Welcome to October, where this month’s theme is preparing, specifically equipping and preparing you to be on-purpose so you can go into 2024 with a purpose and a plan.
Being on-purpose is the meaningful alignment of your 2-word Purpose with a clarified Vision put in action with an aligned Mission that’s guided by your stated Values (PVMV). This month, our focus is to guide you to clarify your personal PVMV.
You possess a unique expression of what being on-purpose is for you. However, like any science, there are repeatable patterns or proofs. For example, there’s the innate desire to make a difference. Another is the existential wondering of Why do I exist? A third is a spiritual question regarding what happens when I die.
Leaving any of these unaddressed means you’re stepping from the present into an increasingly foggy future. This doubt casts a foreboding shadow on your present that darkens your hope and slows your confidence. The Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland summed it up this way: “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”
A vision without a purpose will likely be a costly distraction. A person with a purpose but not a vision is easily distracted and pulled off-purpose. Are you:
- Wondering why things don’t work out well for you?
- Experiencing confusion and anxiety?
- Pondering what you can do?
- Seeking direction?
Reality check: You aren’t prepared. The time has come to clarify your vision. Don’t procrastinate with naive expectation that time will work some magic. Don’t stay stuck in your thoughts, panicked about the future, and frozen from taking action. You can be a steward in co-creating your future.
The simplest, fastest, and remarkably accurate method to use is the “Want List and Tournament Process” described in The On-Purpose Person. Download a free version of The Discovery Guide to get started with this fun and exciting vision clarification (and more) exercise.
Will the vision you define work out exactly as you intend? Probably not. But at least you’re meaningfully in motion. This shift from a wandering generality into a meaningful specific advances you in the direction of being an engaged contributor to the common good (which includes you). Respecting what’s written on your heart and visualized in your mind’s eye is an energizing combination and prepares you for next week’s On-Purpose Post, which is about discerning your mission(s) and values.
Be On-Purpose!
Kevin
