The Success Principles Workbook Page 5
APPROACH #2: MAKE YOUR PURPOSE MORE INCLUSIVE
Until you see yourself as able to change your circumstances, state your purpose in a more inclusive way such that you can do it almost anytime or anywhere. Remember, you can bring joy, inspire others, create beauty, or make whatever contribution you want based on your purpose—no matter where you are and no matter what you are doing.
That’s why I wrote my purpose statement as to inspire and empower people to live their highest vision in a context of love and joy in harmony with the highest good of all concerned. I can do that anywhere—and I have. For example, I can be on purpose while I’m on my way to the airport, speaking with a complete stranger, the Lyft driver. I didn’t state that my purpose was only to write books, give talks, or conduct trainings. I do those activities as a way of expressing and living my purpose, but I can live my purpose of inspiring and empowering people no matter where I am and no matter whom I am with.
FIREWORKS
When determining one’s life purpose, some people expect fireworks to go off and their knees to weaken. This rarely happens. For many, it’s a feeling of subtle satisfaction rather than one of explosive ecstasy. It may be a calm feeling of settling into something that seems right. It can be like looking for a pair of jeans that fit well. They may not feel perfect at first, but long-term they work well. Or you may immediately feel a sense of recognition of something that has always been there for you. The difference is that now you have put these feelings into words.
WHAT IF YOU CAN’T DETERMINE YOUR PURPOSE?
Some people can have a difficult time landing on a single life purpose statement, even after completing these exercises. In that case, consider what you come up with as a first draft, and start using it. Then revisit these exercises after a couple of weeks.
Wherever you are with your life purpose statement, I recommend you simply accept what you have for now. You can always revise it later. But just for now, drive a stake in the ground and declare to yourself that, yes, this is your life purpose statement.
Allow yourself to feel satisfied. You have determined (or begun to determine) your life purpose! You now know so much more about the true source of joy and fulfillment in your life. You now know what to focus on in order to have success come more easily to you with fewer struggles.
KEEP YOUR PERSONAL NORTH STAR VISIBLE
When sailors use the North Star for navigation, they have to actually look at it! To use your life purpose for guidance, you have to look at that, too. Keep your purpose visible, as I do. Right now, I look up and my purpose statement is written and posted right in front of me, on my desk.
HOW FULLY ARE YOU LIVING YOUR LIFE PURPOSE?
Answer the following question in the space below. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest), how fully are you living your life purpose on a day-to-day basis? If the answer is not a 10, write down what you could do to live your purpose more fully.
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CONCLUSION
Sometimes our experience of life can seem like we are a small boat in the vast ocean. There are so many currents and winds trying to push us this way or that. There are so many directions we could follow, and so many choices we could make. Yet, something feels different once you’re clear about your life purpose. You have identified your own North Star, your own Rock of Gibraltar. You now know what gives you joy and fulfillment in life. The more you do things aligned with that purpose, the more satisfying your life will be, and the easier it will be to achieve the success you want. You are now ready to experience all the fulfillment and passion and rewards you deserve from a life well lived.
LIVE YOUR PURPOSE
This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
Nobel Prize–Winning Playwright
MAKE-IT-A-HABIT WORKSHEET
Keep Your Purpose Alive
Below are practical and easy action steps with which you can keep your purpose visible and alive each day.
Select the ones you will do and place a check mark next to them.
After you have checked off the ones you will do, put them on your calendar or add them to your to-do list so that you’re reminded later to actually do them.
□ Memorize your life purpose. Use whatever technique you use when you have to memorize something critical, such as writing it down several times or creating a word association. Instead of posting your life purpose statement on your bathroom mirror, post only this prompt: My purpose is . . . By verbally filling in the blank a few times, you will have it fully memorized.
□ Read your life purpose statement every morning and every night.
□ Create a document on your computer with your life purpose statement that also includes a picture of you, then frame it and keep it on your desk or bedside table.
□ Take a picture of your life purpose statement with your smartphone and use the picture as the home screen on your phone or computer.
□ Type up your life purpose in a creative and attractive style. Print multiple copies and post it where you will see it, such as your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, and your car dashboard.
□ Make this a part of your morning routine: Each morning, set your smartphone timer for two minutes. During that time, reflect on your life purpose. Think about how you can live it more fully—remembering the joy you feel when you’re participating in those activities that are aligned with your purpose.
□ Meditate about your purpose regularly. We’ll cover meditation in Chapter 12, but for now, follow these simple instructions: Spend a few quiet minutes alone, where you won’t be disturbed. Take a few deep breaths, allow yourself to become relaxed, and enter a state of self-love and peacefulness. Reflect on what your purpose means to you, and what your life will be like as you live even more fully on purpose. Allow any images and ideas to come to you. Let this visual journey be as expansive as you can imagine.
□ Tell the world! Talk about your life purpose with those special friends who understand or want to know what you’re about.
□ If you’re artistic, draw or paint a symbol or picture that represents your life purpose.
□ Clip pictures from magazines and create an image of you living your life on purpose.
□ Add your life purpose statement to the bottom of your email signature.
□ Write down your own idea. Other ways you can keep your purpose alive for you:
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□ Write down your own idea. Other ways you can keep your purpose alive for you:
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□ Write down your own idea. Other ways you can keep your purpose alive for you:
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Great! Now put the ideas you checked above on your calendar or add them to your to-do list so that you’re reminded later to do them.
