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Finding Your “Why” to Fuel Your Progress

For many of us, the time spent in quarantine and the uncertainty of how COVID-19 would impact our lives served as a wake-up call. With the lifting of pandemic restrictions and availability of vaccinations, we face a return to some kind of normalcy and a unique opportunity to get intentional about our day-to-day routines. Nearly every day, I come across an article discussing how people are changing their lives in light of the pandemic: selling their homes to live the “van life,” quitting their jobs to start a new passion project, or simply saying ‘no’ to requests of others to better protect their own time and energy.

The pandemic disrupted our daily routines and has left us with a blank canvas on which to paint a new version of life. For many, it has illuminated the value of our health and wellness. As we emerge into a more normal existence, how can we ensure that our daily health habits are in alignment with our broader life goals and values? The first step is getting very clear about what is important in our lives, our ‘why.’

When I help patients set health goals, I always start with the WHY: what is important to you in your life and how will improving your health and your habits support this?

They may initially respond with an answer like, ‘to be healthier,’ or ‘to feel better,’ so I push them by further asking why this is important to them. I know we have reached the ‘why’ when my patients swell up with tears or become emotional. The ‘why’ is never really just about ‘being healthy’ or achieving a target cholesterol number. For almost everyone, optimizing health is about something much greater, it is usually tied to life purpose or relationships with loved ones.

Getting clear about your ‘why’ can dramatically increase your ability to achieve lifestyle goals and ensure that your way of living is serving this higher purpose.

At WellWay, we are working with countless clients who have used this unique period of time to reflect on their ‘why’ to drive positive change in their overall health. Many have chosen to make more time for themselves, establish healthier lifestyles, and ultimately improve their overall quality of life.

Coming out of the pandemic, most of us have been given a unique opportunity to pause, to reflect on our lives and our ‘why’, and to start fresh with a blank canvas. Let’s not waste it by reverting back to old habits. Let’s not be complacent. Now is a great time to make an assessment of our health -physically, mentally, and emotionally- and determine how our daily habits are, or are not, serving us. And then, make changes. Now is the time to find out your “why”!

Enlisting the help of family, friends, a therapist, life coach, or physician can help provide a game plan for making positive changes. The WellWay team is available for support. Email [email protected] to talk to a team member about services or find a WellWay location near you.