Being on purpose is about finding meaning in your life. Knowing the reason you do what you do and why it matters. Every choice you make fulfills that reason and is a conscious decision rather than just a “going with the flow” moment. An ‘on purpose’ person is in control of the direction her life takes and is always conscious of this. A person living on purpose does not leave things to chance. They are deliberate and joyful in their choices. So what’s your purpose? Send me your comments.
Fearless Strategy 1 HOW TO FIND YOUR PURPOSE
Most of your life you have probably known when you were “on purpose” and when you were not. It’s that ‘feeling’ inside that says you’re making the right decision. The truth is, we all know ourselves much better than we think, but may not appreciate it. When you are clear about your ‘purpose’ it’s much easier to be self-directed, creative and optimistic about your future. Consider this…
- What are you reading?
- What are you watching?
- Who are you having conversations with?
All of this activity opens the mind to consider other possibilities. Your purpose sparks your passion and gives your purpose a sense of direction, and it motivates you to go further than you ever thought possible.
Fearless Strategy 2 WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE?
When we ask “what is the purpose” on all things we do, we can come up with all kinds of answers, but taken together, we find out the direction that matters most to us. For example, if you’re writing a life purpose statement about your work, you could ask:
- What do I really want my job to be?
- What do I really need in my job?
- What fears do I have about my job?
This will give you a list of expectations that no doubt has a theme. When you can see your theme, start to write down what you want from the experience of working. Write down a long sentence that starts with “The purpose of my ____ is to ____. You can do this for all aspects of your life.
Fearless Strategy 3 SET SOME CLEAR GOALS
My acronym for G.O.A.L.S. is Great Opportunities for Leadership Success. You may not feel you are in a leadership position, but the truth of the matter we are all leaders. In some small way or big, you are leading your life, and may be influencing the lives of others by way of being a parent, a friend, or a colleague. Goals are a clearly defined outcome. What do you hope to achieve and what actions will you take to get you there are the critical questions you must ask yourself to get the intended results. When you stretch yourself, you may feel that you’re setting goals that exceed your ability, but instead think about creating goals that match your strengths, and exploit your potential to the fullest, thus sealing the gap between potential and performance.
Fearless Strategy 4 BE INSPIRED
We all want to be inspired. It gives us choices. It makes us believe we can be better, do better, and reach further than we thought.
- Who or what has inspired you lately?
- Where do you look for inspiration?
- How do you use your inspiration to guide you toward the future you want to create?
When setting new goals having a role model you can look to is helpful. If you’re starting something new, who are your allies? Who do you look to for advice or insights? Living into our purpose is not a solitary activity. We need to feel inspired in order to feel that there is meaning to what we do. Finding meaning is what life is all about.
Fearless Strategy 5 MAKE BETTER CHOICES
Every day is an opportunity to make a better choice. It can be deciding to take better care of your health. Exercise more. Be a better parent. Be more collaborative at work. Learn something new. It can be as simple as going for a walk at lunch time after hours of staring at your computer screen. The choices we make in life decide our future. Are you investing in your growth and development so you can live your life with purpose and meaning? There is no better time than now.
SPECIAL EVENT: Join me for a special 90-minute virtual workshop on Redesign your Career for Success and find your purpose on February 24th at 4pm PST. Spaces are limited so register today