Feeling Lost? Read This!

• 💡 Wisdom

• ✏️ Illustration

• 💬 Saying

• 🧭 Explanation

• 📝 Reflection

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 42 seconds

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Clarity of purpose fuels fulfilment and success.

If you feel lost, there’s only one place that you should start:

Start with why.

If you know Simon Sinek’s work, today’s Illustration might look a little familiar:

Average leaders work their way towards the centre of the circle by telling people what to do, how to do it, then why they do it. The why is almost the throw-away comment at the end.

Whereas great leaders start with why, explain how they fulfill that why, then explain what they do to achieve that. In this order, the why is most important.

But this approach isn’t just for leaders - it’s for you too.

If you’re not familiar with this concept, you can hear Simon talk through it in his TED Talk here.

Regular readers will know that I usually include 1 quote in the Saying section.

This week I’m treating you to 3!

We begin with a statement attributed to philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche:

First, we learn that having a why - a purpose - can make navigating life’s challenges more manageable.

Next up, let’s hear from Simon Sinek himself:

Sinek shares that understanding why you are doing something makes life more fulfilling; more enjoyable.

We round-off this trio of quotes with some Mark Twain wisdom:

Let’s unpack today’s Wisdom, Illustration and Sayings more.

If you have taken my self-paced course Journal Wiser, you will know that understanding why you are doing something will help you to make a meaningful habit of it.

I refer to this as your Why Compass.

The reason for this is simple:

When you know your why, it’s difficult to get lost; you know which direction that you ought to head.

In Start with WHY and his TED Talk, Simon Sinek shares that knowing their why and leveraging it has helped the greatest leaders and the most successful brands to connect with their respective audiences.

And the other quoters referenced today shared that it helps make life (and suffering) more endurable, it makes life more fulfilling and that it brings a meaning to the rest of your life.

Based on the perspectives of these people, it’s a fair statement to make that understanding your why is a worthwhile endeavour.

So I have a question for you:

Do you know your why?

If you’re reading this and you are thinking to yourself “I have no idea what my purpose in life is”, I want to hear from you.

Reply to this email with as much or as little information as you would like to about this topic, and I will try to unpack this with you.

If that feels like too vulnerable of a move, consider completing today’s Reflection questions below instead.

Journal your responses to the following questions:

• Do I know my why? Do I know my purpose?

• When do I feel most alive?

• What activities do I do regularly that align with my purpose?

• How can I incorporate my why into my daily life more?

Want to journal? Join Journal Wiser today!

If you want to learn more about Start with WHY, you’ll love today’s sponsor: Shortform.

You can learn key ideas from Start with WHY and other books just like it in mere hours on Shortform and dive deeper with interactive exercises.

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If you have any feedback on the WISER Newsletter, I would love to hear it! Simply reply to this email, and I will get back to you. Alternatively, just DM me on social media.

You can find my social links and learn how to work with me here.

Catch you in the next issue!

Thanks,
Michael