1 Line Summary
Lacking a clear life purpose can be disheartening, yet finding it ignites a life of enthusiasm and efficiency. Once grasped, this purpose fuels success in both personal and work spheres.
What Will You Learn
After reading “Find Your Why”, you’ll learn:
- Golden Circle and the Biology,
- Discovering Your WHY,
- Articulating Your HOWs,
- Creating Your WHY Statement,
- Sharing Your WHY
Best Quotations from the Book
- We can feel fulfilled by our work every day if it makes us feel part of something bigger than ourselves.
- The combination of your WHY and HOWs is as exclusively yours as your fingerprint.
- The WHY can help set a vision to inspire people. The WHY can guide us to act with purpose, on purpose.
- Remember, the WHY is a filter. When you start with WHY, it attracts people who believe what you believe and repels people who don’t.
- Bottom line is when we focus on our strengths and lean in to the strengths of others, we can make the impossible possible.
- WHATs are products, services and job functions we perform. HOWs are values, guiding principles and actions that make us stand out. The WHY defines what the organization stands for—it is the collective purpose, cause or belief.
- Once you know your WHY, you have a choice to live it every day. Living it means consistently taking actions that are in alignment with the things you say. If you say one thing and do another too frequently, you will lose the trust of others. Our actions either add to or take away from the trust and loyalty others feel toward us. When the things we say and the things we do are aligned with what we believe, we are fully living our WHY. Will you choose to take a stand?
- The WHY exists on a macro level and a micro level. The opportunity is to make sure the right people are working in the right places in the right company.
- Leaders are the ones who have the courage to go first and open a path for others to follow.
Book Summary
“Find Your Why” is a guidebook that helps you identify your life’s mission. The key takeaways from the book are:
The Golden Circle
Everyone has a core purpose that, when pursued, leads to satisfaction and success.
- WHY represents the core reason and belief that motivates all your actions.
- HOWs are the specific steps you take to make your WHY a reality, especially when you’re performing at your peak.
- WHATs are the actual tasks you do or the products and services you offer, which are the tangible expressions of your WHY.
It’s about aligning your actions with your deeper purpose to achieve fulfillment in all areas of life.
Human Biology and the Golden Circle
- At the heart of it all is the limbic system, it’s where we get those gut feelings of trust and loyalty, and it’s what the WHY and HOW of the Golden Circle tap into.
- Then there’s the neocortex, the area that loves to talk and think things through with logic, facts, and figures. That’s the WHAT part of the Golden Circle.
- The WHY and HOW reach into our instincts, while the WHAT talks to our reason, laying out all the cool features and benefits in words we can understand.
Finding your “Why” in 3 Simple Steps
1. Collect your stories
- We all have one big reason that shows who we are when we shine the brightest.
- To find yours, think back on your life. Look for those big moments that really mattered and made you feel a lot.
2. Spot the patterns
- When you talk about your stories, you’ll start to see some patterns popping up. A few of these will feel just right and help you figure out your “Why”.
3. Note down your “Why”
- Your “Why” should be something good and be something you can actually do.
- It should make you say “Yes, that’s me!” and stay the same over time.
- You can write it like this: “To do — so that — happens.”
- Fill in the blanks with what you give to the world and the good thing that comes from it.
- This is your driving force, for both work and life, and it’s about being part of something greater.
1. KNOWING YOUR WHY
- Feeling lost may come from not knowing your “WHY.”
- Discovering your WHY brings purpose and drive to your daily life.
- Companies like Apple succeed by having a clear WHY, such as their motto “Think Different,” which attracts loyal customers.
- In marketing, messages that convey a company’s WHY are more effective than those focusing only on product quality or price.
- Sharing your WHY can be powerful in job interviews, helping you stand out.
2. UNVEILING YOUR WHY BY PONDERING AT THE PAST
- If your job feels draining, it’s likely not aligned with your core motivation, your “WHY”.
- Find a job that excites you makes even mundane tasks enjoyable.
- The golden circle concept helps you understand your WHAT, HOW and WHY. Aligning these three aspects leads to finding passion in your work.
- To discover your WHY, reflect on your past experiences and what matters most to you.
- Understanding your WHY can energize your career and life choices.
3. SEEKING DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS CAN UNCOVER YOUR WHY
- Don’t worry if you can’t find your WHY after reflecting on many past experiences. A trusted friend can help you discover your WHY with a new perspective.
- Choose someone curious and observant, not necessarily someone close to you.
- Detailed conversations and specific questions can uncover deep feelings and themes.
- Discussing childhood memories can reveal significant insights into your WHY.
- An attentive listener can connect different stories to help you find common themes.
- Your WHY gives you purpose and fulfillment in your personal and professional life.
4. HOWS ARE YOUR WHY IN ACTION
- The WHY is your purpose, but HOW you achieve it is equally important.
- HOWs are actions that make your WHY a reality. Reflect on daily activities to find how they contribute to your WHY.
- Understanding coworkers’ HOWs can enhance teamwork and success.
- Adapting to challenges, like fitting a large group into a short workshop, shows the power of HOWs.
- Innovation and simplicity are key HOWs that can transform challenges into successes.
- Knowing HOWs helps play to strengths and collaborate effectively in any situation.
5. HOWS GUIDE YOUR EVERYDAY DECISION MAKING
- Tough decisions require understanding your HOWs to make choices that help you thrive.
- Break down your HOWs to their fundamental elements to truly grasp them. Knowing your HOWs helps identify opportunities that align with your WHY.
- Your HOWs can guide you to avoid mismatches and choose paths that fit your values.
- A clear understanding of HOWs can lead to better decision-making in professional offers.
- Use your HOWs to correct course when something feels off, ensuring alignment with your goals.
6. SHARING YOUR WHY
- Discovering your purpose (your WHY) is essential for a fulfilling life. Communicate your WHY openly, starting with common social interactions.
- Practice makes perfect; use conversations with strangers to refine your message.
- Commitment grows when you share your WHY; it encourages you to act on it. Support your WHY with actions to make it credible and impactful.
- Align employee roles with their WHY for increased productivity.
- Mutual understanding of WHYs enhances personal and professional relationships.
Uncover your life’s purpose by reflecting on the stories that have shaped you. Embrace all your tales, the triumphs and trials, from any chapter of your life, as they are the compass to your true north.
When you fully realize your WHY, you can start thriving in both your personal and professional life.
Good Luck!
Related Summaries:
- “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us”
- “The Art of Possibility”
- “The Four Agreements”
- “The 4 Disciplines of Execution”
- “The Compound Effect”
- “The One Thing”
- “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do”
