Why Are You in Business?

The first I ever heard about establishing a WHY in order to change behavior was when I joined Weight Watchers. My biggest concern was to look better at my medical school graduation. I was on a schedule and had limited time, and I knew those graduation pictures could haunt me forever if I didn’t do something. I knew I needed help to be successful because I had tried on my own and that was getting me nowhere. Although I thought my WHY was focused on getting to my goal weight, it really was about having a positive permanent record of my appearance at a particular point in time.

As with many short term goals, the WHY just wasn’t big enough to maintain behavior after I graduated and my circumstance changed. I was no longer a student, now I was the “doctor” with so much more stress and responsibility: Longer hours, very little personal support, and unlimited food (it was part of our intern pay) in the cafeteria. I found sitting and visiting with my fellow interns helped decrease the stress, and I could go back to the cafeteria line over and over to get more food.  And I knew where all the cookies were stored when I was up in the middle of the night and needed to nosh on something. I regained all of the weight and more during the first six months of my internship.  I hadn’t learned what set the wheels in motion for me to gain again. The WHY came and went and my weight loss came and went with it.

If we want to be successful as we strive to make a change in our lives, we can’t just pursue goals. We need to have a powerful WHY to keep us moving forward.

When you first start a home business, you are more likely to persist if you write down the reason you need to be successful. What lies in back of your goal? What is your unique purpose?

For example, if your business is successful, do you intend to

• Quit your full time job
• Take a big trip
• Pay for an education for yourself or a child
• Buy a home
• Take care of a parent or other family member
• Fund a hobby

This time when I restarted in Weight Watchers, my WHY had nothing to do with pictures at life events. Having achieved Life Time status, I am motivated to continue my healthy behaviors because I saw my elderly mother’s health decline because she stopped moving and started gaining. My WHY is about being active and staying healthy, and moving forward.

My online greeting card company holds inspring workshops for its representatives. During an activity we are encouraged to develop I AM Statements to remind ourselves WHY we are doing our business. I urge you to do the same. Here are a few of my I AM Statements:

• I AM a positive role model
• I AM physically fit
• I AM an inspiration to others
• I AM financially secure
• I AM an inspirational writer who has published five books for business professionals (at this writing I am working on books three and four)
• I AM a sought after speaker
• I AM a business mentor.

If you really want to make progress, look at what is motivating you to action, then create your own I AM Statements and place them where you can see them.  Or go to www.kaarendouglas.biz and send yourself a card with your I AM Statements in it. Then put it in a place where you can see it and look at it every day.

I appreciate your comments and suggestions. What are you doing to keep the WHY for your business in front of you every day?