Keeping Our Purpose Top of Mind

By now, you should have at least a foundation for Why You Do What You Do and a reasonable understanding of How Our Wiring Impacts How We Purpose Our Purpose… With those things in place, let’s build on that so we can be sure we’re always keeping our purpose top-of-mind!

I want you to think of some of the best known brands on the market, today or ever… While it’s likely been more than thirty years since I’ve seen the (Wendy’s) commercial, I can still hear that little old lady asking “Where’s the beef?” And I’m guessing that I could rattle off a handful of lines or slogans and you’d immediately connect it to the corresponding company; “I’m lovin’ it!” or “Just Do It!” anyone…? I’m not necessarily making a case for advertising ourselves or our organizations based on our purpose - at least not yet - here’s where I will begin challenging you to consider the steps you need to take to keep your own crystal-clear purpose in front of you ALL THE TIME!

As leaders, there’s never a shortage of demands on our time or issues flying at us. John Maxwell opens his 2010 book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by sharing that “According to experts, we are bombarded with thirty-five thousand messages a day,” which he pulled from a study done by Elway Research in 2008. With all the advances in technology in the fifteen-plus years since that initial study, how much do you think that number has increased? I’m sure it’s gone up quite a bit! And for those of us who have accepted the responsibility of leading, I’d expect the amount of messages coming our way is considerably more than the average Joe or Jane…

I shared before how much achieving results feeds my purpose. I believe I also mentioned something about the amount of energy I have to expend to make sure all the fine details of any project, especially something related to compliance. While I gained a tremendous understanding of exactly how both of those things were tied to how I’m wired when I completed a scientifically validated DISC behavioral style assessment, the fact remains that there are times where I have to suck it up and make sure those damn details are taken care of, correctly! That’s where systems came into play for me.

If you’ve ever attempted to schedule anything with me directly, or even catch me on the phone for that matter, you’re probably very aware of just how much of a calendar nerd I really am. If I’m being honest, that’s not something that comes natural to me. I’d much rather run wide open every single day with no set agenda, just charging hell with a water pistol to get as much done as I possibly can. But that’s not reality and I do still have a bit of responsibility to comply with timelines that are not always my own. For me, blocking time on my calendar for each thing I need to accomplish (including the time for writing this) has been one of the most effective things I’ve ever done to allow me to churn out solid results while minimizing the time I have to spend keeping up with details; once it’s on my calendar, I’ve got reminders set to make sure the specifics are addressed as needed. And that, my friend, allows me to keep the majority of my thought process focused on the things that give me energy instead of staying bogged down too long in the things that drain it from me.

Don’t miss my point here, I’m not suggesting that my system is right for you. It’s probably not! I am, however, making a case for how important it is for each of us to create some sort of system to allow us to keep (most of) the distractions at bay so our purpose can remain in the forefront. Next, we’ll look at some things we can consider for prioritizing our time, then we’ll wrap this piece up with how all this helps us keep our tanks full…