The Art of Why

THE ART OF WHY

You’ve probably heard of a BHAG – a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. But have you ever heard of the BHAW?

Big, Hairy, Audacious Why.

This is the one fundamental element that all successful people and companies have in common. They each have a clear understanding of their purpose. They all have a clear vision of what they do and who they are. But, even more fundamentally, and more importantly, they know why they exist.

In the film Ocean’s 11 (somewhat embarrassingly, I have to admit that I really like this movie), you recall that Danny Ocean (played by George Clooney) and his team have a very strong purpose for robbing three casinos. Well, actually, they have several “whys” that converge into one mammoth purpose.

Their BHAWs drive them to pursue a heist that:

• has never even been attempted;
• requires split second timing;
• demands multiple players;
• requires elaborate resources;
• requires walking out of the casino with the money in front of thousands of unsuspecting gamblers;
• has a very low probability of success.

Why are they willing to do this, to take such a huge risks? For them, it distills down to just a few simple, but powerful reasons:

• For the challenge of doing it. No scam of this magnitude had ever been attempted.
• For the pay-off ($160+ million dollars). This heist had a very high reward if successful.
• As revenge for past actions done to members of the team. Emotions are strong motivators.
• And for the girl. At least for Danny Ocean, this is perhaps the biggest “why.”

All of these reasons are very big motivators by themselves; but, combined, they combust into a white-hot “why” that drives these men with laser-like focus.

GET BIG OR GO HOME

To paraphrase the rallying cry of extreme skiers - whose motto for going airborne is “get big (air) or go home” - you must get your “why” big, very big. If you don’t, you run the very real risk of suffering the gut-wrenching, too often career-defeating un-sustainability of a purely romantic idea based on infatuation instead of being based on an authentic purpose. Getting a big enough “why” is fundamental to achieving and sustaining any success. It goes beyond just identifying your or your business’s purpose(s); it about recognizing the thing(s) that will drive you forward to your goal through the inevitable struggles, fears, exhaustion, lack of confidence and setbacks you’ll experience.

In scripture, Paul recognized and identified his “why.” And it was big. In Philippians 3:10-11, he writes: “[My goal] is to know Him (Christ) and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.” (HCSB)

Paul then encourages us, showing us that with a big enough “why” we can endure. He continues in Philippians 3:12-14: “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” (HCSB)

As you can see with the Apostle Paul and as portrayed in the film, having a big enough “why” allows you to forget what is behind and press on toward the goal. A big “why” gets you past seeing the impossible to seeing that anything is possible.

GET QUIET. GET PERSONAL. GET TEST-Y

But how do you determine the “why” and then get it big enough that it sustains you through the inevitable struggles and fears you’ll encounter? That, my friend, is a very subjective undertaking. “Why” is personal. It may be altruistic. It could be philanthropic. It can be short-term or long-term. It might change over time.

A ‘why” can focus on relationships, finances, ego.

“Why” is truly for you only. You must determine it yourself.

For me, I ask a lot of questions -- of myself, others, God. I read. I get into a quiet spot and a quiet frame of mind. I explore the opinions of others in my circle of influence. I research and study. I pray for insights and discernment.

But then, I test-drive it. I run it through my mind in every way imaginable, looking at it from myriad angles. I write it down and read it, then re-read it, and read it some more. Does it move me? Does it withstand my scrutiny? Can I easily articulate it? If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, then my working “why” will never sustain me in the real world in real time.

Getting to the big “why” for your project, career or life is challenging; but, without determining it, clearly knowing it, and truly owning it, you’re headed for a season of stress, fear, futility and most likely failure.

Someone once said that it doesn’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish that matters. I disagree a bit. It does matter how you start, because the better you start, the stronger your probabilities of success. The stronger you start, the better you finish.

But where you start should always be at Why.


Be sure to check out my website at www.d2entertainment.com . Also, you can follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ddisney

Saddle Up Your Horses-Reprise

Saddle Up Your Horses - Reprise

"Stop the whining!" Man, do I need to hear that - especially at this time of year! So, I dusted off an old "musing" of mine and thought I would reprise it here.

Entering each New Year, if you're like me, you review your vision. You set new goals. You put a plan in place that excites you. You say to yourself, "This coming year will be different. I will achieve the goals I've set." But, after a few months, or maybe even just a few weeks, you lose your momentum. You find yourself off-plan. Your drive and enthusiasm wane and you feel yourself tiring. Your frustration with yourself - and towards others - grows.

In scripture, the prophet Jeremiah felt many of the same things. He pleaded with the people of Judah and especially those in Jerusalem to be obedient to God; but no one listened. In other words, his goals were not being met. In fact, just the opposite was happening. The people who ignored him were prospering - at least by the world's standards. Jeremiah, in a moment of great frustration, asked God to destroy the people who were being disobedient to God's commands. He wanted things changed.

God answered him:

"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in the safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?" -- Jeremiah 12:5 (NIV)

God basically tells Jeremiah to stop the whining and complaining and to get on with the job He has given him. He admonishes Jeremiah to consider only himself and his own preparation and activities and not to compare himself to the others.

Aren't we like Jeremiah? Don't we allow ourselves to be worn down by "racing with men on foot" when what we really want is to "compete with horses?"

Jeremiah 12:5 offers great motivation for me to pursue the things I'm called to do.

"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out..."

We've all experienced exhaustion - mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. We know what it means to be "worn out." But why do we tire so easily? Some of the reasons are:

- We are not prepared -- mentally, emotionally, physically, financially or spiritually. We are not disciplined toward building up our strength, stamina, persistence and perseverance.

It's time to be like the Boy Scouts: Always be prepared. You must train well and be disciplined in your training. Spend time in study, research, prayer. Ask questions and then ask better questions. Listen. Observe. Get your mind and heart, as well as your body, ready to compete.

- We're running too many races, too close together, and resting too little. With fatigue, come mistakes. With mistakes comes frustration. With frustration comes more fatigue, especially mental, emotional and spiritual.

A little planning and a little discipline goes along way. Plan your efforts. Work hard, play hard, rest well. Get plenty of sleep. Get your mind involved in things other than your work. You must find time this year to relax, rest and re-create as part of your regular life routine.

- We run the wrong races. Choose your battles, as the old saying goes.

In the seminal book, The Art of War, the ancient Chinese general, Sun Tzu, declares that "all battles are won before they are ever fought." Choose your fight, choose the time, choose the place. And choose the way you prepare for it.

- We don't set goals that go beyond racing with men on foot. In other words, we don't stretch ourselves. Just like some cell phone batteries, if you don't use them till they are completely out of charge, they will never be able to last longer than a few hours.

This coming year, stretch yourself as you prepare to compete with the thoroughbreds. Consider a rubber band: once stretched, a rubber band never returns to its original size; it's always a little longer. The same is true for you and me. Once we stretch ourselves, we never return to same person we were. We've grown.

- We find comfort in only racing with men on foot. In other words, we get complacent. Complacency is the ugly sibling to mediocrity.

Don't get comfortable. In fact, stay uncomfortable. It's through the disciplined working of the muscles that we grow stronger, faster and attain increased stamina.

So for 2009, I encourage you to "saddle up your horses" (to quote Steven Curtis Chapman) and get in the race...the race you're meant to run. Be disciplined with self-control. Pursue the year with enthusiasm and passion. Don't settle for complacency. Avoid mediocrity. Through Christ Jesus, you do have the power to compete with horses.


Be sure to check out my website at www.d2entertainment.com . Also, you can follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ddisney