Find What Motivates You and Who Inspires You to Create Your Professional Mission   

Going into business or starting a career requires a plan of action and a vision. Why? Because this vision needs to be clear and well defined in order for your clients and employees to understand the goals and ultimately buy into your vision. The question then becomes, how do you figure out your plan of action and vision? What is going to keep you motivated to keep moving forward and to not give up when the journey gets tough?  TED Speaker and business writer Simon Sinek said, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” So in other words: what is your “why” and how do know when you have found it?

In fact, there is actually a simple process, consisting of three questions, to break down your big “why” so that you understand it better:

• What are your passions and strengths?
• Who is your opposition?
• Who inspires you? 

Your Passion and Strengths

A passion is defined as “a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything.” Everyone is passionate about something; every life event shapes us, and the most important ones will often create an intense stance in our consciousness about numerous topics. So there is no lack of origin for this emotion in most people.  The problem is that many of us do not take the time to define what we are passionate about.

The first step is to take the time to write down and fine-tune our passions. For instance, when I began my internal search for my own passions, I found that I was extremely enthusiastic about helping individuals succeed within their business. Creating visions and strategic planning energizes me. This led me to begin coaching within my Real Estate career, and realizing this strength has since made my “why” more concrete, and is what excites me every day I wake up.

If you are unsure what your strengths are,  I recommend taking a personality assessment; this will give you a better understanding on who you are and how you operate. DISC, Meyers-Briggs, AVA, Strength Finders, and many other aptitude tests that can help with this. On the other hand, are you unsure of where you stand on certain issues? Start researching various important life topics – religious, moral, ethical — and then creating a list of your beliefs. The BBC has an easy-to-read starter webpage on ethics; as you start mulling the issues, you may surprise yourself on how strongly you feel on some of them. Once you understand how you operate and what motivates you, you will be equipped to effectively express this to others, which is the start of being able to communicate deep beliefs or passions in a business context. 

Figuring Out What Doesn’t Work for You at Work  

Who is your opponent? This does not have to be a specific person (although that too can be motivating), but in business each organization or cause usually has an opponent: Apple has Windows, Wal-Mart has Target, and CVS has Walgreens.  The list goes on and on. Each of these companies has its own culture and ideals, and it is imperative that each understands its opponent.  Why? Because having a deep understanding of what another company stands for and how it runs its business solidifies its own ideals and how they will then choose to operate.

So the important factor in figuring out what differentiates you is to look at what does not represent you or the culture you want to represent. For instance, my adversary is being micromanaged. I have worked for multiple businesses in the past, and have found the ones that helped me become the best I could be, were the ones that allowed me to think for myself and take ownership on a project, within the parameters of my position. Conversely, the ones that micromanaged me and tried to shape me into their picture of who I “should be,” were the ones that stunted my growth.

Now that I am the owner of my own business, I have made it my personal mission to help cultivate my employee’s individual strengths and allow them to manifest their own ideas and projects. Understanding my personal adversary (“micromanaging”) inside and out has further strengthened the culture within my office, allowing for personal growth and the space to dream and goal set.

Who is Your Inspiration?

Who inspires you to want to succeed? I have found this to be the strongest part of the “why.”

It’s important to think of the totality of the person who inspires you: how do they look, how do they act, who are they, what are they? Is it your child, a parent, a spouse, or maybe someone to whom you have always looked up? On the other hand, maybe your “who” that indirectly helped you succeed is actually someone who did not believe in you: a teacher who said you couldn’t make it, or an employer who never gave you a chance.

I have a few people in my life to whom I would give the “inspiring” title (the good kind!); one of my top “who’s” is my sister, who was diagnosed with Lyme disease. This disease has caused her to lose feeling in her legs, and has currently placed a hold on her living her life and pursuing many dreams. Being successful in my business means I can provide money if needed for her medical bills, for research funding, and to be able to spread the word about the disease at a high level. Furthermore, she herself has pushed me to live my life to the fullest; she reminds me every day how short life can be, and urges me to be the best version of myself.  In this scenario, having the “who” integrated into my “why” gives me the drive to spring forward in action in many ways.

Each piece of our “why” is a small part of the puzzle, and by taking the time to put them together, we can create the whole big picture. After considering the three parts above, now that you have a better grasp on the puzzle pieces, use them to write your mission or vision. That mission statement becomes your why, your motivation, and will give you purpose in your journey.  When your mission statement is clear, it has the power to not only motivate you, but also inspire others. And when others are inspired – particularly in a business situation — they will work harder and keep going even when it defies logic. So have a mission that is so clear that you can step right into it and begin embracing life today.