The Why Behind The What
I wonder how many of us know the why behind the what that we're doing most days. We go to work, we do our job, but how many of us are doing that in the light of any kind of bigger picture?
It is so easy to get sucked down into the day to day details of our life and work that we lose sight of the reason why we're doing what we're doing. It's no wonder then that we can so quickly start to find many aspects of what we're doing mundane.
Knowing the why behind the what that we're doing is vital. And yet, as someone who oversees a non-profit and a faith community, I can't tell you how quickly we can get so focussed on what we're doing that the lose the vision for why we're doing it.
Now clearly, if all we ever did was think about the why, we would never get anything done. The why has to move us to action. The cause has to compel us to do something. But, having started to actually do something, we need to remember to periodically take stock of where we've got to and make sure that what we're doing is still in sync with what we set out to do.
This is relevant on both a personal and an organisation level. Life is busy. Work, responsibilities, kids can become all consuming. But as individuals and families we need to have vision and mission and purpose for our lives as much as any organisation does. That means that we too must make time to reflect on what we're doing and make sure that we choose to live a life that doesn't lose sight of the way and that flows in harmony with our values and worldview.
- If you lead an organisation, how often do you take time to help everyone stay engaged with the big picture of what you're doing?
- How can you help people keep the why in mind whilst doing what needs to be done?
- As an individual, do you have a big picture vision for your life? When did you last take stock and check that you're staying on course?
Comments (0)
Add a Comment