Why the WHYs Aren’t Enough: The Power of Strategy

Written by Bryan Thompson on September 26, 2011 in Life Development - 23 Comments

Last week we looked at the power of asking “Why” as a first question of getting what we want. And it is the first crucial step in getting from where you are to where you want to be.

But WHY is only the first crucial step.

For example, I may want to open the first Tobasco-Jalapeno Chili-Cheeseburger with Relish and Spicy Ketchup because nobody in my neck of the woods has EVER had one!

But if I don’t know HOW to make a Tobasco-Jalapeno Chili-Cheeseburger with Relish and Spicy Ketchup, I’m in big trouble.

I’m going to be honest with you. The “why” step – that crucial first step – is one I’m pretty good at. I’m great at being the dream guy. The one with the creative ideas. The HOW part, though? That’s a bit more challenging for me. So, we’re going to explore this together.

You Wouldn’t Start Cooking Without a Recipe

I love food, and over the last couple of years, I have grown increasingly more interested in how to prepare food. I’ve become a big fan of the Food Network and have even tried to make some pretty innovative dishes.

But I have to follow the recipe to the letter.

The recipe is important because without it, most of us would have no idea just what needs to go into our dish. And even if we did know WHAT ingredients to put in, if we don’t know HOW MUCH of that ingredient to put in, that may be a funky-tasting pie or pasta or soup.

But if we follow the recipe to the world’s best lemon pie, chances are, we can emulate that pie.

Why My Blog Floundered for Years

A strategy is basically a recipe for getting something we want. For years, I typed out a blog that nobody read. I wanted to have a popular blog, but for years, it never occurred to me that I was typing away without a strategy. I just hammered my thoughts out on my keyboard as if someone was magically going to pop onto my site and my post would go viral.

I had no strategy. No recipe for success.

Then one day, I asked a loaded question to a work acquaintance who happened to be an IT genius. I asked him why I couldn’t seem to get a following for my website, no matter how good my content was. (I had read all the Copyblogger posts on content and nothing seemed to work.)

He asked me a simple question: “Are you following up with the people who do occasionally comment?”

Wow. I had never thought about it. And no, I hadn’t…done that…exactly.

“Are you commenting on other blogs?”

Wow. I hadn’t done that…exactly…either.

My friend the IT man shrugged as if to say, “Well, there you have it.”

By the way, that was a simple recipe. Once I began following it, I began to see results in my own blogging. (By the way, simply commenting, “Hey, nice blog,” doesn’t cut it either. Enjoy the friends you’re going to meet.)

Make your strategy and stick to it

If you’ve asked the “WHY” question, you’ve got the first step down toward your dream. The second step is just as crucial (I didn’t say “more” crucial). Once you’ve figured out EXACTLY what you want, you must figure out HOW you’re going to plan for it.

It’s time to create a STRATEGY – a RECIPE – for success. What are the big steps you need to take to get what you want? And what are the SMALL steps you can begin to take RIGHT NOW to get you to the bigger ones?

By the way, you should be WRITING THIS STRATEGY DOWN. Put it somewhere you’re forced to see it. Reflect on it regularly and master the steps.

And say the initial recipe doesn’t get you there exactly? Keep tweaking and even revising. This is the planning mode for what you want.

In the next part of this series, we’re going to look at the next crucial step.

Have you ever designed a strategy for your own life? What did it look like? Share it with us if you like and we’ll discuss it. How did it work for you? Leave a comment and let’s chat.

About the author

Bryan Thompson has been helping people to achieve their goals for more than twelve years. As an associate pastor for over a decade, he has helped people set big goals for their lives, figure out their ONE most important thing in life, and take massive ACTION! If you are stuck in your life, contact Bryan here!

23 Replies to Why the WHYs Aren’t Enough: The Power of Strategy

Reply

John Sherry

September 26, 2011 • 9:04 am

There’s a pre-cursor to this for me Bryan. To cook you need a recipe..true! But to be a chef, a quality cook, you don’t at first need one. They explore food, putting dishes together, blending, tasting, combining flavours and textures, to create something different and noticeable. Then this becomes their recipe. So first try being a chef with what you want then create your own recipe to show the world.

