Perhaps I’ve always been an action-oriented person. See a job that needs doing, do that job, move to the next one. But I think there’s more to it than that.
Some examples:
I decided to write a book, so last July I wrote every single day and by July 31st, I had a full draft of my book – coming out…soon…ish :)
I knew that the evolution of my “doing good” time was leading in a particular direction, so I created Ripples of Hope, because that’s what needed to be done.
Last year I decided that I needed to read more to be a better husband, father, and leader, so I challenged myself to read a book a week, and I ended up knocking out 52 books.
And because I share these things (which helps me be accountable), the question I get asked more than any other is, “How do you do all those things?!”
Usually people who ask me that are also accomplishing a lot in their life. They aren’t lazy (nor am I any less lazy, believe me), and they don’t want to be successful any less than I do.
There’s one thing holding them back from accomplishing more: They don’t know what success looks like.
From the moment I was able to clearly define my Purpose – to have an out-sized, positive impact on the world – everything I needed to do became more clear. It was at that point that I knew where I was headed, and what I needed to do to get there.
Everything I work hard at leads to that Purpose. Reading helps me understand the world better (creating more empathy) and educates me on being a better leader. Publishing a book will help me reach more people, raise my awareness, and ultimately do more good.
The point is, until you know what your Purpose is, until you know what success looks like for you, then you’ll never feel like you’re accomplishing as much as you could.
If you aren’t sure how to get started on finding your Purpose, begin by reading Start With Why. And then stay tuned, I’m working with some friends to make it easy for people to find their Purpose. Because if I can help people know what they should be working toward (which undoubtably will be something that makes the world a better place), then I’ll be living into my Purpose…see what I did there ;)
