Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - May 7, 2024

 The secret of success is consistency of purpose. – Benjamin Disraeli

 Success is knowing my purpose in life, growing to my max potential and sowing seeds that benefit others. – John Maxwell

 A career is what you get paid for.  A calling is what you are made for. – John Maxwell

 

As the author reflected on the near five hundred blog posts she has written, she knew there was one important lesson that surpassed all others. Everyone needs their own personal purpose statement. The reader may ask, what is a personal purpose statement? According to Manifest Your Potential:

A life purpose statement describes in clear and full detail the reason you exist, why you are here now and how you see your life unfolding.

Over the years, the author has gone through many ups and downs. Some ups include travel to foreign countries, military volunteer opportunities, a new job, and many adventures on the east coast and Texas. Along the way, there were many downs including being unemployed for two years, an apartment fire, the death of both the author’s parents within nine months of each other and many heartbreaks. Through these times, the author found strength and solace because she had written a “Personal Purpose Statement.”

The author learned about a Personal Purpose Statement when she lived in Austin, Texas almost fifteen years ago from a speaker at a Christian conference. The speaker talked about how she kept her life on the right track by reviewing her Personal Purpose Statement every time she had a major decision to make.  

A Personal Purpose Statement is not about the reader’s job, career, or even their dreams and goals. It’s about the reader’s Purpose. According to the Oxford Dictionary, Purpose is defined as: “The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.”  

When the author had a hard decision to make or questioned why she was encountering more tribulations and asking why for the one thousand time, she would remind herself of her Personal Purpose Statement and would reacclimate her mind for why she was on earth. The author’s Personal Purpose Statement is a pithy and succinct declaration of who she was created to be.

Here are five (5) steps to help create a “Personal Purpose Statement”:

1. Write down the words and phrases that best describe the reader’s strengths, abilities, interests, and passions. It might be helpful to ask a close confidant how they would describe/identify the reader.

2. Consolidate the list of words and phrases with those of similar meanings.

3. Prioritize the words and phrases from most important to least important in describing oneself.

4. Identify the problems that the reader is strong at solving.

5. Combine the passion words and phrases with the words that describe the reader to create a “Personal Purpose Statement.” It can read something like: “Terri Flow exists for ….” or “To…”

 

ACTION:  If over the years, the reader has not created their personal purpose statement, take an hour or so this week to create it. It will be life changing and provide direction for your future.

 

Next week, the author will repost her favorite blog post.

Resource:

http://www.manifestyourpotential.com/self_discovery/5_discover_life_purpose/life_purpose_statement.htm