WHY do you want a baby? (Part 3 of 3 in “The Power of” series)

How do you keep going even when the path towards parenthood doesn’t look like you planned? Every path is unique, but yours may have some dips, turns, and low spots that you didn’t expect. What drives you? What keeps you going? There has to be something deeper than just, “I want to have a baby.” Yes, I know they are really cute, they smell good (most of the time) and you have always pictured yourself as a mother, but WHY do you want to have a baby?

Successful leaders know that they must have a strong WHY component to their business or organization, not just the what and how. Usually this is communicated through a PURPOSE statement. A strong WHY gives employees the drive to continue even when the workplace gets difficult. If they didn’t believe in the WHY, they wouldn’t be able to continue doing the WHAT day after day. One of the leaders primary purpose is to continually keep the WHY in the forefront of the companies mind. It has to be reiterated often and permeate throughout the workplace culture and business. There has been a rise humanitarian efforts and thoughtful partnerships in businesses giving companies a strong why and purpose. Think of Toms shoes and their One for One campaign. It is well known that every time you buy a pair of Toms they give a pair of shoes to a child in need.

So you are on this journey to having a baby… What is your “Why”? What is your purpose?

If you haven’t already, with your spouse determine your families Vision, Mission and Purpose. These will give you clarity on your journey and help you to make decisions based on what matters most to you along the way. When you are at a crossroad, your Vision, Mission and Purpose will help you stay on track and stay true to who you are.

It doesn’t have to be a formal document or super-complicated. It just needs to be a thought out and heartfelt sentence for each that you and your husband work together and agree on. I recommend statements that are applicable to your life and family in general now and throughout all stages of life, not just specific to growing your family. Here are the basics of what these are and an example to get you started…

Vision-This is a statement of WHAT you would like to become/do. Ikea’s Vision Statement: “To create a better every-day life for many people.”

Mission- This is a statement of HOW you will accomplish your vision. Nike’s Mission Statement: “To Bring Inspiration and Innovation to every athlete in the world.”

Purpose-This is a statement of WHY you exist/reason for being. Kellogg Food Company’s Purpose Statement: “Nourishing families so they can flourish and thrive.”

Once you have decided on each of these you could type them out and put them on your refrigerator. Even a post-it note on your computer or a note in your daily journal. If you are a Pinterest person, crafter or DIY-er, I bet you could come up with something super cute to display them. A wood sign, a graphic design, a painted canvas… the possibilities are endless. Just make sure to put them somewhere so that you can be reminded daily of WHY you are trying to conceive. This will help you keep going with your Mission if the road gets tough.

Joining Couples and Improving Journeys (In case you were wondering, this is my Mission), Tiffany