How To Go From Surviving to Thriving

“He who has a why can endure any how.” -- Frederick Nietzsche

When it comes to your business -- whether you’ve already launched or if you’re still in the vision board phase -- knowing your “why” will help you stay committed to your dream and help others on your team to get committed too.

Knowing your why is an important first step in figuring out how to achieve the goals that propel you forward and create a life you love. Indeed, only when you know your ‘why’ will you find the endurance to take the risks needed to get ahead, stay empowered even when you fail, and move your business into an entirely new and more rewarding flow of success.

“Your why is the bridge between a world where you strive to survive and a world where you thrive.”

There are many reasons why people become entrepreneurs: personal satisfaction, creative independence or financial autonomy -- the list goes on. Yet all of these have one thing in common. At the core, they all are about freedom.

That freedom can come in many different forms: the freedom to do business where you want when you want, the freedom to offer a product or service that does business inside of a unique paradigm, or maybe the literal freedom to actually make that trip to Europe once and for all.

As CEO, you can set your own targets and standards. And while the freedom of knowing that no one can stop you can be empowering, the stress of knowing the only person that could stop you is YOU, can be extremely disempowering. This is when your “why” becomes critical.

If you aren't 100 percent committed to making your vision a reality, you won’t be impassioned enough to see your business through its inevitable growing pains. Businesses rarely make money right off the bat, (remember most business fail in the first 3-5 years) so your grand financial goals will not be reason enough to see it through. Don’t trade in the ball and chain of your corporate job for golden shackles of your own design.

If money is just a means to end, how do you know when you’ve made enough? When you make a down payment on a house? Buy your first, or fourth luxury car? The more material possessions you acquire -- a car, a house, Executive Suite tickets to the Super Bowl -- the more that reliable, convenient paycheck becomes a crutch. So ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?”

If you know your why; good for you! Stay focused. What if you don’t know your why? What if you thought your big money goals were good enough for sustained success? Take a look at the 4 questions below for guidance:

1. What inspires you?

2. What are your natural strengths? For a free strengths survey visit http://www.viame.org/

3. Where are you a natural contribution?/What problems do you enjoy solving

4. How do YOU measure success?

Another simple yet powerful exercise is to follow the advice in our International Best-selling book: You Already Have It!, and try on the Life Purpose Exercise.

The great thing about purpose is that it begets passion, and passion is contagious. When your enthusiasm is tangible, people want to stand next to you—so it rubs off on them! The key to harnessing that passion is understanding your “why.”

Once you find an answer that speaks to you, the next question should be, “What am I waiting for?”

Lastly, keep in mind these words from one of my transformational coaches:

“Insight is only possible in the absence of action.”

While insight and visualization is great, it can only take you so far. Only actions produce results.

Be Realistic Upfront to Negate Falling into Fantasy Later: there are some aspects of reality that visualization just won’t resolve. You owe it to yourself to get out there and do what it is you say you want to do. If it truly is your passion, jumping in feet first will only solidify your resolve and make your transition to becoming a success story that much easier.

You deserve a life you love, so discover your ‘why; and dive in!