Finding Your Life Purpose
To me, being an entrepreneur is about more than just the money.
It has to be! If your whole existence is about making enough money to support your lifestyle, that’s a very dreary life indeed.
Being an entrepreneur is about using everything you are to enrich those around you while living a life you love.
And someone who finds themselves in that position doesn’t want a “four hour work week.” Why would you only want to work four hours a week if you enjoy what you do?
When I first started online, YES, it was about the money. There was no question about that. I couldn’t make a living delivering pizzas or signing people up for credit cards in front of a store. It just wasn’t happening. Each month we went deeper in debt.
In fact I hated the very word “work.” It was what you did to just barely scrape by to get enough money to have fun. But today things have changed quite a bit. I do have a few of those “passive automated income streams” everyone talks about. And I definitely live below my means.
So why keep working, expanding, and growing in business?
It’s simple. You find work that is ALSO FUN. Without meaningful work, you will experience a feeling of “something lacking” in your life. In some cases, you can’t quite put your finger on it. It just feels like there is something missing.
On the other side of the fence, when you find yourself putting in too many hours doing things you don’t enjoy, you quickly burn out. In fact, I’ve found it possible to burn out on something you enjoy by doing it too much (I’ve had that happen both in work and in hobbies).
So there is also a point of balance in your life. Let’s see how long your marriage and family last if you all you do is work (and your health for that matter if sleep and eating habits are sacrificed).
A big key here is to find work you enjoy…that you have to pull yourself away from. Instead of dreading work, you look forward to it and love it.
The recent recommendations I’ve made for Steve Little’s PerfectBizFinder program can help you with this…
If you were like me and hated ALL the work you did before becoming an entrepreneur, how do you go about finding work you love and your life purpose?
Here are a few ideas and exercises that may help you.
#1 – Write your obituary.
I first heard this one back in college. Plan your obituary for decades in the future (be optimistic here). What accomplishments will you have made? What will you be known for? How will you be remembered? Keep it light hearted as you write this (don’t discourage yourself). It should be a fun exercise, because you’re going to the end result. Then you can work back from that point. If you’ve accomplish such-and-such by the time you die, what steps lead you up to that point? What should you be doing now?
#2 – What would you do if you could not fail?
If there was no chance of failure, and no one could stand in your way…what would you be doing? I like this question because it’s often our fears that hold us back from becoming who we really want. EVERYONE has problems with self-esteem in some area of their life. Where is fear holding you back? Open up a word processor and start writing about this. You may write several dozen versions of this before you come to the real bottom line (there is a lot of junk on the service from other people’s opinions, desires, etc.).
#3 – Who are you heroes and who would you most like to meet?
Who are your heroes? Who do you look up to? Why? What have they accomplished that you identify with? What did they overcome? What connection is there between them and your life purpose? You’ll often find there is some connection (although not always directly) between what they’ve accomplished and what you want to do. And remember, your heroes don’t have to be famous. They could be someone who influenced you in life. What common values do your heroes and you share?
#4 – What do you LOVE to do?
What do you love to do? When you’re doing this activity, time just seems to fly by. You’re in the zone where you time has no meaning to you. In business, you may find this only happens with a few very specific activities. How can we focus more of your time doing that (and outsource the rest)? In fact, I’ve found that most people LOVE certain elements of what they do already. Part of the entrepreneurial process is discovering those and finding ways to spend more time there.
#5 – What is your true purpose in life?
Open up your word processing program again. Ask yourself that question. What is your true purpose in life? Answer it. Then answer it again. Refine your answer. Just like a copywriter may write several dozen or several HUNDRED headlines to find the attention grabber, follow the same strategy here. Keep answering the question until you feel the connection…till it hits you emotionally. You will “feel it” when you’ve hit something that connects with you.
What to Do About It
Once you find your purpose, what can you do about it? While some people are able to accomplish this through their job, the majority find they have to become an entrepreneur to really let their gifts shine. Find a business model that allows you to focus on this. Then build a team you can delegate or outsource to for all the activities which don’t suit you and your gifts.
Click here for a resource to help you find your perfect business…
It’s not just about the money. It’s about building a lifestyle you love. And that’s not accomplished simply by working as little as possible. It’s about discovering who you are…and how you can best build sellable value for others.
The links above are to an affiliate program for the PerfectBizFinder manual and monthly membership site.
Related Entries:- Enterpreneur or Employee
- The Unforgiveable Business Sin
- Goal Setting Worksheets
- Find Your Skills Today
- What Are the Desires in Your Heart?
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Terry, its true you must find a business that you love to work on. If you just do it for the money, you will get very bored once the money starts coming in (and it will if you follow Terry’s advice.)
