The Power of "Why" Vs The Power of "How"

We always discourage ourselves from new tasks or goals we set ourselves. Why is this the case, well we always begin asking "how"... How can I make this happen... How can I achieve that... And when we oftentimes come up with no answer or path, we believe it to be impossible. The answer never comes at the very beginning, however, but it always shows itself along the way

"the quality of your life will be determined by the questions you ask"
- Tim Ferriss & Tony Robbins

And it's the question we ask ourselves at the very beginning that places us directly in quicksand when instead we should be soaring off a mountaintop whenever we set a new goal

As we always ask ourselves how... a question with no definitive answer at the very beginning... a question that needs time to be answered, when as a species, this patience isn't our strongest suit

And many young athletes fall into this trap... how can I make first grade; how can I make rep; how can I become a better player

All questions with a seemingly enormous amount of answers. And so, to change the answer, let's in turn, change the question we ask....

The Answer...

Why. Instead of asking how we do something, ask why. Why do you want to make 1st grade; why do you want to make rep; why do you want to become better

Asking yourself this elicits an emotional reaction, and tying emotion to something garners more power. We will act for a why, especially if it's deep-rooted. But the non-emotional how leaves us floundering for answers

Why did I want to make the NSW Country Baseball Team? I wanted to experience travelling for sport. I wanted to prove it to myself that I could do it. I wanted to make my parents proud and pay them back for the sacrifices they'd made for me

That made me work hard. If I'd asked myself how I'd probably never have achieved it. As I would have told myself limiting stories about how it wasn't possible for me

But using my why, I got up earlier... I worked harder... I sacrificed more... and I made the squad that travelled to Mt Gambier back in 2006

The Big Takeaway

Begin asking yourself why. Why do I want to achieve this... And then go deeper, keep asking why. As doing so will create that emotional connection you need so much. Discovering this "why" will help you through dark times and adversity. It will be the north star that forever guides you toward where you want to go