Photos by: The Bearded Bousman Photo Co.

Yesterday, I agonized for a good thirty minutes, at least, over whether or not to post a photo to Instagram. I didn't go back and forth over which picture to post. I went back and forth over whether I should post a photo at all. While it might seem ridiculous to even think twice about posting a photo to Instagram, it's actually one of the pillars for my blog's success.

When I started this blog, I knew I had to come up with a reason behind everything I would do from the very beginning. Otherwise, I knew I would be paralyzed with doubt and fear far too often. The two business and blogging coaches who really drove this point home for me are Christy Wright from Business Boutique and Darren Rowse from ProBlogger.

They call this your "WHY." It's a foundational statement that explains why you do what you do. The best business owners, they say, know their WHY. When times get tough or they are unsure which direction to take, they look to their purpose. So, I got my thinking cap on and came up with my WHY:

WHY do I do what I do?

To earn the freedom to be there for the important moments in my family's and friends' lives.

Posting one photo a day is just one of many ways I walk, step-by-step, toward my WHY! So when I don't feel like doing it, I remind myself of my WHY. That usually puts into perspective whatever task I'm doing.

On the other hand, when I don't feel like I am allowed to say "no" to someone, I can also refer to my WHY. If the someone or something (event) is getting in the way of time with my friends and family, I can politely say no.

Of course, there are always exceptions. I want to work and do a good job at blogging. That means all my time cannot be spent with friends and family. It's those weeks where I look up and realize I have had no time for the important people in my life, I know something needs to change next week.

So, WHY do you?

What is your main goal? I want you to think about that for a minute. It might not come to you today or tomorrow, and it might change! But give it some serious thought right now.

Once you've found your WHY, you need to get specific: How are you going to make that happen? What steps can you take today to reach it? (We talked about this, last year, here.)

If you want to learn how to effectively set goals to reach your WHY, I recommend listening to Christy Wright's podcast on How to Write and Reach your Goals. or to Darren Rowse's podcast on How to Set Blog Changing Goals for the New Year.

I love that this subject traverses all aspects of life: from convincing your kids to eat their veggies, to treating your partner with kindness, to committing to daily physical activity. There is always a reason to know WHY you're doing what you are. I am so interested to know what your WHY is and what steps you're taking to get there. Let me know in the comments below!

*If you liked this post, you may also like the post Are Your Goals Too Small To Be Useful?

Thanks for stopping by!