What is your WHY?

[FreshStart87]

As I've been working on my business, I've noticed my whys have changed. I am now focusing on whys with more significance as compared to material whys. I wrote this thread to find out what others whys in the forum are?
Mine are as follows:
1. More security for my wife and daughter
2. Help my wife get out of her job
3. Get myself out of my job
4. Have the confidence to earn money on my own terms
5.Teach my daughter and/or future children about the importance of freedom.

 

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[JSM]

1. I hate the idea of working for someone else. I'd like to keep it that my dad is my only boss in my lifetime(Family farm).

2. Prove that college isn't needed to make the big bucks. My school is huge on going to college.

3. I want the freedom of being able to do what I want everyday.

 

[Niptuck MD]

As I've been working on my business, I've noticed my whys have changed. I am now focusing on whys with more significance as compared to material whys. I wrote this thread to find out what others whys in the forum are?
Mine are as follows:
1. More security for my wife and daughter
2. Help my wife get out of her job
3. Get myself out of my job
4. Have the confidence to earn money on my own terms
5.Teach my daughter and/or future children about the importance of freedom.

I believe your # 5 should be your # 1. FREEDOM is one of the most important WHYS imaginable. What is freedom is another topic of its own... Getting on the Fastlane will increase one's freedom undoubtedly and therefore that is my main WHY. Furthermore, freedom enables us to achieve more and make even bigger strides with our time.

my close #2 why is WHY NOT?!!! many people have become millionaires and even billionaires WHY NOT I?

 

[FreshStart87]

I believe your # 5 should be your # 1. FREEDOM is one of the most important WHYS imaginable. What is freedom is another topic of its own... Getting on the Fastlane will increase one's freedom undoubtedly and therefore that is my main WHY. Furthermore, freedom enables us to achieve more and make even bigger strides with our time.

my close #2 why is WHY NOT?!!! many people have become millionaires and even billionaires WHY NOT I?

I didn't have an order to them, just listed my why's

 

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[jpanarra]

WHY NOT!

 

[TonyStark]

I believe your # 5 should be your # 1. FREEDOM is one of the most important WHYS imaginable. What is freedom is another topic of its own... Getting on the Fastlane will increase one's freedom undoubtedly and therefore that is my main WHY. Furthermore, freedom enables us to achieve more and make even bigger strides with our time.

my close #2 why is WHY NOT?!!! many people have become millionaires and even billionaires WHY NOT I?

How are you gonna tell a grown a$$ man his number 1 priority shouldn't be his own family?

 

[Niptuck MD]

How are you gonna tell a grown a$$ man his number 1 priority shouldn't be his own family?

is freedom not beneficial to man's family? @jasoncuellar123

 

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[MidwestLandlord]

Good topic.

Funny, I spent several hours in the car today and listened to the section of TMF where MJ talks about "why", so it's been on my mind today.

Ask me this 5 years ago, and I would of said: MONEY! CARS! WOMEN! STATUS!

Blah, blah, blah.

Now?

Because I'm lying to myself if I DON'T do it.

There's other reasons for sure, like my kids' security, ensuring my kids and their kids avoid the sidewalker mentality that has plagued my family, having a nerve disease that will likely kill me early, charity & my religion, security, control, ego, insecurities, materialism, desire to travel and meet new people, desire to leave sub-zero temperatures and never return, etc.

But really, it's because I feel like I have to...in order to be congruent with who I am.

(Whew! now that I said all this emotional mindset stuff, I gotta go lift weights or do some other manly shit )

 

[GMSI7D]

. I want the freedom of being able to do what I want everyday.

you got it

this is my number 1 reason


as a human, i am not on earth to be a stupid monkey working all the day until old age.


according to the official version , we only live once


so i want to do what i want with my time



scenario :

someone tells me to choose between two things


1) " man, come to work for me , i will pay you 100 000 dollars a month for a stupid job but you have to give me your time for the next 30 years "

2) " man, i pay your bills, i give you 2000 dollars a month but you do whatever you want with your time for ever "


i will always and i mean ALWAYS choose the second option

always

 

[Siberia]

I believe your # 5 should be your # 1. FREEDOM is one of the most important WHYS imaginable. What is freedom is another topic of its own... Getting on the Fastlane will increase one's freedom undoubtedly and therefore that is my main WHY. Furthermore, freedom enables us to achieve more and make even bigger strides with our time.

my close #2 why is WHY NOT?!!! many people have become millionaires and even billionaires WHY NOT I?