The meaning of all this? The recipe (strategy) doesn’t need to be everyone elses but it does need to be clear, defined, you have to be proactive with it, take ownership, and engage with the world. You don’t want to miss your chance and think, ‘Chilli me’ (sorry couldn’t resist that, I relished it!!!).
- Reply
  
  Bryan
  
  September 29, 2011 • 5:26 pm
  
  John, I love the idea of being a chef. The idea of experimenting rather than continually going by the recipe. It’s true. The more often we experiment, the more we learn about life and our role in it. Thanks for the comment, friend.
Reply

Daniel M. Wood

September 26, 2011 • 9:29 am

Great article Bryan.
I agree that there are some important steps to succeeding.

First you set a goal. Then you think about and visualize it (making the why powerfull). Next you need to make a plan of action.

There are many ways to do this, either listing everything you need to do and then ranking them in order of importance.
You can start at your goal and then plan back 90 days at a time until you reach present day.
You can make a plan starting from now and working forward.
You can make a business plan, thinking about income, expenses, needs, marketing plans and so on.

The important thing is that you make a plan!

After that all you need to do is start
Great article buddy!
- Reply
  
  Bryan
  
  September 29, 2011 • 5:28 pm
  
  Daniel, I love the idea of starting with your goal and back-planning every 90 days. That’s AWESOME. Maybe that would help a lot of people. Thanks for your input!
Reply

Alex Blackwell | The BridgeMaker

September 26, 2011 • 10:53 am

Bryan,

Spot on. Having a strategy for how we want to run our blogs or live our lives is essential. I think having a sense of direction and purpose provides the framework that shapes our decisions – without this framework, or strategy, we are just going through the motions.

Thanks for the important reminder Bryan!

Alex
- Reply
  
  Bryan
  
  September 29, 2011 • 5:28 pm
  
  Alex, thank you for being such a faithful contributor to the conversations here. I appreciate your input. I think strategy is as important for our blogs and work as it is in anything else.
Reply

Jk Allen

September 26, 2011 • 10:08 pm

Hey Bryan,

Very well put together post.

In terms of strategy, one thing I’ve learned is that sticking to a strategy is crucial. Also, and equally important is that being stuck in a strategy is as good as not having one. A well balanced strategy has points designed in it to analyze progress and to make changes to the overall strategy for better-effectiveness.

Great recipe analogy!
- Reply
  
  Bryan
  
  September 29, 2011 • 5:30 pm
  
  JK, I couldn’t agree more, bro. Being stuck in a strategy (particularly one that isn’t working) is no good for anyone. And being well-balanced is pretty boring. We have to be open to changing course as we go. Thanks for your input!
Reply

J.D. Meier

September 27, 2011 • 2:26 am

Strategy is a beautiful thing.

In it’s simplest form, strategy guides the tactics, but the beauty is when we truly use strategy to differentiate, play to our strengths, and create a focus that brings out our best.

I think your strategy is paying off. But the beauty of sticking to a strategy for a period of time is that you can step back and see if it’s working … and if it’s not, you can change your approach. The trick is to stick with it long enough to know whether the problem is the strategy or the implementation / execution.
- Reply
  
  Bryan
  
  September 29, 2011 • 5:31 pm
  
  JD, thanks for your input! I agree. I think playing to a strategy is great (as I wrote), but we have to be able to take steps back to make sure it’s working. THe focus must be set on the goal and the open-mindedness to find the means to get there.
Reply

Stuart

September 28, 2011 • 4:21 pm

Got it spot on Bryan, “why” is one thing, the first thing. But it won’t get you anywhere without the “how”!

I’m looking forward to reading the next part in the series, although I can hazard a guess as to what it will be about

That IT guy is a pretty smart one, I wonder if he has a successful blog up and running?
- Reply
  
  Bryan
  
  September 29, 2011 • 5:33 pm
  
  Stu, thanks for your comment. The IT guy, believe it or not, is a hermit and is proud to say so. But by God, he knows how the business works. Smart guy.
  
