Whether we are talking about work, business or private life, the words "what, how, why" are very important to ask yourself regularly.

For example:
1. What: I want to get really sharp on makeup
2. How: I will do a new look every time I put on make-up and challenge myself with more difficult techniques and color combinations. Three make-ups a week in one year is a total of 156 pieces, after that I will be cruel at this!
3. Why: Makeup is fun but it is much more fun if you are good at it! And I want to start each day with a fun moment in front of the makeup mirror as meditation and free time.

And that's just the last word - why - which I want to push extra hard for today!

Namely, I myself have fallen into the "trap" that I do things for the wrong reason without even reflecting on it myself! There is so much that I want to do, want and want to change when I think about it superficially, until I get to the why phase and realize that "when I think about it, I actually do not even want this!".

For example:
1. What: We will turn Creative Makeup into a beauty chain! Cool !!
2. How: We rent premises in Stockholm and Gothenburg, employ makeup artists and train them in our way of performing treatments, permanent makeup and our product range.
3. Why: Ehh, that would be cool? It would be a great financial gain. But it will be a lot of work too .. On closer inspection, I do not want to make more copies of the workplace I have today, I want to make that workplace completely stable and spend my time on new projects instead!

Can an unclear "why" lead to mental illness?
Now maybe you think I end up on very long side tracks :) but what if we had made Creative Makeup a salon chain, worked really hard and burned ourselves out on the coup - and then we realize that we have done it for the completely wrong reason. If you really wants one thing and know why you fight, it's easier to get through adversity (some shit will happen, that's all you know - as Mikael Arnt said so well in an episode of Businesspodden haha). For all problems and setbacks, it becomes so much tougher if you do not have a clear "why" in everything you do.

You "should" do so much all the time. You should be able to afford so much, work so much and at the same time have a lot of time left to socialize, train, clean, go to the hairdresser and all that.

It's so easy to feel pressure and stress when you look at other people's lives (especially on social media) and you want everything that everyone else has. But had you just stopped and thought, "Why do I want this?" so you had very often realized that you do not even really want it. I really think we give birth to as many unnecessary brain ghosts as we could have avoided if we had just asked ourselves the question "why" a little more often.

In other words: It is not about everyone having to get better, develop and be successful. But if you ask yourself the question "why" then you may realize that you are actually happy with what you have and can even let go of all the pressure and stress thanks to this! Actually, maybe you do not want more stuff or larger housing but are happy with your salary as it is = you can say no to that full-time job and instead spend that time hanging out with your family or even just lying on the couch and watching series provided that is exactly what you feel good about :)

What can we managers do about mental illness?
It scares me how much mental illness there is in society today. And it's not just driven entrepreneurs who get burned out, it's just all industries! I get terrified when I think about the idea that my staff or someone I care about a lot should burn out.

What can we managers do then? You can be a mainstay and you can facilitate with what you can, but to be completely honest, I do not think there is much more that you can do. Do you know why? Because I think that in 90% the cases do not only depend on the workplace itself, but the "puzzle of life" in general.

If you have a bad workplace, you can of course burn yourself out just because of it, but I really think that there are so many more components that come into play such as relationships, family, housing, rest, finances - in short, the balance in life, mixed with that pressure you put on yourself.

Dare to think outside the norm
There are so many who do things just "for the sake of it", because society looks like that and you do not even reflect on it - and when you then stand there burnt out with a brain that no longer works, you do not even understand how to ended up there. Was it worth it?

I firmly believe that if you just dare to go liiiite outside the norm, you will become a happier person. Or dare think outside the norm is perhaps a more correct definition, because it is not at all wrong to live as the norms are, but the risk if you do not even think outside is precisely that you do things "because you should" and not "because you want".

How do you find your why?
Having to have a "why" for everything you do can also feel a bit stressful haha. I mean, every single thing can not be so heavenly important in life because then you can not do anything at all in the end.

I think it's a lot about taking the time to listen to your gut feeling. You have to do things that make you feel good and not stare blindly at the opinions of others. Do you want to lie in the bathtub and eat ice cream? Do it! Do you finally want to take the plunge and start your own business? Do it! :)

What is my why?
I myself often think "why" in my everyday life, that may be why I have a pretty good balance between driven entrepreneurs and life enjoyers haha :)

I work hard because I know why I work and what to do next. I do not think "now I sit and have a meeting with my staff" but I think "now I sit and build the best workplace in the world!".

I save money because I know what I want to use them for and why it will give me more quality of life. If I buy a car, I want bluetooth so you can listen to music and podcasts via the phone and a button on the key so you can start the engine heater while you are still inside the house - rather than a luxurious and expensive brand that impresses people! You understand the point :)

I also take long baths, watch series like a haystack on the couch, love slippers and face masks and try to be quite "mañana". Why? Because I enjoy being at home in my house and feel great about my own time!

I value soft values and I love the lifestyle of having my own business! It's really not about any kind of prestige or being able to sit on a pile of money. I see absolutely no fascination in it but want to have fun both at work and in private, have financial security and the freedom to live my life just as I want to live it.

Hope you thought it was a little fun to read something else this Sunday than just what my work week has looked like :) We live the flea in Spain for a week to us!

Hugs are ♥