#286 The Reason Behind It

What’s the why behind it?

“I want to push to have this job, but what’s the why behind it?”

“I want to push to create this wealth, but what’s the why behind it?”

“I want to be a better parent, but what’s the why behind it?”

“I want to create this lifestyle, but what’s the why behind it?”

**I’m willing to wager that most people don’t have their why dialed in.**

Identify your why to go next-level

Once you identify the why behind why you’re doing something, it changes everything. It ignites something deep within, and helps you go to the next level.

It made me unstoppable, and it can make you unstoppable too. How so? The good and bad days started to run together, and I knew that I was signing up for a lifelong pursuit.

When I said I was going to change my entire situation, I meant it. My family’s situation, our financial IQ, our jobs, what we experience, and how we operate. I was determined to succeed.

Everything is different

Some things happen quicker than others.

The environment in 1999 is dramatically different than 2023. The world is different. The resources are endless. Back in ’99 there wasn’t YouTube. Google came on the scene in 1998. In 2023, you can buy a stock on Robinhood in a few clicks. You can find the answer to almost any question in a few minutes. You can learn about new subjects with free courses. The list goes on and on.

Things will never go back to the way they were.

The commitment changes everything

The barrier to entry is much lower in 2023 than it was in 1999. Use it to your advantage. Find and use every resource you can.

The key is the commitment. Find the why, then commit. True commitment dials in your focus and removes distractions.

Why do I want this job? I want this job because I was sick and tired of watching my family hate their jobs. Coal miners, construction, and all the side jobs that my dad tried – they just never enjoyed what they did. To be clear, I’m not saying that they didn’t work hard. My family worked their asses off for generations.

I love what I do

I thankfully enjoy what I do now. Sure, there’s things that I have to do that I don’t like, but that’s just part of the game. That’s business. That’s entrepreneurship. That’s part of what you sign up for.

Liking what you do is important.

I’ve had multiple conversations with my kids about this subject. I want them to make their own choices. Do they want to go to college or not? Do they want to get a job and work for a company? Do they want to create a job or start a business?

I want them to try.

If one of my kids wants to try something, my wife and I are going to support them. This is a monumental jump from the trailer back in the 90’s.

Why wealth?

I never heard any financial terms growing up, nor did I understand any of it.

My grandfather had his own business, but even he didn't really get into stocks and investing. There was zero financial education coming down the pipeline.

That’s why building and creating wealth is so important to me. I’m learning and making mistakes on repeat. My financial IQ increases with every lesson and mistake.

Then I'm going to teach what I learn to the next generation.

Rich people teach their kids how to be rich and wealthy at a young age. It gets passed down generation to generation. People that understand money have money.

It’s up to you to educate yourself. Read the books, listen to podcasts, and find a financial advisor. It’s imperative that you understand how these things operate.

What about parenting?

Growing up, there were some things that I didn’t like that my dad did with us kids. I couldn’t wait to have the chance to do things differently when I became a dad. This is very important to me.

Parts of my dad creep in from time to time. It’s genetic, but it also gives me the opportunity to recognize it, then do things differently with my kids.

The lifestyle

My family never traveled growing up. We never were able to get out and see the world. We never traveled internationally. Vacations simply didn’t exist. There weren’t any breaks, and there was no downtime. It was work, struggle, work. On repeat.

Were we happy? Yes, from time to time.

But being in the trenches for so long – with no break or time to relax – starts to wear on you. It wasn’t the way I wanted to live my entire life. I wanted to work hard, then go out and experience things. I wanted to give my family the experiences I didn’t have growing up.

That's why I moved to Columbus and started multiple businesses over the past 20+ years.