  To be honest, I never set out for this to be a series. I just began continuing the thought and moved on from there. I have a few other ideas for it as well. We’ll see where it goes..
Reply

Ken Wert

September 28, 2011 • 6:06 pm

A reason for climbing only creates frustration without the steps to get you there. Those steps can be there already (no need to recreate the wheel) or put there yourself (innovation!). But the steps need to be there.

Great post, Bryan. Like Stu, I look forward to the next one in the series.
- Reply
  
  Bryan
  
  October 1, 2011 • 2:01 am
  
  Ken, YES for innovation! That’s what I should have called it. Thanks!
Reply

Hector Avellaneda

September 30, 2011 • 3:56 am

Bryan great stuff, man! You siad something that was kind of interesting in this post.

You said that you are a WHY kind of guy, and that’s pretty cool! What I have come to discover through my own research is that most people can clearly tell you HOW and WHAT they want to do but they can clearly articulate WHY tehy want to do it.

And by WHY I don’t meant to make money because as you know that is just a result.

But you’re absolutely right, WHY’s and HOW’s (and WHAT’s) cannot be used interchangeably. They are a part of a system that works together to accomplish the goal.

Bryan, if you get some time and are looking for a really awesome book to read that goes deeper int he the BIOLOGY of starting with WHY (Yes, it;s actually BIOLOGY and not PSYCHOLOGY) read a book called ‘Start with Why’ by Simon Sinek.

Super awesome book man and I think you;re going to love it!

Let me know what you think after you’re done with it if you do get around to reading it.
- Reply
  
  Bryan
  
  October 1, 2011 • 2:03 am
  
  Hector, I LOVE anything by Simon Sinek! I saw a TED talk with him recently talking about – what else – WHY we want to do things. I have yet to read the book but I will be looking for it!
  
  Thanks for jogging my memory about that! I appreciate it! Hope you’re well, Hector!
Reply

Craig McBreen

October 1, 2011 • 12:44 am

Bryan,

Nice piece. Very well structured advice! I’m new to blogging, but have learned a ton recently about strategy. Having a sense of direction also helps motivate you to get things done. At least it does for me. Without it, I’m a rudderless ship. I have a list of things (small tasks) and I’m trying to go through 1-3 a week that’s it. Cull that list and make something happen. Looking forward to your next post!
- Reply
  
  Bryan
  
  October 1, 2011 • 2:04 am
  
  Craig, I’ve learned a lot by the blogosphere as well – in a relatively short period of time. One thing I’m learning is the power of lists. It helps A-D-D people like myself but I have to also make them small. No more than 4 things on that list at a time (preferably in a day). That way I can do those 4 things excellent. Thanks for your comment!
Reply

farouk

October 3, 2011 • 10:24 am

that’s so true bryan
this post is an eye opener
keep it up
- Reply
  
  Bryan
  
  October 22, 2011 • 1:51 pm
  
  Thanks Farouk! I appreciate your feedback!
Reply

Robert

October 4, 2011 • 11:28 pm

Hey Bryan,

This post is excellent. Anyone can say that they want to do something, but when it comes to actually bringing it to fruition and having a strategy, this separates the ‘wheat from the chaff’! People who make a practical, implementable strategy and STICK TO IT are the ones that succeed.

When it comes to a blog its all about having a strategy – as long as we are genuine in our interactions and enjoying the friends we meet (as you said), there’s no reason why a blog can’t become successful.

It’s all about the genuine connections.

Awesome post man. It’s putting the dream into action that starts the ball rolling.
- Reply
  
  Bryan
  
  October 22, 2011 • 1:52 pm
  
  Robert, thank you for your feedback, bro! I appreciate it. Enjoying the friendships is key in blogging. Because it’s not called “social networking” for nothing. Thanks again!
Reply

rob white

October 11, 2011 • 2:06 pm

Indeed, Bryan. We must be clear about our aspirations and aims – clarity is power. With a clear recipe we withdraw the permission of hampering thoughts and opinions to discourage us. We are most vulnerable to the tricks and delusions of our conditioned mind without this clarity. When my mind is cleansed of internal problems I am easily able to solve the worldly problems.