I was at the gym one morning talking to a friend of mine and we were being a little lazy and philosophical at the same time.  Somehow we landed on the topic of purpose.

Whether we want to admit it or not we are all on a journey and seeking to find why we are here.  You were designed with specific gifts, talents, and experiences that bring unique value to the world.  Whether you agree with that statement in part or whole is up to you.  Allow me to provide a way to gain clarity on your purpose.

Before providing these ideas, I want to provide two disclaimers:

1. This is A way, but not THE way to find your purpose.
2. We are all on a journey and our purpose evolves.

Macro and Micro Purpose

If we take a moment to step back and look at our lives we will find a theme.  For me it has always been to make a difference in the lives of others that will last.  This theme is what I’d call a macro purpose.

Over the course of my life, how that has been lived out has looked differently based on my stage of life, work, and other experiences.  In school it was impacting the lives of my peers.  As a strength coach it was using strength and conditioning as a tool to help young people develop the discipline and responsibility to accomplish their goals and become great leaders.  At this stage, it is through training, individual coaching, and various forms of communication.

These are all examples of micro purposes which I am sure will evolve further over time.

Journey Within

A good friend of mine a number of years ago took me through an experience to help me map my life to understand formative experiences.  This is part of the journey within.  Take time to reflect back on your life and write down some of the formative experiences you’ve had.  These are keys to our purpose.  There may be a theme that emerges and clarifies what your purpose is.

The second part of this journey within is answering a few questions:

1. What makes you laugh/smile? When you think about this, it brings deep personal fulfillment and joy.
2. What breaks your heart? When you think about a need in the world, it brings you to tears or close.
3. What makes you come alive? When you think about a specific dream, it inspires you.

Both tools combined can help you get clarity on your purpose.

Journey Without

As I have thought over the years about this idea of personal purpose and while talking to my friends and others, I truly believe purpose is an evolving journey.  This is not a destination, but a journey.  We may have clarity on our macro purpose, but the journey is like climbing a mountain.  We climb the mountain we are on and arrive at the top.  Once there we see a bigger mountain to climb, but we have to enter the valley of the unknown to climb the next mountain.

What is the journey without?  It is courageously taking steps each day to grow into the person you were made to be.  The journey is an experience of becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable as you test and try and tinker realizing your gifts, talents, and even “superpowers” you never knew you had.  The journey without is a daily adventure we all must continue to grow to our full potential.

If we stop going on the journey, then we stop growing.  When we stop growing . . . well you finish that sentence.

Need help determining your personal purpose? Contact me to schedule a one-on-one self-leadership coaching session so I can help you think into your purpose. Keep climbing and journeying. Lead Well!

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