I believe your # 5 should be your # 1. FREEDOM is one of the most important WHYS imaginable. What is freedom is another topic of its own... Getting on the Fastlane will increase one's freedom undoubtedly and therefore that is my main WHY. Furthermore, freedom enables us to achieve more and make even bigger strides with our time.

my close #2 why is WHY NOT?!!! many people have become millionaires and even billionaires WHY NOT I?

As an entrepreneur I have always been in contrast especially in the face of so-called technicians.

These people explain you everything with their technical because.

Because it always so .....!
Because you do not so ...!
Because the state of the art' different ....!

Because, because, because ..... I should do so'?

Why not?
Why I can not do it in another way?
Why I can not do it my way?
Why not i ?

I always invite you to break the imaginary chains that you have faced in the mind ... nothing and 'impossible ... especially as FastLaners.

 

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[Paul David]

Good topic.

Funny, I spent several hours in the car today and listened to the section of TMF where MJ talks about "why", so it's been on my mind today.

Ask me this 5 years ago, and I would of said: MONEY! CARS! WOMEN! STATUS!

Blah, blah, blah.

Now?

Because I'm lying to myself if I DON'T do it.

There's other reasons for sure, like my kids' security, ensuring my kids and their kids avoid the sidewalker mentality that has plagued my family, having a nerve disease that will likely kill me early, charity & my religion, security, control, ego, insecurities, materialism, desire to travel and meet new people, desire to leave sub-zero temperatures and never return, etc.

But really, it's because I feel like I have to...in order to be congruent with who I am.

(Whew! now that I said all this emotional mindset stuff, I gotta go lift weights or do some other manly shit )

THIS.

 

[Paul David]

I wrote this a while ago on another thread regarding your WHY.

The "Why" is an extremely important in anything. I read a book a couple of years ago (i think it was from Robert Kiyosaki) and there was a parable about a woman who's husband had died and he was from an extremely wealthy family. The parents of her husband didn't think she was able to bring their 2 children up alone so they challenged custody of which they were guaranteed to win. One day the Father of her deceased husband set her a challenge, earn $1m in 3 months (or a particular timescale) and i will drop the custody battle and you will have proved to me how much you love the Children and how capable you are of bringing them up. The woman set out on her mission. Did she earn the money? Of course she did. Her "WHY" was big enough.

This is why daily affirmations are good, you are constantly focusing on the "WHY" ie the reasons why you are doing all this. It's not easy working 12 hour days and the world can be a lonely place at times for Fastlaners. You need a big enough "WHY" so you don't quit when the going get's tough which it almost certainly will. It's not just business either, it applies to almost anything for example losing weight, I know if i just decide to lose weight because i want to i last for a few weeks maybe a month but if i'm in training for a Marathon then i'll keep at until the Marathon has been completed which may be 5 months down the line. Create your "WHY" big enough and the better chance you have of achieving it.

For example and this is extreme but i'm using it to make a point, if your child was in urgent need of a life saving operation and you had to find a Doctor capable of operating the complicated procedure, or raise money for it. Would you be sitting at home watching the TV? Would you be wondering whether or not to find the Doctor? Give up because you don't know how you can raise the money? NO you wouldn't. You'd be doing everything possible to find a solution and make the operation happen. The film Lorenzo's oil with Nick Nolte is a real life story about it.

What about the woman who lifted a car of a child with her bare hands? Again her "WHY" was big enough. She saved a life. Could she lift the car again if the situation was repeated and the child wasn't stuck under the car? No.

Human beings are capable of the most extraordinary things, make your "WHY" big enough and become one of them.

 

[Michael Chiciak]

Freedom. I am not materialistic. What I dont need are 3 paragraph emails questioning my work ethic when I do not answer an email over thanksgiving when we are off and im salaried. I left that job shortly after, but I cringe at having to depend on people that are assholes.

My short term goal is having freedom to walk away instantly from any job. I had to stay at that other shit place for 3 more months while I searched for other jobs, eff that.

Long term is never need a job.

 

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[G-Man]

I agree that freedom is my #1 motivation because of my family and my humanity.

Every morning, when I leave for my 9-5, I see my wife and my little boy asleep in the bed.
Then I go sit in traffic for 45 minutes to go approximately 8 miles. It is dehumanizing. I'm a cow in a herd waiting for the other cows to look up from their cellphones to realize the light has turned green.
I get to work and I stare at spreadsheets for 10+ hrs trying to soldier on till we can get the company to liquidation and I get my walking away bonus.
Then I get home, it's dark out, my wife and son are already in bed a lot of the time, and I work on my other business, and I learn and work on my own personal effectiveness.

I do all of these things so that 5 years from now I'll have the financial freedom that allows me to be with them while the sun's still out.

That's my "why".

