In this video lesson, we’re going to get into the nitty gritty of finding your purpose. We’ll drop some mad scientific research that backs the importance of finding your purpose, learn how define your purpose kick-starts a virtuous cycle, and list the 10 questions you need to answer to find your purpose.
Video Lesson
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Time: 3:41
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Click full screen (lower right corner) to increase the size
Lesson Summary
Studies reveal that having purpose in your life will:
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Make you healthier
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Help you live longer
Humans thrive with purpose.
Here’s three studies conducted on purpose:
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The University of Wisconsin–Madison measured the impact of purpose on health. They tracked close to 5,000 people over nine years and found that “those with persistently high well-being reported better health (subjective health, chronic conditions, symptoms, and functional impairment) across time compared to those with persistently low well-being.”
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An article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that “higher purpose was linked with greater use of several preventive health care services and also fewer nights spent hospitalized.” People with purpose spent an average of 17% less days in a hospital.
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A study by the Department of Psychology at Carleton University found that “purposeful individuals lived longer than their counterparts did during the 14 years after the baseline assessment, even when controlling for other markers of psychological and affective well-being.” These results were not conditional on participants’ age, how long they lived during the follow-up period, or whether they had retired from the workforce.
To summarize: If you have a reason to live—you will. In order to lead a 10x life, we must clearly define our purpose. Compare the following examples:
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“My purpose is to help people.” (Meh.)
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“My purpose is to learn, grow, and develop myself, while helping others to do the same.” (Awesome!)
Defining your purpose is vital. Without defining your purpose, you’re set adrift, doomed to float through life, directionless, like a broken compass.
How your purpose kicks off a virtuous cycle
It’s a simple process, really. First, you define your purpose. Then you set goals in line with your purpose. Then you develop routines that turn into habits. Over time, those habits help you live with purpose and eventually define you. Here’s a simple visual to help you:
[caption id=“attachment_1690” align=“aligncenter” width=“1024”]
Defining your purpose is the first step in creating a Virtuous Cycle[/caption]
It’s important to create goals that align to your purpose. *“What gets measured, gets managed.” - Peter Drucker *We define our purpose and then set measurable goals. If they aren’t measured, they aren’t managed. (we’ll discuss goals in future lessons)
10 questions to help you realize your purpose
Ask yourself:
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What are my natural gifts?
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What do I love to do?
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When do I feel the most alive?
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What am I passionate about?
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Who inspires me? What do I admire most about them?
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What have others always said that I am really good at?
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What would I change in the world if I could?
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If I could write my own life story at the end of my life, what would I want to put in that story?
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What would I attempt if I was guaranteed success?
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How would my life change if I never had to work another day? What would I do more of? What would I do less of? What would I start doing? What would I stop?
Take a few minutes now to think through your answers.
Got your answers?
Great job! In the next lesson, we’re going to put your purpose to the test.
10x Community
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