Trying to figure out the “why” to everything is an often thought of annoying process attributed to those five and under. I have babysat many kids that constantly ask “why.” And every time you answer, they have another “why” question. I would often groan in annoyance and just answer “because” in order to make the chirping stop.
But the constant questioning is probably more profound than it seems. The child simply wants to know why something is happening. They more than likely are not thinking this way, but in retrospect, it’s a practice that most of us should probably do more of. Figuring out the why reveals a lot about who we are and what is important to us.
Every decision that we make in life has a motive behind it. Good or bad, there is a reason for everything that we do. It may not be apparent at the time, but when you go back and think about it, there is always a catalyst for the decision.
Whether we like to admit or not, we can consciously control our motives. We never do something without it meaning something. Like my parents have preached ever since I was little: “think before you act and speak,” is actually a very basic concept. Sometimes we just fail to think our motives through and act on impulse.
But, there is a huge upside to being aware of why you do things: motivation. When you consciously decide on a reason why, the action becomes so much more meaningful.
It doesn’t have to be complicated—it could be as basic as wanting to do well on a test simply to make your studying worthwhile. There are reasons why we do all things. It only makes sense to make those reasons meaningful.
The reasons might not always come right away. It takes time to reflect on what means most to you, and who means most. Most of my reasons why stem from these two categories. There are people in my life that mean so much to me that they provide motivation for many of my actions.
Along with external causes, it is so important to have internal reasons why. We should always have reasons that are purely for self-satisfaction, because it is so important to sometimes put yourself first. This is a motive that may seem selfish to some, but I would suggest is completely necessary for balance.
When you really don’t want to do something, and think it’s not worth your time, it’s helpful to remember your why. Chances are, once you remember why you’re doing something, you realize that it is worth your time. More likely than not, the way you carry out the action is going to be better quality than it would have been before.
I can’t claim to be an expert at this, but I am slowly learning why it is so important to do more than simply go through the motions. Figuring out the reason why makes everything you do much more meaningful.