 

[Michael Chiciak]

I agree that freedom is my #1 motivation because of my family and my humanity.

Every morning, when I leave for my 9-5, I see my wife and my little boy asleep in the bed.
Then I go sit in traffic for 45 minutes to go approximately 8 miles. It is dehumanizing. I'm a cow in a herd waiting for the other cows to look up from their cellphones to realize the light has turned green.
I get to work and I stare at spreadsheets for 10+ hrs trying to soldier on till we can get the company to liquidation and I get my walking away bonus.
Then I get home, it's dark out, my wife and son are already in bed a lot of the time, and I work on my other business, and I learn and work on my own personal effectiveness.

I do all of these things so that 5 years from now I'll have the financial freedom that allows me to be with them while the sun's still out.

That's my "why".

Inspiring, thanks for that. It is depressing when you put it down on paper what a 9 to 5 really takes away.

 

[623baller]

Don't mind the hard work and hustle but doing that for the next 20~40 years at a slow lane job just to stay afloat sucks

Not getting enough/proper reward even for hustling at a slow lane job

cant scale my income in the slow lane

comfortable but not happy with current situation

 

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[G-Man]

I'm sitting here browsing TFLF at 4am because I can't sleep. I can't sleep because things have continued to take a dark turn. For context, I work at a startup 9-5 (more like 8-8 M-Sa) for a considerably below market rate. I do this because the goal is to build the distribution to sell the company to a major player. In that event, I stand to make low 7 figures in the buyout depending on the multiple,etc. If we don't make it there, then I've spent all this time working at sub 50% of my market rate, and will have nothing to show for it.

On Friday, we're going to fire 2 of the company's 6 employees, and ask the other 4 to take a 30% pay cut. I fully expect that after that, there will only be 2 of us left in the building. What the others don't realize is that these dark times are an opportunity. An opportunity to be a founder. An opportunity to be a game changer. An opportunity to do something so much bigger than a $40k/yr job. But their "why" is broken. If your "why" is a nicer car in the short run, a nicer apartment in the short run, nicer this and that in the short run, you don't see opportunity for what it is, because the opportunity comes disguised as a shit job with no stability, with insane people that expect you to stand on your own feet and figure shit out for yourself.

On the other hand, they're all sound asleep right now while I'm pacing around my living room and talking to strangers on the internet.

 

[Pilot35]

1. I want to create a better future for me and my family.
2. My dad worked hard all his life and fulfilled his responsibility as a father. He never gets to live his dream to travel the world. It's time for me to fulfill MY responsibility and realize his dream, before it's too late.
3. I dreaded every day at high school. When I found out that the workplace is just the same as high school, I'm know I'm going to do whatever it takes to avoid getting trapped in the Slowlane.

 

[Andy Black]

In the second radio interview linked to in my signature, Mary brings up the word "freedom".

I ask her, "Freedom to do what?"

It might be worth a listen.




I'll come back and add more later...

 

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[Rawr]

I hate limits, and am crazy enough to think you can go through them.

 

[LifeTransformer]

As I've been working on my business, I've noticed my whys have changed. I am now focusing on whys with more significance as compared to material whys. I wrote this thread to find out what others whys in the forum are?
Mine are as follows:
1. More security for my wife and daughter
2. Help my wife get out of her job
3. Get myself out of my job
4. Have the confidence to earn money on my own terms
5.Teach my daughter and/or future children about the importance of freedom.

At the risk of sounding like an a**hole; I hope you don't use any of these whys to fuel your fastlane ventures.

These are personal whys, which are great. But they're not going to get you anywhere because they are only focusing on you.

I'd suggest finding an external why that is bigger than yourself.

My whys used to be material, they got me nowhere.

My whys changed to more personal things like you have mentioned above, things improved. But the fire under my a$$ was merely a smoldering pile of charcoal, easily walked across barefoot if you dared.

Now, my whys are bigger than myself.

 

[Ayanle Farah]

My "Why?" in the beginning was to be able to follow my own path and do whatever I wanted with my life, essentially freedom.

Then it evolved to being able to provide for my family if they ever need me.

Then it evolved to being completely independent.

Now my only why is winning and it works like a charm.

 

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[Andy Black]

In the second radio interview linked to in my signature, Mary brings up the word "freedom".

I ask her, "Freedom to do what?"

It might be worth a listen.




I'll come back and add more later...

Here's that radio interview in case you can't see my signature:

• www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/audio-freedom-motivation-grow-what-you-know.70094

 

[AndrewNC]

Last month, I met a young woman named Sara who is from Germany.

