Why?

What do you want to do?

How many times have you heard that question?

A lot. The answer is a lot.

I have answered this so many times, and I have given so many different answers.

Ballerina, ice cream shop owner (no idea), sea otter rescuer, marine biologist, writer, author, blogger, teacher, professor, account executive, CEO, choreographer, fashion designer, business consultant.

You get it.

While I think this question is important, while I believe it helps show us the possibility in the world and teaches us to dream, I also wish that we were asked another question just as often—if not more.

Why do you want to do it?

So often we get caught up in titles, choosing a major, searching for our “dream job” that often doesn’t exist.

I am someone that struggles with this often.

What am I here to do? What am I meant to do?

Maybe, I’m not meant to do anything.

In a technical sense.

I don’t believe that there is one occupation for me. I don’t believe that there is one accomplishment or one title I need to find and attain in order to live a fulfilling life.

Why do you want to do it?

I wish I had been asked this more often.

Do you want to help the environment? Animals? People? Do you want to be active? Outside?

Why do you want to do it?

I recently took some time to figure out my “why” in life. And for someone that constantly wants to accomplish more, this has made all the difference.

It has given me peace.

Peace within myself that I might not attain every title or milestone in my career, peace that there might not be one dream job out there for me.

Peace that no matter what I do, I’ll be living my “why” each day. That I’ll do what I was brought here to do.

And my “why,” well it was what I had been doing all along. It was what brought me harmony and happiness each day.

When I stepped away from the question of what I do I want to do, I was able to see what I was already doing—what I was already living.

I was able to realize that if I lived my “why” each day, it didn’t really matter exactly what was printed on my business card.

It gave me peace that my life won’t be wasted. That it matters.

And yours does too.

I encourage you to do this. To not worry so much about the perfect job or the perfect setting, because if you find your “why” and you honor it—it will probably come to you.

So why do you want to do it?