Why aren't we purposeful?

Napoleon Hill, author of 'Think & Grow Rich', conducted research many years ago, and he found that 98/100 people were lost and purposeless. Those odds aren't surprising as I believe they are worse today. He states that people are...

Going round and round like a goldfish in a bowl, coming back to the place to which they started.

One of the primary reasons for the endless loop that I've come to realise iss that it is used as a 'reasoning' to apply themselves, a criterion to achievement. That's a problem because it's hindering their growth, it's not meant to be "applied"; it's simpler than that; it's a form of direction.

When Simon Sinek famously gave his WHY talk on TEDx, could it be that people misinterpreted WHY with Purpose? I believe so because it's not. Think about it: WHY is the 'reasoning', a strong belief in something that shifts you into action. You and I have the power to choose anything you want that WHY to be. Predictably, no one on this planet will ever choose their reasoning to be anything but a pleasurable outcome. If so, here a question that comes to mind.

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What if Purpose doesn't work in the way you think it's projected upon to you?

It's precisely why many people aren't achieving a sense of Purpose; they've 'chosen' to apply themselves to a pleasurable outcome with such a narrow focus that they feel disheartened when things don't go their way. Often, they have a defined statement and still feel like it doesn't bring any form of fulfilment. Something still needs to be corrected. Can you relate? I know I did, especially when I followed advise and guidance from others, all but my own realisations.

Questioning 'Purpose' only comes to mind when we're starting a business, trying and testing everything, as Gary Vee usually says, "try different things", or when life has hit us with multiple blows of adversity. All worthy contributors to our understanding, yet we fail to understand what is being signalled to us.

It's because we've got it backwards. Purpose isn't the result of a filtered lens like business or achievement to move us forward; it's the filter itself that influences our thinking, behaviour and actions, before we apply ourselves to anything.

Remeber, Purpose is a personal affair, not a public one, so stop trying to ram it down people's throats. Nobody has a purpose in your Purpose; nobody. They have their own to seek and live out.

Check the data below.

It's no surprise that the results of a poll I conducted showed that a large majority of people need to validate it—they still need to form their own realisation of why it's correct for them in the first place. How can anyone on the outside affirm if it's true or not? Only you can. The options above were a form on a trick. The trick was that all options are valid simultaneously. They all make up for the disconnection we face. Yet it was interesting to find what people resonated with.

What would you have picked?

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Build a Deeper Sense of Purpose

I was taught to make Purpose a critical starting point while I was actively pursuing a Brand Strategist role. I'm not in such role now however the dreaded question started out like this:

"Why do we exist beyond making money?"

I thought we were doing them a favour with such an aspirational question. Clearly, that doesn't speak on 'Purpose' but it speaks to the 'reasoning' for taking on the intended pursuit. It's not talking to YOU; it speaks to the REASONING. The trouble here is that we begin to justify Purpose with such reasoning.

I found it wasn't connecting people as it ought to; when I was seeking it, I felt it myself. I was steered into a thought process with no connection but a shiny, polished definition to live up to.

The filter to Purpose here was business. The thought came before Purpose and was then framed in the idea of becoming more 'purposeful' to our audiences. We can't be effective like this; it's a manufactured sense of direction.

The shift in understanding we must make is in 4 areas; I call it the 4P's of Purposefulness: Perspective, Position, Proclamation and Progression.

It speaks to YOU first and helps you establish a criterion for applying yourself effectively in that direction. Then comes business, hobbies, career, job role, product etc

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Perspective - What Purpose is, and how it affects our lives

We must remap our perspective of Purpose, as many people have a shallow understanding. If such a heavy term has defined our existence, we ought to have a more profound understanding, surely? As Jim Rohn says, we "major in minor things" - Purpose needs and must be your Major.

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Position - Contextually, where Purpose shows up

We use the word Purpose sparingly and find ourselves having multiple Purposes in many areas of our lives. Overwhelmed by the idea of fulfilling and living up to so many that we fulfil none. It has to and is more straightforward than that; a unifying Purpose. One understanding that is expansive to all areas of your life.

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Proclamation - How we define Purpose helps us claim it

I've heard many times before, "My purpose is....", and the result of that statement is often a circumstantial pursuit, or what I call a WHAT statement. WHAT they think they will do for others. Funnily enough, they are thinking about WHY (Thanks, Simon Sinek), expressing WHAT (🧐 What they do), and are far from realising what it truly is.

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Progression - Adopting it and adapting ourselves in our lives

Once we have connected all the P's above, we can adapt them to our lives. This could mean knowing what business to pursue, what problem dictates your efforts, what emotionally charges us, or even what product to sell and to whom. The significant distinction here is that it's not a 9-5 concept. Purpose doesn't stop when 5 o'clock hits and it's time to go home.

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A deeper understanding here in these areas will form the basis to feeling more connected to a path that is yours. It's one area of your leadership forward I believe you must master.

Hey, if you read this far, thank you. 🙏🏽😅

The information here is the basis of my work towards personal self-leadership; it's understanding and knowledge that isn't led through some books but learned on my journey. After conducting multiple workshops with many people, I've seen the moment in people when the dots truly connect; it's nothing short of empowerment.

As part of the development of Peoplepreneur®, we are building hyper-focused Live Classes around specific topic of self-leadership. Becoming Purposeful is one such topic I personally cover. I'm running classes on this topic in further depth to help you connect, and I would love to have you join me. One person's feedback was:

"This has been an eye-opener. I was thinking about Purpose in the wrong way...".

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**Register and grab a seat, and I look forward to seeing you in the class.

Your Self-Leadership Coach

Anks Patel

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