Sarah has dreams of helping starting a business. Sara has the passion and desire to help a demographic of customers. She talks about it, she dreams about it, and she wants to do it.

The only problem?

She isn't actually doing it.

It's always something that gets in the way. She doesn't have the time, she doesn't have the money, she doesn't have the experience in growing a business. In fact, she never even started a business before.

She procrastinates, she makes excuses, and she doubts herself.

What Sara doesn't know is how quickly it is to get started. To break free from that pattern she's been stuck in.

I have the means to help, and Sara needs my help.

I do what I do for Sara. And the millions of others like her.

 

[applesack]

I hate the idea of working for someone else. I'd like to keep it that my dad is my only boss in my lifetime(Family farm).

Your dad could be the coolest guy in the world. But, don't work for you dad either, work with him. The cooler he is, the more appealing this will be to him.

My why? Efficiency.

I always look for the most efficient, effective path. There are some people that are crazy athletic, and they absolutely should try to play pro ball... at least to get things started. To me, the most efficient path is the right path. The most efficient path for Frodo to get into Mordor was... unexpectedly crazy and out of the way... but it was the right path. For me, the fastlane ideas demonstrate the most efficient path in a number of ways.

I always tell my kids that the stuff I tell them might be wrong, and that as they grow up they need to figure out everything for themselves. Then I go on to tell them how to discover truth, how to be critical but not dismissive, and how to be satisfied with truth when they find it. I tell them that they are as important to my future as I am to theirs... their path is as important as mine, and if I to this parenting thing right, it will be the same path.

 

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[JSM]

Your dad could be the coolest guy in the world. But, don't work for you dad either, work with him. The cooler he is, the more appealing this will be to him.

I do work with him. Im 16 and I help on the family farm. Don't get much of a choice but to help out.

 

[applesack]

I do work with him. Im 16 and I help on the family farm. Don't get much of a choice but to help out.

Very cool. I have a son who is 15, and he does his fair share of work on our farm... so. I love it. I always tell him though, that he always has a place here and my support, but that he can't live my life and my dreams... he has to figure those out for himself. So, anyway, High Five to your direction!

 

[FreshStart87]

At the risk of sounding like an a**hole; I hope you don't use any of these whys to fuel your fastlane ventures.

These are personal whys, which are great. But they're not going to get you anywhere because they are only focusing on you.

I'd suggest finding an external why that is bigger than yourself.

My whys used to be material, they got me nowhere.

My whys changed to more personal things like you have mentioned above, things improved. But the fire under my a$$ was merely a smoldering pile of charcoal, easily walked across barefoot if you dared.

Now, my whys are bigger than myself.

I can handle the constructive criticism. The point of the thread was to share my why's and learn about what why's others had, Therefore I am getting a lesson in both. I truly do believe that the fast lane does not care about my why's. Anyhow from here on out I'd like to see examples of greater whys or perhaps I will read that chapter in the book over.

 

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[BigFrog]

3. I dreaded every day at high school. When I found out that the workplace is just the same as high school, I'm know I'm going to do whatever it takes to avoid getting trapped in the Slowlane.

This is what I utterly despise about the corporate world - it IS just like high school. And the bigger the company the worse it is. Sitting in a god damned cafeteria eating lunch from a tray or paper bag every day. Then there's the office politics, bullying, cheating, taking credit for other people's work, etc. It's like being trapped in a building full of children for decades on end. The only difference is that they're wearing suits. I wish I could smash the system to pieces and free everyone from that bullshit existence. Maybe that's my why - to show my friends and family that it really can be done.

 

[jlwilliams]

When I was young I thought freedom was my greatest why. At the time it worked for me. I thought I had it, and from my perspective at the time I was free. In retrospect, I see it differently.

Now, being in the tumultuous time my family and I are in, my goals are different as is my why. Now it's power. I strive to increase my personal and financial power and I'm no longer shy or apologetic to say it. In essence, freedom without power is not freedom. I have responsibilities. I have a son to raise and so much to teach him. I have grand children. I have a sick sister and a healthy but aging mother. My father is in his declining years as are my wife's parents. I need to do things for them. I need to travel to them and I need to pay for so many things. I need to get my home fixed, because even though I bought for cash in hopes of having no headache, there is a structural defect that the inspector failed to see. So on and so on. I build my personal power, because I need the money and the authority to get things done.

In "The Wolf of Wall Street" Jordan Belfort is portrayed as going on a monologue about how money is good because you can do such and such with it. It's true enough, but only in as much as money is a tool of power. I used to think money and power were in essence the same. I now see that is superficial and incomplete. Power is an attribute, money is an instrument. Both can be grown by consistent leveraged effort.