I hope today’s note finds you feeling joyful and purposeful?
I was anything but joyful and purposeful as I awoke this morning. For some inexplicable reason I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Tired. Worried. Grumpy.
After a page of journaling about it, I still couldn’t pinpoint the cause of my feelings. Yesterday I’d been feeling fabulous, so why were things different today? I guess life is just like that in lockdown.
At the end of the page, I made a decision to stop languishing in my negativity. At the top of the second page, I wrote my purpose statement.
Bringing purpose to life so together we can build a better world.
I wrote about what it meant to me and then five things I’d do today to make my purpose a reality. By the end of my journaling, I’d found my energy and enthusiasm for the day ahead and within minutes I was on my bike pedalling down to the Yarra for my morning swim.
For me, “Bringing purpose to life” means three things; that I live a purposeful life; that I build a purpose-driven business; that I teach what I know about purpose to others so they’ll reach their full potential. It’s very practical and motivates me to action. The second part of the statement “so together we can build a better world”, is more aspirational. It’s a wish that we would all find our purpose so we can collectively contribute to the more wonderful world we all crave.
Follow the Purpose Statement Framework
A purpose statement follows a very clear framework that includes a verb (bringing), an intention (purpose to life) and an outcome or beneficiary (so together we can build a better world).
Every word in the statement is carefully selected. Every word must earn its right to be there. Every word has its own meaning and story behind it. Crafting a meaningful purpose statement is both an art and a science. Discover how to write your own purpose statement in The Purpose Project.
A clearly articulated purpose statement has incredible power. It’s more than mere words on a page or a website. It’s a catalyst for action and direction. It gets you out of bed and out of the doldrums.
When you can anchor yourself in your purpose, you can change your day. And if you can change your day, you can change your life.
Why you need a purpose statement.
There are five major reasons to write your own powerful purpose statement;
- It’s a guiding star, something to reach for even though you’ll never quite touch it
- It’s an anchor, something to return to when the inevitable waves of life hit.
- It’s a decision-making tool. Ask “will this decision I am about to make, take me closer to my purpose or drive me further away from it?
- It provides focus and is the place to begin for developing plans and daily to-do lists.
- It’s the foundation for communications and the ultimate way to engage and motivate others to take action.
Purpose in Education
I’m in the midst of delivering two Talk on Purpose courses in the education space. One is with a team of school principals from various independent schools across Victoria. The other is with a team of young leaders from multi-cultural backgrounds.
We begin the course by showing students how to explore their purpose and write their own statement. What’s interesting, is the contrast in the statements between these two groups. In the case of the principals, they’re writing statements for their current role as a leader of their school, while the young people are writing statements for their future vocation and aspirations for their communities.
It’s a privilege to see the smile on their faces and the relief at being able to finally express something that had previously been a vague notion or idea.
Do you have a purpose statement? If so, I’d love to know what it is and how you use it to direct your life and work. If you don’t, it’s never too late to create one. Let me know if I can help.
Imagine it’s your first school or company gathering for 2022…
Instead of delivering the same old new year address, what if a team of leaders from all corners of your organisation could wow your audience with an inspiring talk instead?
What if you could…
- Rejuvenate your depleted people after the impact of this pandemic.
- Create connection and cohesion amongst your people.
- Activate a sense of purpose and get everyone on the same page.
- Improve their communication, public speaking and storytelling skills.
- Empower your people to start a movement driven by purpose and story.
Achieve this and more with Talk on Purpose
If this sounds intriguing, Book a conversation with me. No cost. No obligation.
With love
