In today’s lesson, we’re going to discuss a little secret about purpose and how it ties into your work, hear a story about Adam working as a tour guide and at Google, and wrap up the first module of the 10x Life course (woo-hoo!).
Video Lesson
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Time: 4:54
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Click full screen (lower right corner) to increase the size
Lesson Summary
10 questions to help you realize your purpose
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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?
Need a cheat sheet? Here are Adam’s answers:
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What are my natural gifts? (writing, running my mouth, teaching)
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What do I love to do? (travel, run, read, play with cats)
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When do I feel the most alive? (When I’m running, traveling, mid-coitus)
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What am I passionate about? (Helping others succeed, education, growing businesses)
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Who inspires me? What do I admire most about them? (Jim Rogers - he’s smart, successful, and drove around the world twice)
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What have others always said that I am really good at? (Writing, shooting the shit, being patient, and helping others)
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What would I change in the world if I could? (Free education for everybody)
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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? (That I traveled a lot, thought a lot, taught a lot, and wrote about all of it)
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What would I attempt if I was guaranteed success? (Develop an alternative form of energy)
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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? (I would write and travel more. I would stop being chained to a computer all day long. I would start taking Spanish lessons. I would stop mowing lawns.)
Now, we’re going to let you in on a little secret…
Even though you’ve answered the 10 questions, you won’t know your purpose until you act.
Why you ask?
A study at the University of Michigan found that people define their work in ways:
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Job (for financial rewards and necessity, rather than pleasure or fulfillment)
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Career (for advancement)
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Calling (for enjoyment of fulfilling socially useful work)
Here’s where it gets interesting:
No matter which profession researchers looked into—from clerical to professional—one third of people defined their work as a job; another third, a career; and the final third, a calling.
Their occupation didn’t matter. Whether they were janitors, lawyers, doctors, or drug dealers, people either found purpose in what they did—or they didn’t.
The fact is…
**You don’t know how important something is until you start doing it. **Purpose is not an answer. It’s not a question. It’s an action. We have no idea if something lights our fires until we try it.
Don’t worry… We’ll show you how in the next lesson.
To wrap up the first module, you learned:
The power of purpose and 3 scientific studies that showed how purpose can help you enjoy better health, spend less time in a hospital, and even live longer.
How to create a virtuous cycle in your life by:
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i) defining your purpose,
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ii) creating goals aligned with that purpose,
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iii) building routines to achieve those goals, and
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iv) turning those routines into habits that are aligned with your goals.
The 10 essential questions to help you define your purpose.
RECOMMENDED READING: 7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose by Mark Manson
In the next module, you’ll:
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Map out where you are in this crazy ride called life, and what you want to experience along the way
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Get a crystal clear, 30,000-foot overview of your life—your values, beliefs, and desires—so you can start living every day driven by your purpose
10x Community
Leave a comment, share a personal story, or ask a question. We read each and every comment. – Adam and Darcie