Finding your life’s purpose can help you reach great heights. Before you find your purpose, you need to define it. It’s only logical that you do everything in steps.
Whenever you decide to do anything in life, you take a step-wise approach. From performing reactions in a lab to cooking, everything needs to be done in steps. So, it is quite logical to define your purpose before you set out to find it.
Frederick Buchner once said,
“Purpose is the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s needs”.
Before you serve the world, you need to define this place. You can’t get to this place until you have first defined it.
Gives You Direction
Defining your purpose gives you a definite direction. It directs you towards your ultimate goal in life. If you want to achieve something in life, you have to be clear about your purpose.
The most successful people will tell you that you need to have a definite purpose to win. Plus you must also have a strong desire to achieve this purpose.
If you have no direction, you’ll end up going around in circles. Think of it as a journey. If you are going somewhere, not only do you need directions but also a destination to reach.
But you’ll never reach there if you don’t have the directions. Similarly, if you have no definition, you can’t get to your purpose. When you define your purpose, you know exactly what you’re aiming for.
Defining your purpose is the best way to dig deep in yourself. You need to ask yourself why you are doing something or why you need to do it.
But no one said it would be easy. When you first start the process, you’re bound to be confused. There will be so many questions that you can’t answer and you’ll face ambiguities about yourself.
However, as soon as you define your purpose, all these doubts and confusions go away. You’re able to see your goals clearly and will know how to reach those goals.
People who are successful know what they want and why they want it. They have a sense of direction. Most importantly, they know what success means. They’re aware of why they need to be successful or lead a meaningful life.
Once you define your purpose, everything you do will be in consistency with your goals. Every action of yours will get you closer to your aims and purpose.
The first step is always to know “Why?” Defining your purpose will help you filter out your actions. You’ll be able to prioritize the things that you need to do. In the same way, you’ll also learn about the things you need to cut out.
Keeps You from Getting Distracted
Defining your purpose also keeps you from getting distracted. When you’re on a quest to find your purpose, you’ll be sidetracked by a lot of things.
To prevent this from happening, it’s important to have a clear sense of where you’re going. If you just wake up one day and decide to do something, you won’t be very successful.
On the contrary, planning and defining will get you wherever you want. If you have a well-defined purpose, you’ll actually live life and not just survive.
For example, you might believe that your purpose in life is to serve others. Unless you know how you can do it, you can’t do it. You might get distracted by people around you. They may tell you that you can do so by being a doctor or a teacher.
So if your purpose isn’t defined, you get distracted by other peoples’ suggestions. And you set upon a path that’s not compatible with your calling.
But if you define your purpose, you find the right path. You need to ask yourself important questions such as why you want to serve others? What drives you to do so? Why it is that this is your purpose and not something else?
After answering all these questions, you’ll have a better sense of your purpose. Just like that, you’ll clearly see the path you need to take.
When you have defined your purpose, you’re not afraid to take risks. You’re not afraid of doing new or unconventional things. This definition will set the principle for your journey.
Keeps you Organized
When your purpose is well-defined, you remain organized. Instead of constantly thinking of what you need to do next, you already have a plan set out.
But when you do not have a definition in your life, you’re always busy thinking. The process of thought is time-consuming and if you get stuck in this process, you can’t hope to go beyond.
To define your purpose, you have to give time to the thinking process. When you’re done with it, you know exactly what needs to be done.
You can enlist all the things that you need to do. If you’ve defined your purpose well, you can make a day-to-day plan. Some people are lucky in this regard as they have those “aha” moments which enlighten them.
Others have to think for a while. Some may even have to look around for inspiration. As soon as you have found your inspiration and your definition, you can start your journey.
Think of it as a car ride. To start the ride, you need a car first. Then, you need to have a clear idea of where you’re going and why you’re going there. If you don’t know these things, you’ll never be able to start.
But if your thoughts are well-organized, you won’t have any doubts or confusion. Nothing will be able to distract you.
A. A. Milne explains this well when he says,
“Organization is what you do before you do something”.
He further says that you do this so that everything doesn’t get mixed up.
This makes a lot of sense. If all your thoughts and plans are mixed up, you’re in trouble. Define your purpose. Stick to a single plan, and you’ll eventually find your purpose.
Gives You Time for Experimentation
While you’re defining your purpose, it gives you a chance to experiment. This is the time when you can explore yourself. When you’re defining yourself, you’ll be able to see your real self.
If you simply set out to find your purpose, you might find something completely different along the way. It might be something that will completely change your purpose. Then, all your previous effort will go to waste.
Now, consider this. If you’ve already done all the defining, exploring and experimenting, you will be more certain.
By experimenting, you learn about yourself. You see your passion, your interests and your talents. When you define your purpose, you may find things that surprise you.
Imagine yourself as a video game character. You have to read the instructions first or watch a tutorial video. Without that, you’d be completely lost.
Just like that, you need to define your purpose. Look within to find your drive, your reason and your calling.
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