The first full week of the year 2021 is gone. A great time to dig deep into your reason for being.

Why do you do the things you do?

Why do you go to work?

Why do you stay at home with the kids?

Why do you go to the gym?

Why do you not go to the gym?

Why are you concerned about your health?

Why are you not worried about your health?

These questions are very different for all of us.

The answer for most people to any of these questions is family or friends. It usually takes me asking why three times to get to a loved one.

After I ask why four or five times, I usually get a name. If I get a name, I know I can then start to set goals with the person. Until then, they are not honest with themselves or me. It is not that they are lying to me; it is just that no one has required this level of answer from them. Until they are honest with themselves, there will be no change in behavior.

Our world is full of superficial interactions and communication. Marketing throws things at our lowest levels of cognition. It gets our attention but does nothing to address our higher level self. To change and thrive, we need to get to a higher level.

Who is your why this year? Who is an easy answer for some but surprisingly tricky for others.

Keep asking why until you get to a person. Then revisit your goals.

Simple goals are easy to let lapse. You’re only allowing your low-level cognition down. Interestingly enough, it will usually be your higher-level cognition that will ok the slip.

The higher self will ok the lapses because the higher self knows that it doesn’t matter. Your true self knows that six-pack abs are not essential. It knows that losing 10 lbs in itself is also not that important.

But if you have a real reason, say a person, it is much harder for the higher self to rationalize out of the commitment.

If you need help with this, let me know.

Wherever you are, I wish you the best in 2021.