Who, what, how and why are essential questions in life. Who, what, and how are important, but the most important question to ask is why. Below are three steps to discover the “why”:
Protect your mind from propaganda.
Simply doing something because “that is how it was always done” will lead you to a mediocre existence. Just because something is written in a policy book or accepted by the masses does not mean it is the best way to accomplish a task. Do not be fooled into thinking the status quo is gospel. Instead, discover why the policy was written and discern for yourself if such a policy is pertinent to the current reality. Just like technology, once a process is outlined and adopted, it is already antiquated. Weigh the pros and cons of initiating change to the value it will bring to the organization in accomplishing the “why”.
Know what must be accomplished.
It is difficult to know the “why” if there is no goal. For example, if the goal is to win a championship, the “why” behind running certain drills should be salient. Do not get caught up in the “how” without knowing the “why”. That would be analogous to an engineer building a bridge just because he can. If there is no reason to elevate the road surface, why do so? His efforts are unnecessary and a misappropriation of his skills. Know without a doubt what it is you are supposed to accomplish; otherwise, you are simply chasing the wind.
Ask questions.
Asking questions is the most direct way to understand the “why” behind how things are accomplished. The inquisitive mind must be exalted as the man behind the curtain must be exposed in efforts to understand “why” things happen the way they do. Become the detective and seek the root cause of operational schema. In short, analyze each process, thought and expectation to see if what you are doing aligns with the “why”. If it does not, your time will be better spent pursuing other ventures.
Final thoughts.
Knowing how to do something is great, but the most important aspect to understand is the “why” of what you hope to accomplish. What are you doing to understand the “why” behind everything that you do?
Time to Think 
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