The "WHY" of what you do


Simon Sinek explains that the reason Apple's message is stronger than that of Dell for example, is because Apple first sells why they are doing what they're doing, then how they are doing it and lastly what the are selling. The same is true for every decision we make in our personal life. Instead of continuously looking at what is in front of us and what we can do about it we should  rather start by asking "why". For example:
  • Why will this outcome help me?
  • Why is this important to me?
  • Why am I spending time on this?
  • Why should I care?
  • Why does this matter?
If we fuel our decisions with the "why" it means that we do things and make decisions based on whether it contributes meaning to our lives.

Next time you have to make a decision on where to spend your time, take a few minutes to answer "why", and leave the "what" and the "how" for last. 

"Why" does this information matter to you? Because our brain is configured in such a way that irrespective of how rational a decision might seem, we still make emotional calls. We buy Apple computers because our emotional brain convinces us that it is the most logical decision to make. We make automatic subconscious decisions when something seems to add more value to our lives than simply buying a microchip and screen. If its important to us to get meaning from the things we buy, shouldn't we also get meaning from the decisions we make on a day to day basis? (If you don't agree, just ask yourself "why"?) 

Watch this 5min video of Simon Sinek on why the "why" matters: