Here’s a simple tool for when you find yourself stuck or frustrated with a goal in your life. Shift your focus temporarily from WHAT you want and HOW to get there to WHY you want it.

As an example, a friend of mine, Lindsay Nichols Estes, is working on growing her coaching practice. She re-energized herself with this question of WHY by coming up with the following:

WHY do I want to coach?
I want to coach because I love to help women and people to remember, learn or zero in on what they are passionate about, what they want to use their gifts and talents towards, and then help them to start going in that direction.

WHY do I want to coach?
I love connecting with people, collaborating, and working together on a common task. In this case I’m supporting the client to come up with what works for them, support, encourage and really dig into bite-size steps to make it happen or move through a transition and actually enjoy the process.

WHY do I want to coach?
I want to have the ability to work virtually and to work anywhere so I can support my value of relationship and connect with friends and family all over the world while still providing an awesome income for my family.

When we focus on the WHY, we remind ourselves of our gifts, mission and purpose, and get to the heart of what motivates us. It’s a more inspiring place to take action from than when we’re only focused on the what or how.

The next time you feel stuck or frustrated with what you’re working toward, I invite you to remind yourself WHY you are pursuing your goal. As a result, the HOW may just flow a bit more easily.