Most of us know when we are off-purpose. Our energy is drained, we regret the past, are unfocussed and unfulfilled in the present and anxious about the future. The personal and professional cost of being off-purpose is more costly than we can imagine. It costs us our peace of mind, rich and meaningful relationships, confidence, clarity and the deep satisfaction of experiencing life “now”. It costs us money too! A recent survey conducted by On-Purpose Partners (US) yielded the following results:
How much money do you think being off-purpose costs you or your business?
The remaining 22% indicated that the cost was priceless and immeasurable (which was not a category)
Clearly people are recognising that without a clear Purpose, their financial capacity is significantly restricted. Some 40% believe this cost is $1M or more! Intuitively some 22% understand that you can’t put a price on not having a clear Purpose and living a life that is On-Purpose. The cost is immeasurable.
So what is your On-Purpose Batting Average? When I ask this of individuals and businesses the responses are revealing. One organisation felt it was On-Purpose about 12% of each day and most of the others were well under 50%! Imagine what that is doing, not just to the bottom line but to the ripple effect of non-engagement and limited job satisfaction.
Thanks to the inspiration and stimulus I have received from the On-Purpose Books by Kevin McCarthy, I have been working with this concept since 2000 now. Increasingly I understand the Power of my Purpose in my personal and business life.
Those of you who have participated in my Power of Your Purpose one day workshop and coaching programs will have developed your two- word Purpose Statement. I have also tried to bring this into all the Government run Business Workshop and Mentoring Programs I have been running with Small Business Solutions.
Having a two-word Purpose Statement is not a gimmick, a slogan or a word-smithing exercise. It is your:
- Energy source,
- Reason for being
- Road map that inspires you and gives you confidence and clarity each moment of the day and your
- Spiritual DNA.
Here are examples of two word Purpose Statements that some of you have developed for yourselves and/or your business since we have been working together – Enriching Community; Creating Opportunity; Releasing Potential; Liberating Greatness; Igniting Enthusiasm (Mine); Celebrating Freedom; and Rejuvenating Spirit. To find your own two word Purpose Statement, visit the website www.ONPURPOSE.me
Notice that the first word ends in ING as Purpose is past, present and future. As a “doing” word it helps you to put your Purpose into action as you live it moment by moment throughout each day. It is the outward manifestation of who you ‘be’. The second word is the object of your Purpose. It is your focus and object of attention across all of your life accounts. It is how you serve yourself, others and a higher Purpose.
You only have one Purpose–(I was; I am; I will). Think of it like spiritual electricity. Like electricity it has always been there but for electricity to be of any use it had to be discovered and harnessed to produce power. Your Purpose has been there from the beginning. Some of you are unconsciously aware of it but how much more power it has when you discover it, consciously name it, harness it and align your life to it. It impacts not just your work but all other areas of your Life – spiritual, physical, intellectual, mental, family, financial, and relationships.
I invite you to get in touch with that two word Purpose Statement you developed for yourself or with your organisation. Notice the POWER it has:
Precision – It is precise, detailed and specific and your laser beam. It provides a context for the content of your life; it gives you your unique identity and precisely names your spiritual DNA. It is who you “are” and “be” and are “becoming”. You can write it on a tee shirt, a business card or a gravestone! WOW!
Oneness – Not only do you have one Purpose but this One Purpose is shared by all (but in different words). It connects and integrates us all at the deepest level. In any organisation (family, business, club and so on) it brings people together, aligns them to a common purpose and gets everyone on the same page resulting in shared interests, shared solutions and shared outcomes. As individuals, it gives us one clear authentic reason for being! WOW!
Written –Like written goals, when you write your Purpose it brings the unconscious to consciousness. You write it and “be” it. It’s your written constitution. It’s not just a couple of fluffy words, which like clouds, drift around. There is something very powerful about writing these two words down and displaying them visually. They name the ‘real’ you or the heart of your business (your true self and identity) not the family name which was given to you by your parents or your business name. Your written Purpose becomes your map. It is your homing beacon or your lighthouse – your “true north”. It helps you to make sense of your life and business – your “been”, “being” and “becoming”. WOW!
Energy – When you are connected and aligned with your Heart and spiritual DNA and with the Oneness of the true life we all share, the energy is transformational. Being On-Purpose and living with ONE Purpose you are energised, confident and have clarity and focus. You live your life by design. You make decisions, which are in alignment with your Purpose. You tap into your talents, strengths and unique gifting. You say “yes” to your heart’s desires and “no” to the beat of others’ drums. Feel the energy when you are set free! WOW!
Relationships – Living in alignment with your Purpose transforms relationships. You no longer focus on the conditioned and egoic self, which seeks separateness, protection and self-centred relationships. Purpose is by definition “good”. It comes from a place of “Godness” and “Goodness”. It seeks to have relationships with the Universe, others and self through a core motive of “Love” and not “Fear”. When you respond to all relationships from your “being” (Your Purpose) you respond in love and seek relationships that focus on shared interest rather than self- interest; shared outcomes and shared solutions rather than separate outcomes and solutions. Relationships at the Trans-personal (Self with higher power); Intra-personal (Self with self) and Inter-personal (Self with others) are transformed and enriched. WOW!
Are you ready to harness the Power of Your Purpose? How is your life and business going right now? Is your life filled yet unfulfilled? Are you pulled in a thousand different directions which take you away from what is truly meaningful and important to you? Are you saying yes to other people’s projects and activities while neglecting the things that matter most at your core? Are you in touch with your heart and your spiritual DNA? Have you aligned your life to your Purpose or do you feel you are still living a “life of quiet desperation”, squandering your talents and living a life of regret?
Join the Purpose Revolution and be On-Purpose! Life will never be the same when you harness the power of your two word Purpose Statement and become On-Purpose!
Please follow the two links below for more information about the On-Purpose Personal and Business Leadership Coaching Programs.
Personal Leadership Coaching Program
Business Leadership Coaching Program
Dr Edward Gifford (Igniting Enthusiasm)
CEO – Chief Enthusiasm Officer
M: 0416 260 448
E: edward@onpurposepartners.com.au
© Dr Edward Gifford, On-Purpose Partners Pty Ltd, May 2012