I was listening to a podcast recently with a functional medicine specialist. Like me, she works primarily with women who are proactively working to improve some area of their overall well-being.
One comment she made resonated with me as something I have found in my own practice working with women, and with myself personally when I am working towards a particular goal.
It is important for us to know THE WHY.
WHY is this you ask?
Because when we understand the WHY, we are MUCH more likely to stick with whatever it is we are working towards.
There is the “personal why” and the “process why”.
The Personal Why:
One of the first questions I ask a prospective client is “why do you want to work with a financial advisor”.
I want to make sure they have given thought to what their personal whyis.
I can give financial advice all day long, but if they don’t understand their own why, then the true motivation to make lasting change is not there and the process will grind to a halt.
The Process Why:
Someone very dear to me, who had worked in education her whole life and is a living, breathing saint, always told me I would have made a great teacher.
NO WAY! I would not last a day in a classroom filled with kids!
But I’ve learned over the years that teaching comes in many forms. I think I love what I do so much because I am a teacher. I spend my days teaching my clients the whys of financial decisions in their lives.
And so it bears repeating:
Because when we understand the WHY, we are MUCH more likely to stick with whatever it is we are working towards.
Some clients want to understand fully, others do not, but I always try to explain why I am suggesting something for their personal situation.
This goes for ANYTHING in life.
When you know the why, be it the personal why, the process why, or both, you have the ongoing answers and motivation to continue towards your goal.