Episode 116 - Over Coffee: Focusing on Your Why

We discuss how to find the why behind our creativity and our businesses. Learn how to get back to the joy and fulfillment you first found in paper flowers.

Is the joy that you first found in creating paper flowers missing? Does the stress of your business override the fun that you used to have as a paper florist?

You need to refocus on your why.

For this new season of Paper Talk, we’re getting back to the heart of our purpose: our whys. When you focus on your why, you’ll be happier. You’ll be more balanced. You’ll have the confidence to make decisions. And yes! You can find your why and achieve all of this.

In our latest episode, we discuss our whys and how you can get back to yours. Now, this isn’t a fifteen-minute process. That’s why we’ll be spending Season 5 talking to a fantastic lineup of guests who will help us on this journey.

For now, we’ve put together a worksheet to get you started on uncovering your why. You can also get a jumpstart on what we discussed in the episode by thinking about the questions below.

Here’s what you’ll learn when you listen to our conversation:

► How we’ve refocused on our whys.
►Tips for narrowing down what your core why is.
► How to decide whether or not to say yes to a new project.
► Why time to reflect is crucial to staying energized and happy.
► How to beat FOMO.

Does it energize you?

In the episode, Jessie shared how draining it is for her to teach more interactive courses where she has to talk with students face to face, over and over again. She can do it, but it leaves her running on empty. That means no energy left for the things that actually bring her more joy.

Every paper florist is different. There are many of us who feel energized after teaching a class and chatting with a dozen students. Others draw energy from sitting quietly and letting creativity flow.

“Just looking back and understanding why did we even start it, and then asking that particular question the entire time that we’re doing the podcast is still making us happy.” - Quynh

Think about what energizes you. There is no one right answer here! Now dig into that. Ask yourself what exactly about that thing you find energizing. Our worksheet will help you reflect more on this, but simply recognizing your energy drains and avoiding them is a great first step.

Do you have time for reflection?

As Quynh has discussed before, she pulled back from her monthly paper flower tutorials at The Posey Box. There was always something to do to get ready for the next box. She had no space for creativity or reflection. She wasn’t fulfilled doing the same things month after month. So she made a change.

She did the same with the podcast by hiring a team to edit the audio for her. As she said in the episode, “Taking that huge workload off has really given me a refresh, a real joy in recording the podcast.”

By giving herself space to reflect on what she really wanted, she was able to make changes. She gave herself room to be creative in the avenues that bring her greater happiness.

If you find yourself constantly scrambling to get things done with no time to just sit back and think, carve out some quiet space. You may have to drop a project or hand something off to someone else. It will be worth it.

Do you have space for your personal life?

Getting back to your why means finding what really matters to you beyond paper flowers. It focuses on the core of who you are. Being a paper florist should complement and support your personal life, not trample all over it. Otherwise, you’re going to burnout and regret losing time with those you love.

Jessie shared how she got back to her core why this past year. You can hear the entire story in the episode, but in short, she lost focus of her main why for a time. She quit practicing law to be more present for her children, and then had a wake-up call that paper flowers were starting to do the exact same thing that she had been trying to avoid.

“I was like, ‘I’ve got to stop, and I’ve got to choose my projects that align with my why.’ Part of my why is having that flexibility and that mind space to be there with my kids.”

You need space for self-care. You need space to nurture the relationships that matter most to you. Finding your why should help you create that space and support those goals.

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

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