What is your purpose? We all have a unique gift and were put on this earth to share it. What is yours?
The first step toward unlocking your purpose is to mine your life story for major threads and themes that reveal your lifelong gifts, passions, and values. Next, create a clear purpose statement that energizes you to get up each morning with intention and joy. The words in your purpose statement must be yours. They must capture your essence. And they must call you to action each and every day. You must envision the impact you’ll have on your world as a result of living your purpose. Your actions—not your words—are, ultimately, what truly matters.
To do this, let’s begin with a Purpose Checkup. Many of us accept the wisdom of regular physical checkups. We’re also generally willing to review our financial situation with some regularity.
So, if money and medical checkups are essential, we might be wise to take guidance from the financial
and medical worlds and adopt the practice of a regular meaning checkup on that third dimension to ensure that our spirit—our sense of purpose—remains healthy.
Please read each statement carefully and take a few moments to decide on a true response for yourself. Then write the number that most nearly reflects that response. The answers offer the following range of responses:
0. Can’t Decide.
1. Definitely disagree.
2. Somewhat disagree.
3. Somewhat agree.
4. Definitely agree.
Having (Outer Life)
___ I wake up energized about the day ahead.
___ I feel good about my life and grateful for what I have.
___ I have taken risks to do things I care about.
___ I have found ways to offer my gifts and talents to the world.
___ I’m excited and hopeful about the future.
___ I don’t have many regrets about things I haven’t done.
___ I go to sleep at night feeling that my day was well lived.
___ Total Having Score
Doing (Inner Life)
___ Doing things for others is important to me and I make time for it.
___ When I have key decisions to make, I focus on what deeply matters to me and let that be my guide.
___ I enjoy being alone.
___ I know what I’m good at and I use my gifts to make a difference in people’s lives.
___ I have the courage to face my adversities.
___ I’m growing and giving.
___ I maintain a balance of saving and savoring the world.
___ Total Doing Score
Being (Spiritual Life)
___ I sense the presence of a Higher Power.
___ I maintain a consistent spiritual practice.
___ I feel a sense of the sacred when I’m in the natural world.
___ I offer compassion to others readily.
___ I offer forgiveness to others easily.
___ I feel a deep sense of gratitude for my life.
___ I know what I’d like to be remembered for.
___ Total Being Score
___ Total Purpose Checkup score
Interpretation
Having (Outer Life) – The dimension of your external experience and activity—how effectively you relate to the “having” choices in your life.
Doing (Inner Life) – The dimension of your internal experience and inner activity—how effectively you relate to the “doing” choices in your life.
Being (Spiritual Life) – The dimension of your invisible experience and spiritual activity—how effectively you relate to the “being” choices in your life.
Scoring
Your score in each section is one measure of your development in that dimension. Your total Purpose Checkup score (out of 84) gives a measure of the power of purpose you are experiencing in your life at present.
64 – 84 Yes, living purposefully! You’re clear about what truly matters to you and you’re mattering in the world.
43 – 63 Yes, basically fulfilled! Keep on growing and giving in your life.
22 – 42 Unlocking purpose requires more clarity. The next step: Clarify your gifts, passions, and values.
21 – 0 Living purposefully isn’t reserved for the elite few. So, don’t give up because your score right now is low. The power of purpose process works, if you work the process!