In this post, we will go over one of the most important topics you should be asking yourself. It starts with the question of WHY. Before you even put pen to paper or your first finger reaches your keyboard, you need to recognize your personal motivations for creating a course. Having the answer to this question will help you remain focused and driven to create and launch your course.

And as you read this post, you will learn how to use a technique that you can apply in many situations in life, not just for course creation.

The Importance of the WHY

Getting to understand your why at its deepest level leads to uncovering the power driver behind you that is propelling you to do something. In this case, uncovering your WHY for developing an online fashion course brings your individual emotional drivers to the surface. In times of struggle, when you are grappling with technology or trying to edit a video and the computer freezes, or you start filming, the battery pack isn't charged fully. All manner of other frustrations, your WHY will be the force that keeps you going.

Uncovering your WHY is so important it's the reason we have it as the first lesson in our short course How to PLAN Your Online Fashion Course Effectively.

The reason you are feeling pulled toward creating your own course is the same reason that will push you through the moments of doubt. But somewhere deep down, there is an emotional need you are trying to meet, and that's what you need to discover. I'll give you an example.

Most people say they want to create a course to earn some extra money from selling courses. But that isn't usually the real reason. There's something deeper than just having more cash in the bank. And the way to discover what the root driver is can be achieved by asking the question WHY several times. This peels away levels of understanding to get to the root need that creating courses will serve. 

For some people, the extra money can lead to overcoming the feeling they have of not being able to provide fully for their families, where they are trying to avoid the struggles they themselves went through as children. That driver not wanting to see their children go through the same hardships is the real reason, not the superficial one of just extra money in their bank account.

For other online course creators, it can be a sense of giving back to the world, a need to give back in appreciation for what they have learned and the opportunities that their life and career have afforded them. We each have our own motivators that need to be explored, uncovered and brought to light so that when we embark on this journey of course creation and bringing a new entity to life, we are clear on why we are doing it.

Finding Your Course Creation WHY

To help you on this quest to uncover your WHY, here is a simple activity that you can complete, and the approach is based upon the 5 Why's Technique, a classic consulting approach to uncovering the roots of issues or needs. It was developed as a technique by Sakichi Toyoda, the great Japanese industrialist who went on to form the Toyota organization.

The technique aims to get to the core or root of any issue by repeatedly asking the question "Why?" to reveal a deeper understanding level. The number 5 is anecdotal as sometimes the issue can be uncovered in less than five, and sometimes further Whys need to be used.

Here's an example based upon a coaching session I had with one of our students on our course How To Create Your Own Online Fashion Course. I'll call the student Remona.

Me: So why do you want to create an online fashion course?
Remona: Because I want to make some extra money.
Me: And why is that important?
Remona: Because I want to be able to have some savings set aside.
Me: Why?
Remona: Because I want to have some funds available when unexpected bills come in, knowing that I can play them without stressing over them?
Me: And why is that so important to you?
Remona: Because when I was a child, I saw how my parents struggled, worried and argued over their finances and the pain it caused them. And I don't want that in my life.
Me: Why?
Remona: Because in the end, it caused my parents to separate and divorce.

This short example reveals Remona that wanting to create and sell online courses is not really about making some extra money but about avoiding the pain that financial hardship can cause. Remembering this as she works through the difficulties, loses her motivation and struggles to find her drive to complete her course will be the kick start that picks her up and helps her to push through.

We expert teachers know that motivation and emotional impact are what matter. Donald Norman

Before you begin asking your own WHY questions try to answer some of these as a warmup exercise, then when you're ready, ask your 5 WHYs.

• How will creating this course help others?
• How will publishing your course help the fashion industry?
• How will creating it help you financially?
• How will it help you emotionally?
• How will it contribute to your dreams or ambitions?
• What other personal drivers can you think of for creating your course?

Free Download

I've created a simple PDF you can download to help you work through your 5 WHYs. You can download it here.

When you answer your WHYs, dig deep into the answer. As in Remona's example, get beneath the skin of your answers. If necessary, ask a friend or family member to ask you these questions and drill into your replies, so you give a thorough reply. When finally you can't answer any more questions, you'll have reached your WHY.

If you want to start your own online fashion course, earn extra income and serve others as you do, then sign up for our short course "How to PLAN Your Online Fashion Course Effectively."

Cheryl Gregory is the Founder of The Fashion Student Hub, a marketplace for selling online fashion courses. We Teach Fashion teaching fashion subject experts how to create and promote their own online courses, generate revenue and serve the growing need for online education in the fashion sector.