PURPOSEFUL HUSTLE BLOG

The wisdom of ancient Greek philosophers might not be too relevant in everyday conversation, but they did say a few things that still hold water today. Among their commonly used maxims was a phrase that still resonates with many of us: “Know thyself.” It’s a simple phrase, but one that’s loaded with meaning. How well does the average person really know themselves? And how often do we sit down to intentionally become acquainted with our inner monologues (that voice that runs through our heads)? Or think about our behaviors or tendencies? Or reflect on how we might have handled a past incident better? If you’re like most people I know, you rarely carve out time for this kind of thinking. We’re all so busy with our day-to-day responsibilities, we tend to skip over personal development work. And that’s a shame because research shows, “the habit of reflection can separate extraordinary professionals from mediocre ones.” There are many ways to develop a “habit of reflection.” You could choose to journal, take a science-based assessment test, talk to a counselor, read books on the topic (such as Insight by Tasha Eurich or Speak by Tunde Oyeneyin), or just carve out a few minutes of your day to think deeply. Not only can learning about yourself increase your confidence, self-awareness, and authenticity, it can also be a powerful tool for building bridges between yourself and others. Here are six reasons why:

We’ve all been there. We’ve all experienced times when nothing seems to go right, the path forward is filled with roadblocks and potholes, and we’re desperate for a “win.” It’s far from enjoyable to confront failure, but the cold, hard truth is that you will experience setbacks and obstacles in life. The question is: will you dare to face them? Or will you succumb to your disappointment and throw in the towel? Let’s talk about how to face them.

What do professional athletes, corporate leaders, Oprah, Steve Harvey, and Katy Perry have in common? They all use visioning to aid in their success! Visioning or visualization is the practice of picturing your future successes in great detail. A basketball player, for instance, might picture herself dribbling past opponents, approaching the basket, and making a perfect shot. A professional speaker might visualize himself connecting with the audience, speaking with clarity and enthusiasm, and leaving everyone feeling inspired and energized. Visioning is powerful. It’s not simply a fad or something to do during corporate retreats. Neurologists have studied visualization and have found it truly works. One reason this practice is effective is because our brains can have a difficult time determining whether something is real or made up. According to neurologist Daniela Schiller, when we visualize something in enough detail, we activate the same regions in the brain that become active when we’re engaged in the real activity. So, if you imagine yourself successfully dribbling down the court and making the layup, your brain will believe this can and will happen, thus supporting your success in real life. This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, “If you can dream it, you can do it!” Additionally, if we expose ourselves to the same goals over and over (whether through visualization, a vision board, a daily mantra, or daily affirmations), we prepare ourselves for success. We signal to our brains to be on high alert for certain opportunities. Once we identify an opportunity, whether consciously or subconsciously, we’ll be prepared to capitalize on it.

In our fast-paced and modern world, many of us are forced to juggle various activities and obligations. We might balance work projects with doctor’s appointments, kids’ soccer games, cooking dinner, and caring for ailing family members. We take business calls during our lunch breaks and squeeze in exercise while the kids are at choir practice. With so much on our plates, how is it possible to focus on purpose, let alone keep it front and center? I’ll be the first to admit that it can be tough to center your life around purpose, but it is certainly not impossible. With a dash of intentionality and a heap of motivation, you can keep your sights set on your life’s purpose. One of the most effective ways I have found to keep purpose at the forefront of my thoughts and actions is to work it into my calendar. My Purpose Calendar is multi-layered and includes daily, weekly, quarterly, and annual priorities. Why? Because if you focus on only daily tasks, you’ll likely fail to see the big picture—the grand purpose of your everyday actions and tasks. On the other hand, if you only make big, sweeping plans, you will quickly become overwhelmed and struggle with setting daily or weekly priorities and tasks. How do I create my Purpose Calendar? Essentially, it boils down to three steps:

There was a time in my life when I was saying yes to everything. I took on random work, ran volunteer projects, and attended meetings whenever I was asked, no matter the project or event. I have always been adept at juggling projects and dividing my attention among several areas. However, at this point in my life, my schedule was so full, I only had an average of six hours of rest time built into my day (and that included sleep!). This pace was not sustainable and, ultimately, I felt burned out and stretched thin. The main problem? I was straying too far from my purpose when I said yes to everything. I ended up in meetings where I had little to offer or gain. I worked on projects that were well outside my wheelhouse or scope of interest. Ultimately, I was doing myself a disservice and not making the kind of impact I wanted to be making. It was time to pump the brakes and refocus! It was time to develop and stick to a purpose statement.

Life is so beautiful and precious; even more so if you are living a life filled with happiness, peace, and contribution! However, many people (me included!!!) have had moments of uncertainty and fear where they’re at a standstill. In those moments, the “problems” are magnified and feel like a ton of bricks on your shoulders. The flashing thoughts of the worst-case scenarios plague your mind and making a decision seems daunting, to say the least. In those moments where we struggle, it all boils down to what you focus on. I've come across those fears in the past, where uncertainty made me worry more than anything else. In the earlier stages of my career, I had the daunting task of resigning from a job that I loved, which meant leaving peers that I felt connected with, and walking away from the majority of my family’s income and a prestigious title. It was a necessary move for me at the time. The direction the company was headed in was out of alignment with my purpose. But I was scared. It wasn’t until I did these three things to address my fears that I was able to make a purposeful shift:

Your life’s purpose consists of the central motivating aims of your life- the reasons you do what you do; essentially your “why”. Your purpose is used to shape your goals, offer a sense of direction, and guide life decisions. This translates into the type of work you do, the people you associate with, and the impact you wish to create. During the course of you striving for an ideal life, one must have pit stops along the journey to make sure you’re on the right path. Let’s call them checkpoints! This is where we check and see if all we’re doing is aligned with our desires and motivations. Here are four ways to test your purpose:

On July 25th (All my Leos stand up!) I celebrated the anniversary of my birth and although the knees may become a bit weaker, I’m still young at heart and living a purposeful life everyday! This is a time where we not only eat cake, celebrate, and get gifts, but in my family, we also reflect on how much we’ve grown in the past year. As you grow each year and you experience the world, here are some things to consider:

Does it matter the speed we’re going if we don’t know where the final destination is? Socrates famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living” and this has proven to be true in a fast-paced world filled with distractions and detours. How then do you align your thoughts and decisions to a life of purpose? The answer is self-reflection.

Over time — in my own experience and through others’ stories that they’ve shared with me — I’ve realized that it’s much easier to be excited about the potential results of our actions than it is to feel excited about the process required to make them happen. A lot of times, the process is actually really scary.