Happy Sunday. We ask you… What is your “Why”?

When you do something out of the norm, like starting a business from home, or working on an online venture. Or even crazier stuff like I did... quitting a great paying job, with benefits in the middle of the worst recession in recent times, to work at home and starting from scratch. When you do this, you must wonder --actually before you do this-- what is your why?

When you have your why, your passion, your reason, that is when you'll make breakthroughs. It sounds so idealistic, but it's true. It is also essential.

Remember the movie A Beautiful Mind? In the closing sequence. He says: "I'm only here tonight because of you. You are the reason I am. You are all my reasons." He is speaking to his wife, and if you remember the story, you know how he lived through decades of paranoia, delusions and mental problems, despite being a genius. Yet deep inside, something kept him going, something made him fight through tick and thin. And it was her, that was his WHY.

I know it's just a movie, but it illustrates the point clearly. You can't have a reason that is selfish, not because that's inherently selfish, but because the spirit of humans isn't as strong when IT is for Oneself only. There must be a reason beyond ourselves that drives us.

In my case, my why is my family. My wife is everything to me, and my daughter has given me a new and even stronger reason. They are both my whys. We always have other reasons, and very valid they may be. Maybe your reasons are different, but they must stand the test of all the challenges, trials and tribulations that come your way.

Starting a business online, or from home just to make money, or just to quit your day job isn't going to work. There must be more behind it. Maybe it is your passion to travel, or your desire to spend more time at home with your kids or wife. What is your Why?

[pullquote position="right"]I'm only here tonight because of you. You are the reason I am. You are all my reasons.[/pullquote]

So I ask you, and John asks you in the video, what is your why? -- It's funny that he made this video as I was about to write a post about how clients come to me with crazy projects all the time and my first question is "why?" and they can't answer it 95% of the time. What is the reason? what is the why? If they can't answer this clearly I don't work with them.

You must have this answer crystal clear if you want to succeed on anything you do.