Regarding “#5 – What is your true purpose in life?”, I find myself refining this each year. Not that your purpose completely changes, but that things are revealed to you over time and you begin to understand more about why you are here.
I so agree, your life has to be about doing what you love. So many people work just for the money and are miserable, everyone should be able to work at what they love.
I guess it’s about what you place the most value in. Our society teaches us to love money – so we do. I always liked asking people who really love their jobs what it is they like about it, they never say ‘the money’. But ask people who hate their jobs why they continue to work at them and they will say ‘the money’.
I also agree that you can’t be an entrepreneur and only think about yourself and what’s in it for you. Life, love and business is about giving back. Give and you shall receive. It’s a phrase that rings true in all facets of life. It’s just that so many people are afraid to test it out. Thanks for the nice post
Terry – Thank you for your thoughtful post. It is so important that we each take the opportunity to review our life choices and make important changes that help us lead a happier, more productive life with the goal of enriching and serving those around us.
I certainly agree with you. Life is useless if you can’t spend it based on what you really want. Actually, I chose this career because it’s something that I really want plus the fact that I’m earning money to sustain all our needs. Though, I haven’t achieved the full growth in my online career until now, I still see myself contented of what I have. Definitely, not achievable when I’m working as an employee.
I also aggree, but I think there are many people, that cannot chose the way they really want. Also you are not aware of losing everything although you are trying hard and do the things you love.
Life can be as cheerful as nothing else, but it can also be just unfair.
My favorite hero literally saved my life. He pulled me out of the biggest mistake I’ve ever done. He know only saved me, but He revealed to me my purpose in life. My hero is Jesus Christ. Now I have direction from Him and a sense of purpose. I believe He wants me to point others to Him and to the Bible, our Life Manual.
Internet marketing is very enjoyable and very addictive. In order to be successful you need to outsource the stuff that you either do not like or are not particularly good at, and concentrate on doing the things that you enjoy and are good at.
What other business allows you to do that!
But yes there must be a balance as with any work and you should be able to achieve this balance with proper planning and outsourcing.
As one goes through life, it becomes more important to leave a legacy, and if you are able to help others by your writings and advice, and help them achieve their life’s dreams then how fantastic is that!
That is what I am striving for, and enjoying it too!
[...] quickly discovered that in order to learn any thing you need a teacher. Since there are so many internet marketing coaches out there it is very difficult to decide who to trust your hard earned cash with. You may think it [...]
It is very kind of you helping other to find a purpose in life. A noble idea for a man to became a businessman. Once more about business: Find oneself. Be able to achieve the purpose.
I agree with you on 100 %, that every one must open in itself the talents. Every human creation at birth gets one life and a lot of talents in the inheritance. And it is freedom of each, how to receive advantage of these talents.
Many people want, many people think that can. But not many are able to do anything good in actual fact.
One man will live easily the long life and will not understand what he appeared for and lived in the world. Will not be able to answer neither before itself, nor before people, why he got and where used the talents. Why was not able to multiply that it was given to him. This person has not enough will-power. He independently does nothing, always expects prompts.
Other man provided with will-power and freedom ponders about his being, in good time will understand his calling, will take advantage of own talents and will multiply them labore et zelo in the name of that, why they were given to him. He lives by his own mind, makes own decisions, constantly creates anything and advances. About such man, say – a creator, business man, and fortune gives blessing to him.
Devote itself to the noble idea. When a fortune gives talents to you, she blesses you on action and expects that you will use talents for achievement of high purpose, for creation and good affairs.
Your talents, your work will help to change a world to the best one. Many people dream about it. You have such happiness.
You are to help those, who do badly, to do it well, and those, who do well, to do yet better.
This high purpose is your noble idea that will own you right through life and lead the way.
Become a leader and… by a businessman. If your idea is majestic and powerful, and you will be persistent in defence of her, she will capture many people. And you will become their leader.
Together with the comrade-in-armses you are able to create things that not in strength to you for one.
Your energy, considerable facilities and time, possibly, heap of time are necessary in these competitions. You will understand that business is almost the universal sphere of activity which is of use to the people, and to you, in addition, internal pleasure.
Walk up to business creatively, how to the art, and to him will become inherent the internal refinement and attractiveness. Business will become the same noble occupation, as well as art
And in work and in the life a businessman must not be the second. Only the first. If this purpose is not achieved – find other employment.
Thanks for teaching, dear Terry!
[...] quickly discovered that in order to learn any thing you need a teacher. Since there are so many internet marketing coaches out there it is very difficult to decide who to trust your hard earned cash with. You may t hink it [...]
[...] quickly discovered that in order to learn any thing you need a teacher. Since there are so many internet marketing coaches out there it is very difficult to decide who to trust your hard earned cash with. You may t hink it [...]