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What Is Your “Why?”

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We’ve been talking about the idea of reinvention (see my posts here and here to catch up) and how sometimes finding the right job is about viewing our gifts and passions from a different angle. Many times, this journey of discovery opens up new options and opportunities that weren’t on our radar before.

The question is—where do you begin? How do you even start a journey of rediscovery and reinvention?

And for that, I’d like to recommend an author to you: Simon Sinek. His books Start with Why and Find Your Why have been world-changing, not just for me personally, but also for pretty much everyone to whom I’ve recommended them. I find that most of my career coaching clients are on some journey of self-discovery (or rediscovery), and Sinek puts things in a way that really makes these high-minded concepts very accessible. I won’t summarize these books here—you’ll just have to get them and read them—but let’s just talk for a minute about what we mean by “finding your why” and why it’s so important.

We All Have a “Why”

When we talk about starting with “why,” we’re really talking about motivation. What gets us up in the morning? What motivates us to do what we do? What is the one thing we’re more passionate about than anything else?

Surprisingly (or perhaps not surprisingly), most people don’t actually know the answer to these questions. They are so busy doing things that they have perhaps never stopped to consider why they do them. And yet, we all have a why—a primary motivation—and for that reason alone, “why” is one of the most important questions we should be asking. (Why do you suppose the number one question in the mouths of 2- and 3-year old kids is “Why?”)

Motivation is everything. The why is everything.

When we figure out what truly makes us tick, it changes our priorities. As a result, it often causes us to change what we do and how we do it.

In the context of Sinek, he’s talking mainly about businesses and careers (which is another reason I like him for my clients). The idea is that when we know our why and we choose a career path or a business based on that why, we are happier, more productive, and more fulfilled in life.

“Why” Is a Key to Reinventing

When I ask my clients to go through the process of discovering their why, usually one of two things happen:

  1. They realize that their why has already affected their previous career choices, and that’s why they chose that career…and they start to look for other ways to express that why; OR
  2. They realize they haven’t been following their why, and that’s why they were unhappy in their job…and they start exploring new career options that are a better fit for their why.

In either case, if you’re one of the millions of people in the “Great Resignation” who are vacating their previous jobs and looking for ways to reinvent…finding your why is the key to your next chapter.

Finding your why means going back to basics, peeling back the layers to find out what your true passion is. Doing this provides context to the choices you’ve made in the past as well as serving as a guide to what you will do in the future. When you know your why, it can also give you a broader perspective in exploring what to do next with your life, opening up possible career paths that you hadn’t even thought of before. Knowing your why helps you choose a path that will help you be happier and more fulfilled. Simply put, passion leads to purpose.

When I transitioned out of working in HR into becoming a career coach, this is basically what I did. When I knew my job wasn’t going to last, I began soul searching, looking at what I loved about my job and why I loved it. I also looked at my skill sets and what I was good at. Then I started imagining other situations where I could apply those skills and those passions. The word coach started coming up constantly. It led me to where I am today—and it couldn’t have been a better choice for my life.

Fair warning: digging for your why isn’t as easy as it sounds. Mainly it’s because we humans aren’t always honest with ourselves, at least at first. It can be helpful to have someone alongside you as you take that journey of discovery—and that’s a key part of what I do as a career coach. If you’d like some extra help figuring out your why, email me at terrylynn@giraffesconsulting.com, and let’s set up a free 30-minute consultation.

handing out resumes

Over 55? Don’t Count Yourself Out of a Job

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handing out resumes

There’s a commonly held belief—we call it “conventional wisdom,” although I’m not sure there’s anything particularly “wise” about it—that the older we are, the less appealing we are to prospective employers. Those who are in the “over 55” category are often afraid to leave jobs they hate because they’re afraid they won’t get re-hired. And if you get laid off and you’re over 55, the assumption is you either go into business for yourself, or you retire early and try to make the best of it.

Well, a recent news report from USA Today just might debunk all those presumptions. According to the article, a significant number of older women are taking full advantage of today’s low unemployment rates by re-entering the workforce, many after being absent for a long time. Some are returning to work to recover losses from the recession of a few years back; others may be seeking a new sense of independence after a divorce or other life change. Whatever the reasons, the number of women over age 55 getting hired jumped by a whopping 4.2 percent last year—this compared to only a 1.8 percent increased employment among women of all ages.

And although the USA Today article focuses on older women, older men haven’t been ruled out, either. The Labor Department says employment of men over age 55 also rose by 3.3 percent last year.

What does all this mean? To be brutally honest, it means if you’ve been disqualifying yourself from employment due to your age, you just lost your biggest excuse for not trying. If the job market is embracing that many people over the age of 55, there’s room in the market for you!

Of course, that doesn’t mean employers are going to come knocking at your door to offer you a job. You have to put yourself out there just like everyone else. It does mean, however, that you no longer need to assume the job you’re applying for is automatically going to a young upstart. Don’t count yourself out!

As a career coach, I work regularly with mature people who are pursuing their third or fourth careers. I can teach you how to play to your strengths and position yourself competitively in a field of job candidates of all ages. For a free 30-minute consultation, give me a call at 646-320-1126.