Too many people try to build a sense of meaning through pursuing purpose. It doesn’t work that way. First we have to rewrite the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves to ultimately reach a state of enoughness. Once we do this, we relieve ourselves of the burden of trying to pursue purpose in order to prove something.
Purpose will not solve your problems. It will not make up for a crappy childhood or take someone who is unhappy and make them happy. If that is what you are looking for, you are barking up the wrong tree. Try chasing the meaning stick instead.
Pursuing purpose, however, once you have tackled meaning, can be incredibly gratifying. The problem often is, once we become aware of the purpose anchors in our life, we have trouble taking action and turning them into joyful activities. The process of doing this is an incredibly powerful activity which I call the climb.
The climb is purpose in action.
If the commandments above look familiar….they should. This should sound vaguely similar to the rules of Little P Purpose.
I, as should you, have many climbs in my life. One of my favorite is podcasting. It fulfills all the commandments.
I enjoy podcasting in the moment I am doing it. I come alive behind the microphone. No matter what happens afterward, whether anyone listens or not, it is a good use of my time. It is goal agnostic.
Podcasting is one of my favorite things to do.
There is no failing when it comes to podcasting. All I have to do is show up and make a show.
I continuously work on the art of podcasting. My incremental game comes in the form of crafting a better show and becoming a better interviewer. These are things I have agency over. I can learn them. I have no agency over how many downloads I get. It is out of my hands, and so, I don’t choose it to be the focus of incremental gain.
Being an author is also a very important climb of mine. So is reading. So is exercise. I have many climbs.
What climbs have you built into your life? Which climbs do you want to build into your future? The key to actionalizing purpose is to create abundant opportunities for you to fill your precious time with activities that bring you joy.
Winning the game (of life) is filling as much time as possible with such activities. Not only will it bring your more health, longevity, and happiness but also lead to something even more important.
Impact! next week we will discuss how.
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Path to Purpose Coaching
Over the last year, writing my new book The Purpose Code, I have spent a huge amount of time thinking about, writing about, and discussing purpose. I have offered one-on-one and group coaching to my mastermind group, Wealth With Purpose. These discussions stem from my real life encounters with dying hospice patients as well as the numerous interactions I have had with people after reading Taking Stock.
What I've found is that most of us who listen to the Earn & Invest Podcast struggle with three basic issues:
How do I define purpose in my life?
How do I transition to a more fulfilling career?
What is enough money look like? Enough life?
To help navigate these waters, I have decided to offer the Path to Purpose coaching program. This is one-on-one coaching with me to help you further define purpose, direction, and career. Sessions will be spread over five weeks with a goal to provide a more concrete and enjoyable path to crack the purpose code and start living your life now whether you are broke, pre financial independence, financially independent, or beyond.
https://www.earnandinvest.com/coaching