Key Idea: Without a Life Purpose as the compass to guide us, our goals and action steps may not ultimately fulfill us.
We are all created for a Purpose. Whether or not we are able to identify our personal purpose, is a different issue altogether. A purpose is important because it gives you the big WHY? A purpose is the reason why you journey. When you know your purpose, and you do what you love, then you will never have to work a day in your life. Needless to say then, we should all take the time & make effort to discover what our true Purpose is.
In my coaching journey, one of the things I learned was the 4 Cs to discovering your Purpose:
- Create – What is that space where you are amazingly creative? Where do you get your “AHA!” moments the most? Where are you naturally motivated? What is your inspiration?
- Consume – What are you devouring, reading, watching, & streaming, all the time? What are the thoughts you are thinking of all the time? Where is your contemplation?
- Calendar – For the last 2 weeks, what have you been doing? And for the next 2, where are you headed? Is it in alignment with your purpose? Or is it hindering your purpose? Are you busy or are you actually getting work done? What is your preoccupation? “Some people are just so busy making a living, and not actually living their lives.”
- Care – What you care about often becomes the cause you live for. What is your passion?
…And the 5th C (that wraps it all together), is Connect. By connecting the dots between the 4Cs above, you will be able to find your purpose.
If you’re still stumped in identifying your Purpose, another Tool/Thought that can help is The IKIGAI. Ikigai is a Japanese word that means, “a reason for living and being”. With this tool, you will have clarity on what motivates you to jump out of bed every morning, and therefore learn to appreciate life every single day. So ask yourself, “What do you wake up for every morning?”. Here’s how to find your “Ikigai”:
Ikigai is seen as the convergence of 4 Primary Elements: our Profession, Passion, Mission and Vocation. Discovering your own Ikigai is believed to bring fulfilment, happiness and make you live longer.
Want to find your Ikigai? Ask yourself the following four questions:
- What am I Paid for now or in the Future?
- What am I Good/Great at?
- What do I Love Doing/Being?
- What does the World Need from me?
Explore these questions. Expand the answers for each question. Then summarize each answer into 2-3 words each. String the words together. Create an empowering action-oriented line for yourself. This may just be the start of something beautiful. Take all the time you need to really think this through. After all, life is meant to be explored. Don’t just merely exist, live life with a purpose.
