What It Means to Discover Your “Personal Why”

Here at Torrent, well-being is central to the culture we’re trying to build. It’s something we want our people to

3 min. read

Here at Torrent, well-being is central to the culture we’re trying to build. It’s something we want our people to experience on a daily basis, something for them to continually strive for.

But what, exactly, is well-being?

We define it as becoming the best version of yourself — an ongoing journey for each Torrent Guide to understand what it means to be well and how to work towards a state of authenticity and wholeness.

Of course, we don’t only want to encourage the pursuit of well-being — we also want to provide meaningful opportunities that assist on the path toward it. That’s why our Well-Being Coach offers “personal why” discovery sessions to all interested employees. These sessions are designed to help our people understand what drives them, what motivates their daily passions and pursuits — to put language to the kinds of ideas and feelings that are personally important, but that can be hard to articulate. We believe this process can have a huge impact on an individual’s pursuit of well-being.

In this post, we’ll cover the steps involved in a “personal why” discovery, as well as some of the positive outcomes we believe they can enable.

The steps involved in a “personal why” discovery

Based on the work of Simon Sinek, our “personal why” discovery is a five-step process:

  • #1: Story Gathering — In this first stage, a Torrent Guide will reflect on and collect what they consider to be their life’s defining moments.
  • #2: Storytelling — Next, they’ll share these moments, these stories, with Torrent’s Well-Being Coach.
  • #3: Uncover Themes — Together, the two will identify major themes that emerge from the Torrent Guide’s stories.
  • #4: Personal Why Draft — Based on these themes, they’ll brainstorm several potential “personal why” statements.
  • #5: Final Draft (for now) — Last, the Torrent Guide will choose the option that feels best, knowing they can make adjustments down the line.

Every Torrent Guide will end this process with their “personal why” statement, a document that gathers all of the notes from the journey and a decal featuring their statement. (Curious what a “personal why” might look like? Here’s an example: “To bring life-giving words and energy to others so that their journey will be more joyful.”)

What comes next

There are three core ways we hope having a “personal why” will help our Torrent Guides:

  • Define — We all have strong emotions surrounding what we find most important in life, what motivates and guides us. Sometimes, those emotions can be hard to pin down, or harness in a productive way. A “personal why” statement helps give clarity to and define the purpose or belief that drives you.
  • Filter — At times in life, we feel lost and adrift, unsure where to go or what to do next. Other times, we might be overwhelmed by potential opportunities. In these cases, it can be very difficult to make a decision. A “personal why” helps provide a filter through which you can identify opportunities that align with your core purpose.
  • Tether — We don’t always act in a way that feels congruent with who we truly are. At moments like these, we might feel ourselves drifting away from some vague sense of what’s authentic, but not know how to course correct. A “personal why” makes it easier to re-center to what’s most important to you.

We believe that, together, these concepts provide a powerful toolkit that our people can use to continuously pursue well-being. That’s why we’re so excited for more and more Torrent Guides to have the opportunity to participate in their own “personal why” discovery.

 

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AUTHOR

Danielle Sutton