The Secret I Shared with Jenna Kutcher

From My Interview on the Goal Digger Podcast

In October I sent out a poll on my Instagram account asking what my followers, creative entrepreneurs, felt like was their biggest challenge in this season. The answers?

Confusion. Overwhelm. Lack of Clarity. Not Knowing What to Do Next. To Quit or to Rest or to Dig Deeper. Etc.

Maybe you’re in the same boat. You stumbled upon Editor’s Course because you were searching for an answer to what you should do next in your business.

I don’t have the answers to your problems. I actually have more questions—five to be exact. And it’s a foundational exercise I teach in Editor’s Course.

Anyways…ready to learn the secret I shared with Jenna Kutcher on the Goal Digger Podcast? Let’s dive in.

Oh, and if you want to hear the episode, just click here.

MY SECRET IS CALLED THE WHY X 5 METHOD.

Whenever I feel overwhelmed or confused as to what I should do next in my business—I walk through this with my students and in my coaching calls—I ask myself a simple starting question: What do I really want to do? Or, if I could do anything, what would it be?

This is the starting point. This gets my head out of the little annoying questions in front of me and gets me thinking big picture. What am I really trying to accomplish here? What do I really want?

Then, the why’s begin. Why do you want this thing? Why does it matter so much? Why do you want this now? Why do you need this? Why? And you don’t have to stop at five. You basically don’t stop until you’ve reached your most honest answer.

THIS CAN GET CONFUSING AT FIRST, SO LET’S USE AN EXAMPLE BECAUSE THIS CAN BE SO TRANSFORMATIVE.

Let’s say what you really want is to just make enough money for your family while doing what you love. Great answer, but let’s break it down.

Starting Point: I want to make enough money for my family while doing what I love.

Question: Why?

Answer: Because I love my family and want to provide for them and I also love what I do.

Question: Why is supporting your family your way of expressing love?

Answer: Because if I’m not doing something for them, then my love isn’t in action—it feels like a lie.

Question: Why do you love what you do?

Answer: Because it’s fun and I’m happiest when I’m doing it.

Question: Why do you have to do that thing to support your family?

Answer: Because if I can do both, do what I love for who I love—why wouldn’t I? It would be fulfilling.

THERE IS NOT WRONG OR RIGHT ANSWER—ONLY YOUR HONEST ANSWER.

That example could have gone a million different ways.

Every answer could have been different and gone in a different direction, do you see that? We actually have a video example of the exercise in Editor’s Course and it really helps students see someone experience this in real time. Or you can listen to my interview with Jenna.

What the why’s do is help peel away what you may be telling yourself in your head based on what others have told you or what you think you should do based on comparison or maybe you’re avoiding something awkward or difficult that’s so much deeper than just not knowing what to do next in your business.

THIS IS MEANT TO HELP YOU BECOME A MORE DISCERNING BUSINESS OWNER.

As creatives, we are romantic, but sometimes we romanticize our reasoning for doing things and that keeps us from working with our full potential passion. The Why x 5 Method, once practiced a bit, will actually make you a more intuitive and gut-driven entrepreneur helping you move past these blocks and stuck points much faster.