top of page
Search

Why the “Why” Matters: Finding Purpose in Every Challenge

Former Navy SEAL Commander Jon Macaskill knows what it means to hit the limits of endurance. From the punishing weeks of SEAL training to the intensity of combat missions, he learned that toughness is not only physical but also rooted in purpose. “Having a broad why for what you’re doing and smaller whys for what you’re doing every day really helped me,” he says. “Sometimes my why was simple: my family and friends. They knew what I was trying to do, and I didn’t want to let them down.”


Macaskill’s insight reveals something we all share: purpose keeps us steady when life gets difficult. It’s the difference between pushing through and giving up. When the goal feels far away or daily routines start to drain motivation, returning to your why brings back meaning and direction.


The Big Why and the Small Ones


Macaskill describes purpose on two levels: the big why and the smaller, daily ones.

Your big why is your overarching mission, the long-term vision that shapes your choices and values. It might involve service, creativity, leadership, or the pursuit of excellence. The smaller whys are the immediate motivations that keep you moving forward. They might come from honoring a promise, developing a skill, or simply wanting to make someone proud. These smaller reasons provide momentum for the long journey.


When Macaskill trained to become a SEAL, his big why—to serve his country—was clear. Yet it was the smaller one, not wanting to disappoint his family, that carried him through the hardest moments. “They would have been fine if I’d quit,” he admits. “But in my mind, I didn’t want to let them down.”


Purpose-Driven Resilience


Mental toughness is often misunderstood as emotionless grit. In reality, it grows from purpose. Psychologists refer to this as purpose-driven resilience: the ability to endure hardship by connecting effort to meaning. People who link their work or goals to something they value deeply are more likely to persevere under stress, adapt to setbacks, and recover faster.


Recent research in Sustainability describes purpose-driven resilience as the ability to connect meaning to effort, allowing individuals and organizations to grow even in uncertainty (Alshebami, 2025). Similarly, Psychology Today defines resilience as “the psychological quality that allows some people to be knocked down by the adversities of life and come back at least as strong as before” (“Resilience, What It Is and Why We Need It,” 2022). Exposure to hardship, the article notes, can strengthen or weaken us depending on how we interpret it. By reframing negative experiences, maintaining optimism, and having faith in our ability to adapt, we turn adversity into a source of growth rather than fear.


Purpose does more than toughen the mind. It helps people focus, prioritize, and find calm amid uncertainty. In a culture that constantly pulls our attention in every direction, a clear sense of purpose cuts through the noise. It reminds us what deserves our time and what does not.


Finding Your Own Why


Your why does not have to be grand or dramatic. It only needs to be real. Start by asking yourself three questions:

  • Why does this goal matter to me?

  • Who am I doing it for?

  • What value or belief am I honoring by pursuing it?


Write down your answers. Return to them when you feel tired or uncertain. As Macaskill teaches through his mindfulness and leadership work, focus begins with self-awareness. When you know your why, your choices align, your doubts quiet down, and you meet challenges with intention.


When the tide inevitably turns against you, your why becomes your anchor and the reason you stay afloat.


Alshebami, A. S. (2025). Purpose-driven resilience: A blueprint for sustainable growth in micro- and small enterprises in turbulent contexts. Sustainability, 17(5), 2308. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052308


Macaskill, J. (2024, September 15). From SEAL grit to mindful leadership: Jon Macaskill [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/X5y1EUhycv0



REVEL COMPANIES

Helping organizations create winning cultures to achieve results.

Masterminds Enrolling Now!

ree

About the author: As the co-founder and Chief Storytelling Officer of Revel Coach, a career growth platform, Alison Nissen helps leaders perfect their business pitches and online presence through storytelling. Successful executives use key storytelling points to engage their audience and gain market share because they know good storytelling is the best form of marketing, recruiting, and fundraising. Write Your Book NOW! Mastermind enrolling now.


The Revel Coach™ Blog is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not mental health, financial, business or legal advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any medical, mental or emotional condition. The information presented here is not a guarantee that you will obtain any results or earn any money using our content.

bottom of page