As you may recall from Part One of How Most People Find Their Purpose, we explored the definition of what purpose looks like. I wrote, “Purpose is the fire you feel about the impact you have on others or the world at large.”
But, as usual, I can’t stop there. Here are more ways to describe what having a sense of purpose is like:
- It feels like you’ve come home
- Like you’ve slipped on a comfortable pair of old shoes
- You believe, “I was born to do this”
- You have an unending curiosity to learn more
- It’s easy to tell others what its about — no fumbling or mumbling
- People come to you for advice about it
- You’re excited to teach others about it
People discover their purpose differently. Because we’re complicated creatures (some more than others), it’s difficult to say that one path fits all. But one of those steps is to analyze how we direct our focus.
Ways to Channel Your Focus
If you’ve ever completed an energy pie, you know it’s a circle split into slices where you direct your focus: job, family, life maintenance activities, faith, financial, health, recreation, etc. It can be an eye-opener to see how you carve up your attention, not necessarily only your time.
Just like peeling an onion, another layer of your fascinating makeup includes the following two ways we focus:
- We either focus on possibilities OR on realities
- And, we either focus on interaction OR on analysis
Let’s dig deeper, shall we? Read the following, then choose which options fit you best. You may:
“Focus on Possibilities: you pursue imaginative or abstract activities. You enjoy far reaching discussions, hashing out a project’s potential or creating an innovative plan.
OR, Focus on Realities: you appreciate practical or systematic activities. You like to tackle structured projects, perform detail-oriented work and pursue concrete results.
And…
Focus on Interaction: you are strongly concerned with feelings and relationships. You pay close attention to personal communication and are fairly receptive to new ideas.
OR, Focus on Analysis: you look at the world from a logical and questioning viewpoint. You strive for objectivity in your work and tend to be skeptical of new ideas.” 1
Hopefully, you were able to select your preferences from the above options. Stay with me, this information will help you figure out your purpose.
Next, let’s discover which role(s) you gravitate towards — at work, at home, in your community, at church or in school.
Roles You Naturally Gravitate Towards
In Part One of our article on purpose, I described how I took a Team Dimensions assessment and discovered that my primary role was a “Creator”. My secondary role is that of an “Advancer”.
Besides “Creator”, there are four other roles that fit the ways people move through the world, make decisions and interact with others. They include Advancer, Refiner, Executor and Flexer.
Again, self-select which role(s) you feel more closely aligned with. Choose a primary role and, if you’re so inclined, a secondary role. Let’s dig in:
“Creators: generate new ideas and fresh concepts…look for activities that are unstructured or abstract, and thrive on innovation and unique solutions.
Advancers: communicate new ideas and carry them forward…manage the human component of any solution, and enjoy whipping up enthusiasm for a project.
Refiners: analyze a solution for flaws or revise a project systematically…focus on facts or theories…use logic and a systematic approach to redesign a solution and make sure ideas are sound…
Executors: deliver concrete results and seek successful implementations. Realists. They make sure important activities get accomplished and pay attention to details and the bottom line.
Flexers: individuals who are a combination of the other four roles…can often adapt their styles to fit the needs of the team and probably view issues from different perspectives.” 2
Let’s Bring It All Together Now
I must admit, I’m biased. I firmly believe that the more we know about ourselves, the better choices we can make about our careers, our partners in life, fields of study, lifestyle, and passions to pursue. If only the young could learn what we’ve covered today in the above page(s), it would make life a whole lot easier for them.
So, now that you have a good idea how you focus your energy and the role(s) you naturally gravitate towards, you can create a map to clarify your purpose. You might include:
- Your primary and secondary roles, plus the traits of each – for me it was Creator/Advancer.
- The traits for each area of focus – mine were possibilities and interaction
- The jobs you’ve held
- Skills/activities you enjoyed from each one of those jobs
- Jobs you wish you’d pursued if you had it to do over again
- Hobbies you enjoy
- Traits from the DiSC Profile results (see my earlier series on the four DiSC profiles: Dominant, Influencer, Steadiness, Conscientious)
- Feedback from others about your talents (see my article on Purpose, Part One)
All that data should give you a well-rounded picture of your personality, strengths and preferences.
And ultimately, help you define your purpose!
If you’re still struggling, sit down with someone you trust, show them your map and ask for feedback. Sometimes others can see what we miss. Or, hire yourself a life or career coach. They are used to asking good questions, which will help you further clarify your direction.
1 Wiley Publishing’s former Team Dimensions Assessment (out of print)
2 Team Roles from Wiley Publishing’s Team Dimensions Assessment (out of print)