Find Your Purpose in Life and Let it Determine Your Schedule

Find your purpose in life, and let that influence all you do.

Many people just let life happen to them. They don’t make plans or attempt to create a better future. They don’t take charge of their life.

Granted, we can’t control everything that will happen to us. But we don’t have to be fatalistic. We do have freedom and capacity given to us by the Creator to influence many of the outcomes in our own life.

So what is your purpose? What are you here on planet Earth for? Do you have something you would like to do, be or see happen? Determine from this moment to make plans and take action steps toward those dreams.

Translate those action steps into your daily schedule.

Five Days of Coaching as You Find Your Purpose in Life and Live it Out

DAY ONE

Today is another thinking day. What is your purpose for being on Earth? What were you uniquely created to be or accomplish? Don't strive to be or do something you think you should do or be. Just seek to accomplish your unique purpose without judging whether or not it is newsworthy. That's what matters.

The Coach asks:

• Write down a few thoughts about your purpose in life? They may be well formed since you've thought a lot about this. They may be few since you haven't much considered it before. Either way, capture your thoughts about this. 
• When you find your purpose in life, you can live more intentionally. You will have a focus. It creates an assurance about who you are and why you are here. How important are these things to you? Does one particular reason for knowing this strike you as most important? 
• It seems a lot of people live their lives largely performing for others. What is the cost of this? How much of your life, work and leadership has been about performing for others without reference to your purpose?
• It may still be forming up in your mind, but based on your thinking today, what is your life purpose? Seek to articulate it as best you can right now. 

DAY TWO

Most people are discontented but continue to let life happen to them.  They often take the victim's role.  Today, decide to live with purpose. Lift your head. Realize you are here for a reason, and live it out today. Walk like you are going somewhere.

The Coach asks:

• What areas of your life will be most affected or transformed by seeking to live your life on purpose? How will it affect your schedule?
• What actionable steps will you take first? 
• What support might you need in order to have your schedule more accurately reflect your purpose and those things you are passionate about? 
• What are you learning about yourself in this area?  

DAY THREE

Look at your schedule over the last few weeks. Does it reflect your purpose? Is it advancing the personal development and contribution you want to make? Maybe your day planner needs to be more reflective of those things that matter. Start creating time for purposeful living. If it's worth living for, it's worth putting into an action plan.

The Coach asks:

• Reflect on how a daily, weekly, yearly planner would reflect your purpose? How would your purpose show up in your planning system? 
• What happens if finding your purpose in life is left as a nice intellectual exercise but nothing intentional is done in response to it? 
• How does it feel to create intentional time for purposeful living? 
• What do you think is possible? 

DAY FOUR

Make a list with the following heading at the top. “I don't have a choice to:” List everything that you honestly don't believe you have a choice about. List those things you don't believe you have any ability to influence.  Now ask yourself what's true and what you're just believing in spite of the facts. Change course.

The Coach asks:

• Make a list with the heading, "I don't have a choice about ..." 
• Going through each item on your list, ask yourself if this is absolutely true. You have no ability to influence this item whatsoever. 
• If it's not absolutely true, what influence DO you have, to conform it more to serve your purpose in life? 
• Where's the opportunity? 

DAY FIVE

People who have a purpose in life are much more interesting to be around. They are more confident and directed. They know what they can be involved in and what to say “no” to.  Resolve from today forward to be a person of purpose.

The Coach asks:

• Who do you know that you believe a person of purpose? They live out their purpose because they know what matters, who they are, and why they have been placed on this earth.
• How are you resolving to be a person of purpose? 
• What involvements do you have that are not in line with your purpose? What will you do about those? 
• What do you wish to do more of? How can you make that happen? What will you do about it, starting today?

Spiritual Reflection for Christian Leaders

As a Christian Executive Leadership Coach I encourage Christian leaders to reflect on God's Word to add to their wisdom.

• Mk 1:37,38  "Everyone is looking for you." Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else, to the nearby villages so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."

• Jn 5:36  For the works that the Father has given me to finish, the very works that I am doing, testify that the Father has sent me.

• Jn 6:38  For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 

• Gal 2:7  On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter has been to the circumcised.

• Col 1:28,29  He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. 

If you are a leader, executive, or senior level professional looking to work with a Christian Executive Coach, I invite you to connect with me here.

If appropriate, we can meet by phone or Zoom to discuss your situation.

Record Your Progress

This is your opportunity to track your progress. Start by asking yourself how important this practice is to you? Record the importance as - not at all, somewhat, fairly, highly or extremely. 

Now next to it ask yourself how well you carry out this practice. Record your performance as - very poor, poor, okay, good or very good. 

The things we track, we pay attention to. Across time, come back and record your new results. You will find that as you are intentional about making improvements, you will bump your "score" up higher. 

This is significant. Don't miss the opportunity to acknowledge your success, and use it as a springboard for making even further gain.

Notes

Seeking to find your purpose in life is a BIG deal. For some it's "as clear as a bell." Fantastic. I'm sure you are benefiting from such clarity. 

For others it takes time and life experience. It doesn't come overnight. Don't worry over it. Let it unfold.