5W1H
Every reset answers these questions.  Yet, the question of ‘why’ might be the determining factor in the success of a reset.

WHY do you want a “reset” in your life?

Maybe that’s one of the biggest questions we ask.

Earlier this week, I read a leadership post that was talking about vision casting — the communication of a goal to a group or an organization.  The person making the post said that in vision casting, the why question is more important than the question of how.  He said that how is a divisive question — everyone will have an opinion.  However, the “why” question is the unifying question.  When we answer the “why,” we have direction.

That stuck with me because in a previous life I worked in journalism.  Every news article had a “lead” — it’s usually the first paragraph and it’s designed to hook a reader into the story.

The most basic of news leads are designed to answer the 5Ws and 1H.  Those are: Who, What, When, Why and How.

Those are all important questions when it comes to a life “reset.”

But before we get there, let’s have a quick review of why this is important:

  • Every life tells a story (click here).  Your life is uniquely yours and it is connected to others and ultimately to God.  The days of your life are pages in the bigger story of what God is doing in the world.
  • No story is perfect. We are not perfect beings and every one of our stories is twisted and turned by mistakes, wrongdoing, sin.  \
  • Since no story is perfect, every story needs at least one significant reset (click here).  Think of a reset as the GPS on your phone recalculating because you took a wrong turn on the way to your destination.  Yes, there are times our life journeys will put us in a roadside ditch, but with a reset it is still possible to reach our destination — every from there.
  • What is a reset?  A reset is a do-over, a mulligan, another chance.  In the bigger picture of eternity, a reset is an encounter with the grace, mercy, forgiveness and love of Jesus.

Now, with that covered, let’s see how the 5Ws and 1H will impact our life reset.

  • WHO.  Who needs the life reset?  In the story of our journey, that one is the easiest question. We do (well, unless you’re perfect!)
  • WHAT:  The what is the life reset.  We need a second chance, a do-over, another opportunity, an encounter with grace.
  • WHEN: Usually when we realize we need a reset, we are already at the moment we are desperate to receive it.
  • WHERE: It’s wherever we find ourselves at in the journey at that particular moment of the reset.
  • HOW: Resets begin when we ask for them.  We ask others for another chance, for forgiveness, for the opportunity to prove ourselves.  Ultimately, we ask God for another chance, for forgiveness from sin, etc.

This five areas are givens. They are simply the facts of the situation.  For 99.9 percent of our life resets, those things are going to hold true.  The situations might change, the context might be different, but the underlying reason and need for a reset are always going to be there.

And that all points to the one final question: Why?  Why do you want this reset?  Why are you motivated to do this?  Why do you want to see it through?

“Why” is an interesting word to define.  The dictionary gives “why” the following definition:  for what reason, cause or purpose?

Maybe it’s just me, but…  Forget that, let’s just be honest — this happens to just about everyone.  We all reach places where we hit the reset in our relationships with others and ultimately with God.  And there are many times that we hit the reset that we can find ourselves right back at the same place, doing the same things that led us to feel the need for a “reset.”

So, here’s another “why” question:  Why do we find ourselves there again?

Maybe it’s just a matter of our motivation when it comes to the reset.  Am I doing this for someone else? Am I doing this because I feel I have to? Am I doing this because it feels like the thing to do at the time?

Or, do I genuinely want another chance, another opportunity, a clean start, a do-over?

When it comes to a reset, the “why” is the most important question that we ask.   It’s all about the motivation for us hitting the reset button.  The “why” question points us to a matter of faith.

We read it in Ephesians 2:8-9 that reads “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and it is not from yourselves, it is a gift of GOD, not by works so no one can boast.”

Get that?  It’s about the motivation.  Ultimately the right motivation leads us to a place of understanding that a reset (God’s grace) is a gift.  No matter how hard we try, we can’t earn it.  We simply accept it.

So, why?

There are so many things that can be a part of the choice to seek a reset.  We can do this for others.  We can do this because we know we need to do it.  Those are all a part of the decision.

But ultimately the reason that must be at the heart of the reset is that we want it.  Maybe even, we desperately want it.  We want it to the point that we are willing to take steps to make it happen and to make it stick.

To answer the question, stick to the basics.  We all have a story.  No one’s story is perfect.  Every story needs a reset.  So, why?  Why do you need that reset?

Answer that one question and it will change the way you approach your own life reset (response to God’s grace).

Reignitemystory.com is based on the idea that our life stories are reignited when we reset them, renew them and redeem them.  To contact the writer, send email to reignitemystory@gmail.com or follow on Twitter at @reignitemystory