Start With Why

There is an innately human quality where we are compelled to seek purpose in order to feel fulfilled. Our time on Earth is not measured by eating, surviving, and reproducing. We have a human brain with a human capacity to do more than survive. We have cognitive ability which leads us to make connections, innovate, solve problems, and find value in living our lives. We are not satisfied with the bare minimum, we strive to constantly chase meaning. By understanding our “why” we are more effectively able to find purpose, to find meaning— to find our reason for living.

The most successful people and companies start with their why. They know at their core why they are doing things. They use their “why” to explain their “how” to then showcase their “what.” They work inner to outer on this circular path. Not everyone knows their why, more people comprehend the “how,” and a majority of people can see the basics of the “what.”

One of the most successful cases of this sort of thinking is used by Apple. Apple starts with their “why” and uses it to market their brand. The “why”, “Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo.” Their “how” is displayed by their effort of making easy-to-use, high-class products. Their “what” is the level of hardware we can purchase, a computer or iPhone. People do not buy Apple because of the “what,” they buy it because they believe in the “why” behind it. Apple understands human psychology, and their marketing and branding have created a system enabling their products to seem much more than products. People are not buying iPhones or MacBooks for their processing rate and screen resolution. That is expected. They are buying them because they are Apple products. People believe in what the Apple brand begins.

People do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it. On a personal level, this applies anywhere in life. Until we understand our desires at the fundamental level of “why?” we will fail to achieve what we want to. Everything starts with finding the “why.” With our “why” we have purpose and purpose leads to passion and intrinsic motivation that keeps us going. By understanding our “why”, we then navigate outward to figure out our “how" and then the “what” we want to make a staple in our lives. We should avoid the converse of starting with the “what.” We do not want to get rich and famous, we want to create or build something to change the world, and the rewards will come. Think big but start within. Find the “why” to unlock the door to life.