eyes on the why

hey lovely human,

our wiring as humans keeps us always working towards something.

we light up when we’re part of something bigger than ourselves, yet so many of us wander around not really knowing what that “something” is.

this is problematic for many reasons because

how do you find an undefined finish line?

i’m very guilty of doing this.

looking back at the moments i stumbled - in my career, friendships, fitness, & school - it boiled down to not really knowing what i was aiming for. the times i didn’t take time to ask: what does winning even mean? for me? & for everyone else involved?

figuring out what success looks like is tough on a good day.

trying to define it with others is even tougher.

if we're aiming for that sweet spot of a collective win, we need to agree on the definition of a win. or else it won’t be sweet for all. unfortunately, getting on the same page is easier said than done.

so today we're diving deep into this whole shared success thing.

smart okr bhag

the world is overflowing with ways to define success.

a billion books, a zillion courses, & an entire industry (hey there, project management) are dedicated to this.

i’ve found the following to be the most preached “strategies”

while i love how these methods tidy up our messy goals, they mean zilch if we’re not getting everyone on the same page about where we’re going.

chatting course correction

the 1-in-60 rule does a fantastic job in explaining why nailing down the definition of success is so important. the premise is that a plane off by just one degree misses its target by a mile for every 60 miles flown.

imagine heading from nyc to la & end up in sf or seattle instead because you were just a tad off.

when we're on any journey with others, we’re guilty of assuming they're headed the same way.

spoiler: assumption is the mother of all mess-ups.

we need to actively chat about our destination to make sure we're all on track for the same spot. communication is our gps to keep us aligned & on course.

hooked on why

remember how we chatted last week about how everyone rocks their own unique pair of glasses through which they see the world?

well to accomplish something together, we need to study other’s glasses & share the vision from our own glasses.

enter my go-to strategy: simon sinek’s “start with why.”

a ted talk with 65M views that’s filled with nostalgic references to tivo, gateway, mp3s, & touchtone phones.

& that’s since become a best-selling book.

sinek flips the script on the way we typically think, act, & communicate. most of us start with what, then how, & end with why. according to last week’s reader poll, 63% of you start with the what or the how.

as the name gives away sinek believes the best approach is to start with why, big kudos to the 37% of you already onboard with this strategy.

sinek brings his why to life with the golden circle, 3 concentric circles, showing why inside-out beats outside-in every time.

• why sets the stage with our core purpose.

• how outlines the process to breathe life into our vision.

• what determines the offer of the tangible proof of your beliefs.

this approach clarifies your definition of success & gets everyone else on the same page, making collective success that much more achievable & enjoyable.

10 ways to why

this framework is mostly used for work, but i think the applications are much broader. so here are 10 ways to practice the why this week:

1. begin your emails with why

2. start group meetings with why

3. prompt your journaling with why

4. clarify your saving goals with why

5. reinspire your side hustle with why

6. kick off your presentations with why

7. go deeper in conversations with why

8. affirm your authentic true self with why

9. commit to your fitness routine with why

10. uncover the steps to your dream life with why

please remember to practice patience as you work to find your why. this isn’t a yes no question, this is an answer that can require filling in multiple blanks.

but it’s so worth it.

because once you find your why, your what’s & how’s fall into place like magic.

your why tells you that you want it that way 🎶 

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in why we trust,

p.s. for next week’s newsletter, i’m curious to know how you think about brainstorming 👇️ 

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