My Why- Helping Other Teachers

byChrisMeche

224 followers

6 years ago

To be successful in this venture, or any other venture for that matter, you have to understand your purpose. When you have a firm grasp of your purpose, you won't lose focus when distractors pop up.

So, when I began here at Wealthy Affiliate, I first set out to understand my drive/ my purpose. Yes, I wanted to create an avenue for extra income flow, but that alone can't be enough to sustain my daily efforts.

You Have to Dig Deep

To fully get to your why, you have to dig deeper. Surface issues won't provide you with enough momemtum. Instead, you have to dig deep within yourself to understand what truly motivates you. This is includes wrestling with your inner demons and fully analyzing the sum total of your life experiences. Then, you have to examine how you responded to those experiences and why. This is a real look at your true self. It's powerful and eye-opening.

My Why

Like I said, I began here with the purpose of wanting to make more money. I'm a teacher by day, and let's face it, teachers don't make much money. I have bills. I have goals. I have kids that want to go to college. So, I researched how to make money online, and ended up here.

If I left that as my why, I won't be successful. I mean, it's pretty selfish. I won't be able to connect to my audience that way. I needed to go deeper, so I asked myself why I wanted to make more money.

I love teaching. I don't want to find another profession. For me, there's no greater feeling than when one of my students finally grasps a concept: that "Aha" moment. There's nothing like it I got into teaching to make a difference.

But, as time went on, I became disillusioned: teaching to the test, not enough pay, not enough resources or support,... The list of my woes grew and grew. Teaching became more about making it through the day and less about those "Aha" moments.

Finding the Solution

What did I do to find release? I did what I always do when slapped in the face with not knowing something. I turned to the internet. I dug deep into research. Yes, I found all kinds of great resources, but they were produced by corporations looking to cash in on teacher problems.

I wondered what it would be like to have a site that was built for teachers by teachers. Who else knows better the struggles teachers face than a fellow teacher. What if a website existed where teachers can find solutions to problems that are common in classrooms across the country (or the world for that matter)?

I then realized I have the knowledge to create such a site. I have multiple Master degrees. I have a principal certification along with a teacher's certificate in multiple content areas. I'm a veteran teacher, so why not me?

Renewed Vigor, But Still Not Enough

Answering this next level of why renewed my vigor in helping people and in education. I now could help more students by helping their teachers. I could amplify my reach, but I still struggled with why I was wanting to do this.

I had to go deeper even still. I had to ask why it bothered me that teachers, myself included, were experiencing burnout. It was more than just the problems I identified earlier. There was a greater issue than teachers needing more support.

It's About Control of My Life

Finally, I got to the source of the thoughts plaguing my sleep. I want to teach others. I want to help others, but I want to ownership of how I do it. All of the problems I experienced as a teacher came down to being told how to be a teacher. I wasn't given ownership of the process.

Because of my life experiences, I have always thirsted for control of my own life. I want to be able to control my direction. I want to be able to shape my own destiny.

That's what I was missing as a teacher, so here I am now owning my own website where I can help other teachers take ownership back of their own classrooms. I am helping others meeting my other goals at the same time.

It All Ties Together With Your Why

It all came together with my why. As long as I stay focused on my purpose, I will succeed. It focuses my attention. It guides my actions. It fuels my fire.

Because of my why, I read more tutorials. Because of my why, I join more discussions. Because of my why, I answer more questions from other members here at Wealthy Affiliate. Even more, because of my why, I consistently add value to my website.

My why drives me. Your why drives you. You just need to figure out what it is. Dig deep. Keep asking yourself why until you discover your true motivation. Once you discover that, you will be unstoppable.