The Shortcut To Finding Your Purpose
“With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.”
The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Start by asking what do you want your days to look like? From the moment you wake up to crawling into bed, was their purpose in your day? Was the day on your terms or did you find yourself caught up in someone else's urgent?
How do you define living a life on your terms?
It could be quite different from my stance. But, as we're both creative high performers, themes pop up.
Freedom and flexibility set the stage for what most of us want.
What dream are you hoping to achieve?
For a dream to manifest, it takes a vision. If it's not on paper, it's not real. You can't peer into a mirror and expect to see results. We're talking about something only we can measure.
If we don't set goals, our dreams will remain elusive. A floating distraction to the life you wish you were living, rather than a plan you're working towards. Tangible measurements to hold you accountable.
Why are you avoiding writing a goal down?
Does it seem too lofty?
Too ambitious?
Too challenging?
Something best left for next year?
What are the chances you'll have this exact same conversation next year?
Pretty damn good.
The truth is, we usually know what we're supposed to do, but there's something holding us back.
Maybe it's fear.
Maybe it's stress.
Maybe it's us.
Maybe it's the knowledge that doing the right thing is harder, that it'll cost us friends or face or money.
It's not that we don't know what we should do; it's the struggle of getting from here to there. Difficult tasks have a roadmap. It might surprise you to realize that difficult is easy once you have the resources and commitment.
In order to move forward and experience the future you're after, you need to know where you're going.
But, more importantly, where you're starting from.
Can you tell me how to get to your house? I hope so but you need to know where I'm coming from. Then we can sit down and plot out the route. Maybe you even give me a couple of routes. The scenic route along the parkway, quickest route at rush hour, or a detour past Monster Donuts. Because damn, don't you want to know what heaven tastes like? Or perhaps you're a little unsure which route because you're new to town. You take the same route no matter what because the idea of getting lost scares the shit out of you.
But if you know where you're heading, it's like having Google Maps navigate the course ahead.
You can explore detours, dodge around traffic, add must-see adventures to your itinerary. You can't get lost. Your North Star is blinding. It creates a rock-solid system for decision-making. You avoid decisions based on passion, anger, excitement, or other fleeting emotions. You decide what you want and ACT.
What if you're thinking that's great and all but I don't know what my purpose is, I'm exploring without much luck. I'll give you the quickest route to finding your purpose.
Throw yourself into helping others. Help others achieve their dreams. What motivates them? Where are they struggling? What talent do you possess to help move them forward? Not all deeds have to be profound and hero worthy. The biggest predictor of happiness is the attached meaning behind what you do.
An ear to listen, a friend to watch the kids, love to dispel their fears. What you do matters. And after all, aren't we trying to create a future we want to live in? Our future is dependent on others. Nothing is done alone. When we're inwardly focused, we limit our impact and desired results. It's a massive blind spot for many of us.
Working towards something bigger than yourself could be just the clarity you need to find your purpose.
And when it comes time to leap, you have a team who will do anything to see you succeed.
Why do we put off decisions that could give us a better future? I've been at that crossroads many times in my life. Whether it was a decision to start my own business, launch a podcast or even ask my partner to marry me. I knew all three of these decisions would give me a better life. But in the back of my head, all I could think about is what if I ended up being a colossal failure?