your Why
How to Find Your Why
My Why
In the very beginning, I mean 18 years ago now, my why was simple. To spend more time with my girls. But after years of practice, of getting on and off track, having to really dig deep during some of the darkest days, and it was those dark days that I credit my long-term success to. It was in those dark days that I went the deepest and became the clearest about my why.
Yes, I wanted to spend more time with my girls. Having a leadership role in a corporate American company meant 2-3 weeks of travel a month. Demanding hours to get things done on unrealistic timelines, and both left me feeling the mom guilt of not spending time with my family. But I came to realize that was not what got me through the darkest days.
Yes, I wanted to grow my EC businesses and be profitable. Doing so in a way that made a difference in the world. But that was not what got me through my darkest days.
What was going to make the stress and overwhelm worth sticking it out in an industry that doesn’t pay the best and dealing with some of the most difficult situations. When your business is caring for other peoples most prized possessions in life, those experiences and customers can be pretty demanding.
I realized it was that. I wanted less stress and overwhelm, I wanted to make a difference in the world, and I wanted more time with my family. And I thought that a profitable EC business would help me achieve those. But that isn’t what I really wanted.
I wanted to live a lifestyle that allowed me to be financially worry free and put me in control of my time. And now the question was could I have that as an EC business owner. I got really deep and really clear about what I wanted for me, my business and my life. Now when I make decisions about my business it isn’t just will this add more revenue? It is will it add more revenue without taking away from my why.
The Importance of Knowing Your “Why”
Simon Sinek, author of the book Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Finding Purpose for You and Your Team, writes that it is only when you understand your “why” (or your purpose) that you’ll be more capable of pursuing the things that give you fulfillment. It will serve as your point of reference for all your actions and decisions from this moment on, allowing you to measure your progress and know when you have met your goals.
The Japanese have the term “ikigai,” which can be translated to mean “a reason for being.” This is anything that gives a deep sense of purpose to a person’s life and makes it worthwhile. It is what you get up for every morning.
The Major Benefits of Knowing Your “Why”
It provides clarity in your life. When you become laser-focused on your goals, you will have no question about what you are getting up each and every day to accomplish.
It infuses you with passion for your goals. When you know your purpose in life, you are more deeply committed to pursuing your goals.
It keeps you focused on your goals. When you’ve identified your life’s purpose, it’s easier to focus on what truly matters.
It helps you live healthier and longer. Numerous studies have shown that having a purpose in life leads to longer lifespans in older adults.
It helps you develop resilience. People who have a deeper sense of purpose in life are better at finding meaning in setbacks they experience compared with those who wander through life aimlessly.
It allows you to live a life with integrity. Those who know their purpose in life understand who they are and what they are here for.
How to Find Your Why
Let's look at some strategies you can use to find your purpose to lead a more intentional life. These activities require you to be introspective and answer some questions about your personal experiences to uncover your life’s purpose.
Identify the things you can do to make other people’s lives better.
Having self-awareness is great. However, doing something that will benefit others more than yourself is amazing. In fact, research has shown that people who have a sense of purpose and are grateful for the life they are living often contribute more to the world beyond themselves than those who do not have this sense of gratitude. This might be because, if someone can see how others benefit their life, that person will be more motivated to give back to humanity.
Think back to the activities you did that made you forget about the passage of time.
You have probably heard people say, “Time flies when you are having fun!” Moments like this are what psychologists call the “flow,” and what spirituals call connecting with the divine. Whatever is the case for you, these activities are where your passions are. You are fulfilling your purpose when you are doing something that energizes you rather than something that drains your energy and leaves you feeling exhausted.
Recall what you liked to do when you were a kid.
You can see glimpses of your purpose by remembering the things that you did just for the sheer fun of it as a child. As you reflect upon the story of your life, it’s easy to pick up on certain patterns that tend to repeat themselves, or some trends in the activities that you did. These patterns may hold clues to your purpose.
Think about the things that you are willing to do even if you feel silly.
Before you can do something well, at some point you have to do it without any competence or knowledge about what you're doing. And, in order to continue working at something even after you have made some mistakes and embarrassed yourself in doing so, you have to be passionate about it. These activities are meaningful enough for you that you do them regardless of other people’s opinions.
Observe what people ask of you when they come to you for help.
Is it a specific talent that you have? Are you a sounding board for your friends’ concerns? What do people thank you for? Appreciation from other people can help fuel your work. You may not be able to see your strengths like others do because they come naturally to you. Look for common themes in reasons behind why people reach out to you in times of need.
Imagine what you would be doing if you learned that you only had a year left to live.
Most people don't like thinking about death, but death forces us to focus on the truly important things. Knowing this often leads you to realize what your “why” is, and allows you to let go of things that are trivial or distracting. Death may be the only thing that can give you a clear perspective on the value of your life. How do you want people to remember you?
Enumerate the things for which you would be willing to go the extra mile.
These are the things that, regardless of failure or setbacks, you’ll still make an effort to do—and get up and learn from your previous mistakes. A lot of people don’t understand that passion is a result of action rather than the cause of it. You won't find your passion by being complacent. It is a trial-and-error process. If you aren't willing to go out of your way to do something, then you aren't truly passionate about it.
If you were given the chance to teach others (e.g., young people), what would you teach them?
If you consider this question, you are really thinking about what you would change about the world, or what knowledge you want to pass on to future generations. This question also forces you to reflect upon the things in life that you believe you are truly competent in and able to teach other people about. How would you want to improve other people's lives, or where do you believe there is a gap in knowledge that you could fill?
What task at work would you do for free if you didn’t need the paycheck?
Do you work to live or do you live to work? If you are doing something that you are passionate about, it won't feel like work. There will never be a Sunday night where you are dreading the imminent Monday morning. What part of your work comes easy to you because you are happy while you're doing it? Aligning your professional life with your purpose is a critical part of living out your why with intention.
What’s usually the reason why people thank you?
Similar to observing why people come to you for help, how do people find value in you or your contributions? Do you give great advice? Are you willing to take extra time out of your day to help your friends with something in particular? Think about the things that you do for people that are unique.
If you were given the chance to do something that you love and not worry about the paycheck, what would it be?
Considering this question is a great way to discover your passion. What would you do with all of your free time if money was not an issue? If you're not motivated by money, the only other thing you can be motivated by is time, and how you spend your time would certainly be on something that you love.
What was your happiest memory of your childhood?
Did you love to be on stage dancing as a child, but gave that up with age? Or maybe you loved a certain class in elementary school that you couldn't necessarily apply to a career. Think back to what you had a passion for before adult life got in the way, and find a way to tie your current life back to those original interests.
My Final Thoughts on Finding Your Why
Finding your “why” is important not only for success in your professional and personal life, but also for your well-being and longevity.
You need to look within, discover the things that you are passionate about, and pursue them—regardless of other people’s doubts or the setbacks you’ll meet. Your own purpose will point the way to your success.
Resources
If you're looking for more help when it comes to developing a successful Early Childhood business, including gaining more time+freedom without the chaos and overwhelm, please check out our Shine Membership and CEO Mentorship programs. We are here to help you reach your goals!
It is a good idea to write down your thoughts in a journal as you do these exercises. So we created a wonderful worksheet to help you think about things as you go through this process. Be sure to Download your Finding Your Why Clarity Tool. Use this worksheet to get your thoughts out of your mind and onto paper.
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