Power in Your Purpose

Do you sometimes feel stalled out when you want to accomplish something important, but you aren’t sure what to do next or how to do it? Perhaps you’re asking yourself the wrong questions. Instead of asking what and how, begin with why! There’s power in your purpose.

Connecting with your purpose or your why will help powerfully propel you forward as you figure out the what and the how of life.

I’ve been involved with a web-based company for more than a decade. Recently that company made some significant changes to its website. It’s interesting to see how people have responded to these changes. Some throw their hands up in frustration, not knowing what to do or how to do things on the new site.

Others embrace change and don’t allow the new ways of doing things to slow them down.

They have a compelling why –a powerful purpose–for being on the website, and nothing will stop them from figuring out the what and the how so they can move forward.

“I do not fix problems. I fix my thinking.
Then problems fix themselves.”
-Louise Hay

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

This is a great time of year to identify if your self-talk is motivating you or is holding you back.

One of the most damaging misconceptions you can have is a belief that you are limited in ways that make it impossible for you to achieve past a certain level. Denis Waitley once said, “If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won’t, you most assuredly won’t. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad.”

While there is no magic formula for helping people move past their self-imposed limitations, here is a powerful tip that may help if you struggle with self-doubt:  Inject meaning into whatever you do.

Whether working for pay or as a volunteer, when there’s a compelling reason behind doing an activity, you’ll work harder, push past your fears, doubts and frustrations, and you’ll go the extra mile to accomplish your goals. Couple this extra effort with a talent or strength that is unique to you, and you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

Your purpose is bigger than you.

The key is to focus on something that is bigger than you. When you make it about yourself, it’s much easier to allow limitations to creep in. When you make it about a cause much greater than yourself—when you find power in your purpose–you’ll expand your vision and it will be much easier for you to get out of your own way. I’ll illustrate my point with a story.

Years ago, I met a woman (I’ll call her Jane) who was extremely introverted and had difficulty carrying on a conversation with more than one or two people at a time. Even when directly asked for her opinion, she was reluctant to share her thoughts. One day Jane’s life changed in an instant when her daughter was killed by an underage drunk driver. Within months of her daughter’s death, Jane transformed from an insecure, withdrawn, soft-spoken woman to a confident, powerful, and assertive public speaker, taking every opportunity she could find to deliver her impassioned message. It became her life’s work to heighten awareness about the dangers of underage drinking and drunk driving. Jane found power in her purpose.

Add meaning to your everyday life!

Here are three ideas you can implement to add meaning and purpose to your life.

1. Give a portion of your income to a charity that is making a difference and holds meaning for you. Do this on a monthly basis.  Before selecting a charity, do some research to find out what percentage of donated funds actually go to the stated purpose and what percentage goes to overhead costs. One of my favorite resources for this is Charity Navigator, which evaluates the financial health, accountability, and transparency of 7000 of America’s largest charities. If you are looking for smaller local charities, you might also check out GreatNonprofits.org.

2. Volunteer your time to an organization or a cause that holds great meaning for you. Whether you do something on an ongoing (weekly or monthly) basis or you take a day out of each quarter of the year to volunteer, you’ll find tremendous satisfaction in giving of yourself in this way. If you want to review a list of volunteer opportunities in your area, do a Google search for “volunteer opportunities in [Name of Your City]” and you will probably find a number of opportunities listed. You may also check with your local United Way for a list of non-profits that offer volunteer opportunities.

3. Be a pioneer in your industry or profession. Find new and creative ways that you can replace outdated business models. Even better, reinvent your industry or profession in a way that incorporates social good. If you’re going to radically shake up things in your profession, consider ways you can also help others accomplish their goals.

I was one of the first among Professional Organizers / Productivity Consultants to offer my services virtually. Instead of driving or flying to a client’s office to work with them, I found ways that I could effectively provide my coaching and consulting services over the phone, while also helping my clients to accomplish their goals in a more lasting way. Because weekly coaching was provided over a period of several months, my clients were able to make incremental weekly changes in their behavior, forming new habits that stayed with them far beyond the end of our work together.

Under the old model, I would drive or fly to a client’s location, work intensely with them for several days, and then leave. Under that model, the necessary behavioral changes were not the focus of our work together, so the systems we had created together often fell apart over time.

By offering virtual services, I am able to work weekly with a client for several months. I partner with them on their journey toward making lasting behavioral changes that will help them to get and stay organized. This also saves my clients money, and I am able to be home with my family instead of being on the road all the time.

When I first started offering my services by phone, my colleagues told me that it couldn’t be done…that I needed to be physically present to help a client “get organized”. Then they saw that I had a steady stream of clients who were effectively working with me in this way.

Based on demand for knowledge about how I was doing this work, I created a training program for my colleagues called “Virtually There: How to Help Your Clients Get Organized Without Leaving Your Office.”  I’ve taught other professionals how to do this. Fast forward years later, and today many of my colleagues are working virtually with their clients. This business model makes it possible for those who live or work in remote areas to access professional services without paying for travel expenses.

Do well by doing good.

Figure out what is meaningful to you and the people around you, and you’ll discover the path for making extraordinary things happen. If you’d like to dive deeper on this topic, check out my new guide, Living with Purpose, which will help you identify your values, passions and purpose. When you live your life with purpose, you plug into your core genius. It becomes much easier to make values-based decisions, clear the distractions, create a clear path, and accomplish your goals. Instead of living your life by default, you’ll make the most of each day and you’ll feel happier and more fulfilled.

If you’d like help identifying what’s most meaningful in your life—so you can create a plan to put first things first –let’s schedule a no-cost, no-pressure Discovery Call today.

Additional Resources:

• NEW Guide: Living with Purpose
• Guide: Cultivating Happiness: Living Life on Your Terms
• Blog: How I Discovered My Purpose