To live a purpose driven life, one must live a life of intention while adding value to others. A purpose driven life knows, no boundaries or failures too big to tackle. Therefore, purpose driven people pursue their dreams and goals no matter the cost. They also tend to be the ones to speak life into other people to assist them in developing themselves. Therefore, I will share 10 key things that purpose driven people do:
- Focus on Positive Outcomes: To become a purpose driven individual, you must focus on the positive outcome that you are trying to attain instead of the negative problem or circumstance in front of you. By practicing this element, you are better able to bounce back from failures and can easily address challenges after a problem or issue has been brought to your attention.
- Don’t Fear Failure: You must understand that failure is apart of success. It needs to be embraced and not feared. Failure is one of the biggest barriers to an individual’s success, not only professional success but also their personal success. Therefore, to become a purpose driven person, you must not fear failure and understand that you will fail however, failure is not permanent, it is merely a detour on your journey to success. Therefore, don’t beat yourself up because you made a mistake, instead be gentle with yourself, to create an internal environment to reflect and learn, not to rant and rave.
- Practice Self-Awareness: You must understand yourself to develop yourself into something more than you are now. Therefore, you need to understand that self-awareness must be accessed and cultivated every day. In doing so, it will bring clarity and a great understanding of who you are as a person. Self-awareness will give you a clear perspective of your personality, strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, values, beliefs, and motivations. Therefore, understand YOU first is key to growing yourself and others.
- Surround Themselves with Like-Minded People: It is easy to get caught up with an audience of one, however, to become a purpose-driven person, you must understand that it is impossible to be significant on your own. Purpose-driven people know that you must have other people join you on the journey. However, the key is finding “your people”, the right people. There are a few things that can derail a person in pursuit of significance, being surrounded by people who don’t consider significance something worth pursuing is one of them. Or even being surrounded by people whose goals are totally different from theirs can derail a person’s journey. To make a difference and live a purpose driven life, you must work together with like-minded people. These are individuals who want the same things you do and have the same outlook on life. Find them, these are your people!
- Purpose Driven Surround Themselves with Like-Valued People: It is not only good to have like-minded people to endure this journey called life when you are trying to be a more purpose-driven person, but there is more! Purpose-driven people understand that one person alone can accomplish a lot. One person working with like-minded people can accomplish even more. But a group of people who share the same dream and the same values can change the world! Sharing values with other people go beyond having a common goal. It’s having a common belief about the best way to achieve that goal. However, exact value matches are rare, so purpose-driven people strive to partner with people who match as closely to their values as possible. They commit themselves to focus more on what they have in common rather than on what they see differently and work together where they align. So, find your crew and make an impact instead of a small dent.
- Give and Receive: Becoming a purpose-driven person isn’t about just doing it for yourself. It is about others too. Therefore, you must understand adding value to others is an important part of a purpose driven life. Understanding and knowing that other people matter is the key to success. By giving to others you become aware of your abundance and will become flooded with gratitude. Appreciation of others and yourself becomes an uplifting experience. If you genuinely give to others whether it be through your time or finances, you will receive what you need to be successful. Consider the following example: You may facilitate a free class on financial literacy, thereby giving your time to a group of strangers. In turn one of those strangers may be the direct gatekeeper to your next step in your success journey. As a coach, I facilitated a free 30 minutes class on mental fitness, to a group of “strangers”. However, at the end of the class, a young lady who attended my class told me that she was looking for a speaker for a larger upcoming event and wanted to invite me to be the keynote speaker. In speaking with her a little more, she informed me that she was the president of the organization and thought I would make an impact on the group. She was the gatekeeper to my next step on my success journey. Do it for the team!
- Listen to Understand: Listening is such a powerful key to becoming a purpose driven person. Purpose-driven people know the full power that is inherent in listening. They listen to others to understand them, not to be understood. In this day in age, people fail to listen because they are to busy waiting to respond because their intention of being understood, rather than first taking the time to understand the speaker. Failing to learn how to actively listen is a recipe for costly mistakes in life. Therefore, truly listen to understand not to be understood. That’s why God gave you two ears and one mouth. Listen!
- Set Goals with Deadlines: Deadlines are important in becoming a purpose driven person. Purpose-driven people have a clear vision about what to focus on and how to accomplish their goals. They have deadlines and stick to them, holding themselves accountable for their progress. Add your deadline to the calendar, this creates urgency and makes you focus on the goal that you are trying to attain. You must understand that purpose-driven people are not successful by chance. They chose to be successful and then made it happen by first nailing down their vision. They do not ask for permission and they do not seek acceptance. So go out there and set a deadline for your goal and stick with it!
Purpose-driven people, all have a vision of who they want to be and what they want to do. This purpose isn’t just thought about, it’s both felt and known. Although the specific expressions of this purpose may change over time, such as in a career path, the overall message is constant. They understand what God wants for their lives.
Photo by David Iskander on Unsplash