How to live your 'why'

You know what you want to do: boost your health and wellbeing for the long haul. But it’s also important to figure out why you want that. Maybe you’d love to run around with your kids, enjoy spending more time in nature, or just feel good inside and out.

Whatever your 'why', it's important to keep it at the centre of your journey.

The clearer your why is to you, the more motivated and focused you’ll be as you work towards your goals. Instead of simply saying: “I want to be healthy” perhaps try: “I want to be healthy so I can run around with the kids and maximise the time I spend with my family.”

Your why is what keeps you going when things are going great, and when they get tough. On days where your goals feel out of reach, try taking a step back and rediscovering your why. Dig deep: remember why you embarked on this journey and why you want to reach your goals with WW.

With new lockdown restrictions rolling out across the country, life may feel challenging right now, but you can still work towards your goals - in fact, tracking towards them puts you in control, which may help alleviate the general lack of control many of us are feeling right now.

Here's how to live your why, even in uncertain times:

Review your week: Think about what you did over the past week and acknowledge anything that threw you off-course, or any events that got in the way. Where did you spend your time? What challenged you?

Give yourself credit: Focus on other actions you took towards your why, even if you didn’t eat or move the way you intended. If, for example, your why is to be more active in your kids’ lives, think about all the things you did to support them. Did you play a game together, or talk to them about how their day went?

Choose a small goal: If you can’t think of why-related actions you took this week, don’t worry. Just choose something small you can do today or tomorrow that gets you closer. So, if your why is being your most energetic self, maybe go to sleep a little earlier tonight. Pick an easy win, and go for it.

At WW we're always here for you, and at a time when community and support is more important than ever, we want you to reach out if you need us. For example, you can rediscover your why in a Refresh & Refocus session with a WW Coach or join a Virtual Workshop to connect with likeminded members, celebrate successes and talk about your journey.

Once you've found your why, write it down and put it somewhere you’ll see it often, like on your fridge or by the bathroom mirror. This will keep you motivated every day!

Your why may change throughout your journey, and that's okay! Keep checking in with it, and see how it evolves as you make progress towards your goals.

Dr. Allison Grupski helps bring the science of behaviour change to your myWW experience. In the video below, she shares some great advice on how to keep your why close by.