Defining Your Purpose

     What are you trying to achieve? I know there is something.  How long have you been trying to achieve it?  Has it taken longer than expected? Have you taken action towards that goal? These are all great questions that I’m sure you can easily answer.  However there is one question you need to be able to answer the most.  Why are you trying to achieve it?  You must have a defined purpose if you are serious about achieving any goal.

Examples of the Importance of Purpose

     Purpose is important because of the fuel it gives you to succeed.  Have you ever been in a tough situation at work and asked yourself “why am I even doing this?”  I think we’ve all been there and it’s not a great place to be.  Or have you ever started something you thought at the time was a great idea but 6 months down the road after hours of work you decide to stop doing it?  It was easy to stop because you weren’t getting what you expected from it right?  Did you pivot and try something else or did you give up all together?  If you gave up all together you probably didn’t spend a lot of time defining your purpose. 


     The best example of purpose leading to achievement is education.  Whether you have a high school diploma, an associates degree, a bachelors degree or any post graduate degree you had a defined purpose for achieving it.  You needed that education for some defined reason that you believed in.  You believed without that degree you wouldn't get the job your wanted, the business you wanted to start or the prestige you desired.  Anytime you had to study or put in work you inherently drew on that purpose.  It was the fuel to keep you going.

Define Your Purpose 

     Defining your purpose means you define why need to achieve the desired outcome.  The more detail you provide, the more powerful the purpose.  If your purpose for obtaining a Director level position at your job is to get money for your family; your purpose is not very powerful.  The power comes when you define your purpose in detail.  Here is an example of a more detailed purpose for obtaining a Director level position at your job.

     I am going to achieve director level position at my job so that my 3 children can follow their passions and attend the college of their dreams.  If that dream is a prestigious private college at $60,000 a year then so be it.  I know how important their dreams are and I have decided to do everything within my power to help them reach them.  I am stopping the cycle of working for a paycheck because of skills and moving it to getting paid to work in a field chosen by their passion and dreams.  

    This is a well-defined purpose.  It can easily be used as fuel for your achievement.  It’s fuel because you will always be able to draw on it to help motivate you and inspire you to do what is necessary to achieve your desired outcome.  With the right motivation and inspiration you can achieve any goal you decide to establish.  However, that achievement always starts with and will be fueled by a well-defined purpose.

A Well Defined Purpose Draws on Emotion

     To get the most out of your purpose there are certain traits it must include.  It must be detailed and it must draw on your emotion. Detail gives your purpose the foundation it needs to be strong.  The lack of detail leaves a window for you achieving less than your goal.  Never be vague because you want true success in the end.  More importantly your purpose must draw on an emotion anytime you think of your purpose.  Emotion is the reason why I have described purpose as the fuel.  When your read your purpose it should evoke common emotions such as love, happiness, passion and joy.  Evoking those emotions will give you fuel to draw on anytime you think of your purpose while working on your goal.


     Take some time this week to think about your purpose.  If it’s not well defined it may be the reason you haven’t gotten to where you want to go.  If that’s the case grab a pen and some paper, find a quiet spot and have some deep reflection on your purpose.  When you’re done and have it all figured out write it down.  You are now one step closer to achieving your dreams.  As always I wish you the best and remind you to enjoy the journey

Have a great week!

Drew