30-Days to Harmony, Day 8
The Meaning of Life, Finding Your Why and Committing to It
Welcome to Day 8 of our journey towards life-work harmony. Today, we’ll be exploring the meaning of life and the importance of defining and committing to your "why" to create meaning. Understanding the core reason that drives you is the foundation of true harmony. It serves as the compass guiding your decisions, giving you the strength to say yes or no based on what aligns with your true self.
Throughout my own journey, I’ve learned that the ability to create boundaries, stand firm, and make decisions confidently is grounded in having a clear purpose—something I call "your why." For many of us, we often forget to ask ourselves the deeper questions that can reveal our true motivations and guide our life in the right direction.
In Chapter 7, I dive into what it means to truly commit to your why. Let’s go deeper into this topic together.
"Until you are clear on your vision and priorities, your ability to have strong and courageous conversations with family or friends will be limited." - Trina Celeste
What is Your Why?
Finding your why is about connecting with what matters most to you. It’s not about doing what society expects or trying to please everyone around you; it’s about looking inward and understanding your deepest values and desires. It’s the reason you get up in the morning, the passion that propels you when things get hard.
Think about your current goals and pursuits. Why are you pursuing them? Are they your own goals, or do they belong to someone else—a parent, a partner, society? The distinction matters, because when challenges inevitably arise, only goals that are truly yours will keep you going.
In my journey to launch Tech-Moms, the "why" was always crystal clear: I wanted to give women the opportunity to create new careers and life paths for themselves and their families. I saw the struggles that many of my friends and peers were experiencing, wanting to re-enter the workforce or to pivot into technology but not having the means or support to do so. That clarity kept me moving through the long nights and moments of uncertainty.
Committing to Your Why: Why It’s Important
Once you find your why, committing to it is the next step. But this step is often where many people falter. Committing means prioritizing your vision over distractions and even over comfort. It means making sacrifices to ensure your dream moves forward.
Commitment is uncomfortable, but that discomfort is often where the most profound growth happens. When I first started working with women in Tech-Moms, the task felt monumental. I was juggling my career, my family, and a brand new program that needed my full energy and attention. There were many nights I wanted to quit. But I kept reminding myself of why I was doing this—to transform the lives of the women who were brave enough to change their paths. My why gave me the power to commit, even when it was tough.
Commitment also means being able to speak courageously. Until you know your vision and priorities, those difficult conversations—with your boss, your family, or even yourself—become harder to navigate. Clear priorities, rooted in your why, empower you to say "no" when needed and to set the boundaries that protect your dreams.
Strengthening Your Why Through Action
Reflect on Your Why: Take a moment today to write down your why. What drives you? Why do you want life-work harmony? Why do you want to succeed in your career or in any other area of life? This exercise may seem simple, but putting your why on paper brings clarity and makes it real.
Set a Goal Aligned with Your Why: Once you’ve identified your why, set a clear goal that aligns with it. Make sure it’s specific and actionable. When your goals are connected to your why, they become much more motivating.
Commit by Saying No: Part of committing to your why involves knowing what you need to let go of. Where can you say no in your life right now? Are there activities, people, or expectations that are pulling you away from your true purpose? Saying no to what doesn’t serve you is a powerful act of commitment to yourself.
Revisit Your Why Regularly: Life gets busy, and distractions can make us lose sight of our purpose. Set aside time each week to reflect on your why. Write it in your journal or put it on a sticky note where you’ll see it often. Keeping it visible will help keep it top of mind.
Story from My Life: When My Why Got Me Through
The year I was writing the book, "Orchestrating Life-Work Harmony," I was having my own challenges as I supported my father as he battled cancer. As I drove him back and forth from radiation appointments he shared a simple story of wisdom in keeping looking forward to our future. My father grew up on a small farm in Idaho, the eldest of eleven children, working the fields and driving a tractor for Del Monte Foods as a youth. He sgared that as he would drive the tractor, his job was to carefully sow straight rows into the soil. His secret, he would tell me, was to always keep his eyes on the horizon ahead. "If I looked to the side or behind me to see how the rows next to me were doing, or looked behind me on how I had done, I would end up with crooked lines," he said. "But when I kept my eyes focused straight ahead, on where I was going, the rows would come out straight as an arrow."
This story has resonated with me and carried forward as an impact since he passed away a few months after sharing this story. His simple message has reminded me of the power of focusing on my why and where I am going, especially during times when I found myself comparing my progress to others or getting caught up in past mistakes. My father's lesson taught me that looking sideways at others or behind at what we’ve done wrong leads to distraction, anxiety, and crooked lines in our lives. If we want to create something meaningful—something straight and true—we need to keep our gaze on our horizon, our future, and our own path.
Overcoming Obstacles with Your Why
There will be times when committing to your why feels overwhelming. Maybe it’s because of a lack of resources, fears, or the uncertainty of not knowing what comes next. Here are a few ways to push through those obstacles:
Break It Down: Overwhelm often comes when we think too big. Take your why and break it down into small, actionable steps. Focus on what you can do today rather than worrying about the entire journey.
Lean on Your Support System: There is strength in community. Find those people in your life who believe in your why and can support you when the going gets tough. For me, it was my community of women leaders and friends who kept me motivated, always reminding me of the importance of my work.
Reconnect When Doubt Arises: Doubt is natural. During those times, reconnect with your why. Reflect on why you started and what’s at stake if you give up. The bigger the reason, the more determined you’ll be to keep moving.
Commit to Your Why, Commit to Yourself
Committing to your why is one of the most empowering things you can do. It gives you clarity, confidence, and a sense of purpose that is unshakeable. No one else can do this for you—only you can find your why and choose to honor it every single day.
When you find your why, you’ll see that the decisions you need to make become clearer. You’ll feel a newfound strength in setting boundaries and protecting your time and energy. And most importantly, you’ll be living in harmony with yourself.
Tune In Moment
Today, take some time to reflect on your why. Write down what matters most to you. What is the core reason driving you forward? Once you have it written down, identify one small action you can take this week to honor your commitment to that why. It could be setting a boundary, starting a new project, or simply taking a break to care for yourself.
Your why is your guiding light. Hold onto it, commit to it, and use it as your compass for every decision you make.
Are you ready to find your why and create the life you deserve? Book a one-on-one Life-Harmony Consult with me, Trina Celeste, and let’s work together to help you discover and commit to your purpose. Use code “HARMONY30” for 30% off your session—let’s get started on your journey to life-work harmony, together.
Comments