Add to Your Life Success Journal
Turn to Your Life Success Journal. You will see several questions to answer about your purpose statement. Go ahead and do this now.
Chapter
3
Decide What You Want: Envision Your Ideal Life
I am focused on what I truly want for my life based on my own values and life experiences.
AFFIRMATION
What is the vision you have for your life? What do you really want? What does success look like to you? What would you pursue with passion if you knew you couldn’t fail?
In this chapter, you’ll have the chance to envision your best life, and then write it down. This may be the first time you’ve ever taken the time to do this—to dream big about what you truly want to be, do, and have.*
Take a moment now to recall one of your dreams for your life. See yourself in that ideal situation. Let yourself feel those wonderful feelings. It is those feelings, and the possibility of those dreams coming true, that help fuel your journey toward the success you want. Success happens when your dreams are authentically what you want and big enough to inspire you to take action to make those dreams a reality. Knowing clearly what you want is critical to success.
WERE YOU BROUGHT UP TO DREAM OR TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS?
If you were lucky growing up, you were encouraged to dream big about who you wanted to be when you grew up, and what you wanted for your life. For many of us, though, our dreams were ignored, or we were told they were silly, or worse, that we would never amount to much. Many of us put aside what we wanted in order to get along or to avoid conflict. As we became adults, we were told to be practical and realistic. That worked for a while.
But what if you want more? While you may have had to adapt to survive back then, now you know that more is available to you. This is your chance to break free of any negative childhood conditioning and adult “being practical.” Now is your time to expand your sense of yourself, to dream once more, and to envision what you truly want in all areas of your life.
DO YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN ASKED WHAT YOU REALLY WANT?
Some people become uncomfortable when asked what they really want. Does this describe you? If so, maybe you’ve been asked before what you really want and you had no clear answer. Perhaps it brings up painful reminders of dreams you once had, but you feel you had to give up because they were out of reach. For others, dreaming big may feel embarrassing, unrealistic, or too self-focused. If any of this is true for you, now is the time to shake off any hesitancy or shame and boldly answer the questions that follow in this chapter. Remember, you have an
innate right to dream and to pursue whatever you want! It is time for you to fully explore what the life you truly long for looks like.
HOW I LEARNED TO VALUE MY “WANTS”
An event years ago changed my life forever in this area. On the first day of a seminar I attended, I noticed a yellow notebook on my chair. Other seats had other colors. I don’t like yellow—I wanted a blue notebook. Then the instructor said something that I remember to this day: “If you don’t like the color notebook you have, trade with someone else and get the one you want. You deserve to have everything in your life exactly the way you want it.” Her words proved to be a turning point for me. Since then, I allow myself to tune into, to own, and to pursue what I really want—and to continue to expand my vision.
Do you feel stuck with the “yellow notebooks” in your life that you don’t really want? Is there something you’ve been accepting or tolerating, not realizing that something better is actually available to you? What is it you would really prefer instead? What are the “blue notebooks” you want in your life?
WHY VISION IS SO IMPORTANT
It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.
PAULO COELHO
Author of The Alchemist
Deciding what you want is a key foundation block for building the life you want. You wouldn’t build a home without a clear picture of what you want it to look like, would you? When you write down what you want, as clearly as you can, your brain receives specific images to work toward, both consciously and unconsciously. Having this clear vision will guide your actions and your decisions, as well as keep you motivated along the way. That’s why I encourage you to dream as big as you dare to. You may be familiar with the following beautiful quote from Marianne Williamson. Read it twice, taking it all in. Notice if your sense of self and what is possible for you expands.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us . . . Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
MARIANNE WILLIAMSON
Author of A Return to Love
Now is your time to imagine your best possible future. On the pages that follow are worksheets that address the most important areas of your life. When you think about what you want in each area, really go for it! Write down your heart’s desires. Give yourself permission to list anything and everything that you want. Build your “I want” muscle. No one else needs to approve what you write—or even see it. This is for you. Dream big.
YOUR FINANCES
© sibgat/Shutterstock, Inc.
How much money do you want to have in the future? How much do you want to have invested when you retire? How much annual income do you want to make? If you’re an entrepreneur, how much net profit would you like your business to earn? How much do you want in your bank account or in your investment portfolio? What do you want your net worth to be?
Don’t limit yourself in this area. This is an exercise in developing your most inspiring vision for your life; this is not goal setting. No one is going to hold you accountable. This is your chance to light your inner fire. Remember, it takes no more energy, effort, or time to dream big than to dream small.
For now, don’t worry about how you’ll achieve what you want; the “how” will be addressed later. Right now, just focus on the “what.”
Before beginning the exercise, read each word in the list below, and allow yourself to envision what you really want. Imagine how good it will feel to have what you want regarding your finances. Allow yourself to feel excited about your vision for yourself.
Warm up by thinking about . . .
Your ideal income. How much do you really want to be making every year?
Your ideal net worth . . . now and in the future.
Eliminating all your debt and being debt-free.
Your savings and investments. How much do you want, by when?
Now, grab your pen or pencil and complete the worksheet below.
FINANCES
Income, Profit, Net Worth, Investments, Debt Reduction
What I Want My Reason Why
List what you want in the areas of income, profit, net worth, investments, debt reduction, cash flow, or other finances: For each item you listed on the left, write down the reason that each of them is important to you.
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