Ever asked yourself “Why am I here?”
Kids at school dread being asked the question “what do you want to be when you grow up?”.
I don’t blame them. It’s one of the most difficult questions to answer...but it can be done.
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Of course some people have extraordinary natural talent, the World leading sports stars who were born to jump or run, kick or hit a ball better than others. They seemed to always know what they wanted to do and they, like Nike "Just did it".
Then there were the geeks, nerds and tech-heads who typed code better than they could spell and built their own tablet for their 10th birthday. Not only do they know their purpose, they can’t quite figure out what the big deal is about finding it.
Of course there’s the entrepreneurs, knee-high to a grasshopper and selling lemonade or trading baseball cards to their friends. They see the World in a completely different way to the rest of us and seem to always land on their feet.
But not everyone has such clarity, in fact we might even consider these ‘super humans’ freaks of nature.
Most people either fall into their profession, taking an opportunity to earn an income and floating from one role to the next based on survival rather than the desire to thrive.
Or they have their genetic destiny chosen for them, brought into a family business or following their Father's footsteps into a trade.
Which one are you? Have you figured out your purpose yet?
If you search ‘why am I here and what is my purpose’ in google you get almost 26 million results, so if you haven't found your why yet, you're not alone.
As we get older the desperation to find your purpose gets more intense. There’s the ‘ticking clock’ of reproductivity, the mid-life crisis of your 50’s and the desire to create a legacy before you leave this mortal coil.
Simon Sinek codified the why question with his TED talk about the ‘Golden Circle’ highlighting that almost everyone can explain what they do and how they do it, but virtually no-one shares why they do what they do.
Knowing your why explains how brands like Apple and personal brands like Martin Luther King stand out as different.
They stand for something meaningful and we love them for it.
The thing is, if you want to really have a massive impact, to inspire as many people as possible, you are going to have to find your purpose to fire you up, create clarity and give you the direction to promote and market your passion.
Probably the best piece of advice Simon gives is “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”.
If you want to create a stand-out personal brand, and attract a tribe of followers who become your raving fan clients, you need to emotionally connect with a shared belief in your purpose.
If your brand and business is solely driven by money or fame, it’s far more difficult to have real emotional engagement with your audience, affiliate, clients and partners. You have to fake it.
No matter how great your service is or how qualified you are to deliver it, if people can’t connect with your purpose, they will never really trust you enough to believe in you.
Here are 4 simple action steps you can take to help you find your Single Minded Purpose to create a powerful personal brand that stands for something:
Action Step #1 - Regress
Oprah Winfrey talks about how your purpose flows throughout your entire life. She said “Purpose is the thread that connects the dots to everything you do that leads you to an extraordinary life.”
“Purpose is the thread that connects the dots to everything you do that leads you to an extraordinary life.” - Oprah Winfrey
Think back to when you were a child and what you loved to do, what came to you naturally?
At just 3 years old, Oprah was reading scripture at the front of her church. Her highly organised executive assistant once told her all she wanted for her 6th birthday was a filing cabinet.
One of my clients remembers her parent's milk round and how she hated going out so early in the mornings to deliver milk, but loved counting the money. She became an accountant!
Regress for a moment and think about all the things you were naturally good at as a kid, what you really loved to do without even trying.
Action Step #2 - Time-Out
Many people feel pressured to ‘find their why’ and begin pushing or compelling your thinking, rather than letting your purpose find you.
Stressing about having to decide your life purpose is like looking down the barrel of redundancy, divorce or financial ruin. Trying to figure out your why with a gun to your head is hopeless.
It’s amazing what happens to your brain and how clarity of thought can be created, when you relax.
Taking a break, exercising or simply taking a shower can lead to the most interesting thoughts and clarity of direction.
Greek mathematician and inventor Archimedes had his eureka moment in the bath, so could you!
Greek mathematician and inventor Archimedes had his eureka moment in the bath, so could you!
During meditation beta waves in our brain decrease, enabling it to process much less information. the frontal lobe, used for making decisions, goes AWOL, and the Parietal lobe and Thalamus shut down senses, losing you in space and time.
A bit of quiet time to reflect and allow your emotions to take over your rational brain can be all you need.
There is no right or wrong way to meditate, just let your brain relax and allow clarity to begin. Make note of how you feel as the thoughts enter your brain about your single minded purpose.
Even if you think it's woo-woo, give it a try!
Action Step #3 - Ask
I often suggest if my clients are getting stuck on finding their single minded purpose, that they ask those around them for the answers.
The question "What was it that I did for you” is ideal to ask your existing clients if you provide a service.
Then there are friends and family, those who have known you personally for a while. Ask them “How do I make you feel?”.
Listen carefully to the words they use to describe your unique abilities and skills.
Then peruse the feedback and you will see similar meaning words and phrases that help you define your why.
Your brand personality and culture can all be derived from the emotion you create and the transformation you provide for others.
Action Step #4 - Ease
What do you do with ease that others find difficult?
That is your expert-ease.
If you have been doing what you do for 5 years or more, chances are you are operating on autopilot.
You have forgotten your natural ability to process and progress through the solution you deliver and you assume everyone knows how to do it.
- Real estate agent? Not everyone knows how to sell a house.
- Accountant? Not everyone knows how to complete a tax return.
- Wellness Coach? Not everyone knows how to prepare a balanced meal and fitness plan.
Seriously. These may seem totally simple to you, because you instantly know what to do, why wouldn’t you, you’ve been doing it for years, it’s basic!
And yes, people can learn to do what you do, they just don't have the time.
The most valuable currency on the planet right now is time.
If you can get someone to a better place in their life faster, they will ask you to do it for them.
The most valuable currency on the planet right now is TIME
So take the time to do a brain dump of all the things you know about and stuff you know how to do.
I did it with a pad of post-it notes, a pen and the dining room table (a wall works well too).
I stood there and just wrote something I knew about or was naturally good at on each post-it and slapped it onto the table until there was nothing left in my brain.
Then I arranged the notes into categories. It became the foundation of the “Know Me, Like Me, Trust Me” award winning training process I use to guide people to create their personal brand.
BONUS Action Step - NO!
So often I see advice on finding your why that misses a vital ingredient...
What you DON'T do.
Sometimes, standing out in the crowd, with a strong personal brand, is all about what you say no to.
The hearing specialist who doesn't give away free hearing tests, even though the entire industry uses that as a marketing ploy.
The back pain specialist who never uses the words "pain management program" because unlike all the physiotherapists and chiropractors offering ongoing treatments, his focus is on removing the pain.
So what don't you do?
Writing a list of all the things you don't do can clarify the focus on what you do do.
Regardless of how you do it, taking the time to discover your single minded purpose, even though it’s confronting and challenging, can be one of the most rewarding activities you will ever complete.
The clarity and focus alone, makes this exercise worth it and the increase in confidence in your brand value is extraordinary.
After all, the only person you need to convince that you are good enough, is you.