Creating a Life Purpose Statement

Necessary wisdom

This fourth set of big questions relates to the stage in the Wayfarer myth where the main character clarifies their overall quest and missions. In our life, there are two steps involved in answering these questions. The first is to work out a general idea of our life purpose from the collection of identity elements in our identity chart and the two parts of our identity statement. The second step is to turn this information into a purpose statement - a sentence that attempts to describe our overall life quest, sums up what we really want in life and indicates what we want to do with the rest of our time on earth. In completing these steps, we effectively develop working answers to such questions as, “What is my purpose in life? What am I here for? Where am I going?”

Step one is best completed with one or more trusted friends who are also involved in the process of discovering their identity and purpose, although, if necessary, it can be completed alone. During this stage, we attempt to look objectively at the complete collection of identity elements on our identity chart along with the two parts of our identity statement as if the chart and statements belonged to a stranger. The aim is to come up with a list of suggestions as to how the “chart and statement person” could make a fulfilling, positive contribution to the world given their unique collection of interests, experiences, skills, talents, gifts, needs, desires, and passions.

Once we have a general idea of a life purpose, the idea can be shaped into a purpose statement.

Like all other statements produced in this programme, the statements we will produce in these exercises are not carved in stone and can be tweaked and modified periodically in the future. However, these statements still need to have some permanence so that they serve as an ongoing reminder of what we are on about as a person, and help to direct and give some purpose to, and focus to the decisions we make in life.

Before we start on this process, we need to be aware that there are several traps to avoid when developing “purpose statements”.

Common Problems With Purpose Statements

A common trap is to confuse purpose statements with mission statements. In simple terms, the main difference is that whilst a purpose statement answers questions like, “What is my purpose?” or “What do I want to achieve in life?”, a “mission statement” attempts to answer the questions, “Where am I going?” and “How do I plan to get there? The mission statement is a “smaart” goal so it is more specific and usually implies that something is achievable within a specified period of time e.g. “to play with a national sporting team before I reach the age of thirty”. This is a useful and in fact essential strategy for goals, and we will talk about these later, but being so specific creates problems with a life quest or purpose statement. If people “achieve” their life quests too early in life, they sometimes lose their focus and direction, and start to think there is nothing left to achieve.

In other instances, people settle on life quests that are so abstract and remote that they find it difficult to relate what they do in everyday life to their quest. Their life quest becomes something “out there” and is easily forgotten in the rush and bustle of life. An example of such a purpose statement would be, “To live life to the full” or “To enjoy my life” etc.

Another trap is that we focus so much on achieving and doing things in life that we forget that much of life is about “being” as well as doing. People who are incapacitated in various ways can still make positive contributions to the world and to other people simply by “being” a certain kind of person and doing little more than relating with others.

A typical response from many is to focus the statement solely on personal growth and achievements, but as you will discover throughout this series, achieving personal goals rarely brings lasting satisfaction unless this achievement also benefits others in some way. Therefore, a life quest needs to involve both personal development and a positive contribution to the lives of others, and more generally to the wider world.

Along with something for the world, there also has to be “something in it for us”. If we are going to stick at this quest, the statement needs to acknowledge that we are trying to satisfy some of our basic desires, to express our unique identity and achieve a sense of satisfaction, fulfillment, enjoyment and contentment in what we do in our life.

Here are some guidelines for producing a “Purpose” statement that addresses these problems. These ideas have been adapted from a similar exercise in Tony Robbins’ “Get the Edge” programme.

Guidelines for a Purpose Statement

Your Purpose statement should ideally include four main elements or references:

-          The feelings you feel when you are absorbed by things you really love to do and live according to your “Passion(s)” (Desired Feelings)

-          A reference to your own growth and development towards fulfillment and wholeness (Personal Growth Phrase)

-          A reference to making the world a better place than when you entered it and improving the well-being of other people (Making the World a Better Place)

-          An expression of your unique identity - your passions, strengths, talents and best traits (A Package of Unique Passions, Strengths, Talents & Traits)

The statement should also satisfy three main qualities:

-          It should express something you can be, or become and something you can do throughout your life

-          It should be something that can be experienced, or is achievable within your lifetime

-          It should be as brief as possible without omitting any of these key elements or qualities.

Here is a model or template to help you create a purpose statement that “ticks all of these boxes”. The words in bold italics are instructions, and the underlined phrases are linking phrases:

Choose One: “The purpose of my life” Or “My life quest” Or “My purpose in life” is to

Choose One: “be”, “become”, “feel”, “experience”, “discover”, “find”

Insert Desired Feelings e.g. “happy”, “happiness”, “fulfilled”, “fulfillment”, “satisfaction”, “joy” etc.

Choose One: “by” Or “through”

Insert “Personal Growth” Phrase e.g. “growing to wholeness”, “becoming a better person”, “using my potential” etc. and

Insert “Making The World A Better Place” Phrase e.g. “helping others”, “making this world a better place”, “facilitating wholeness for others” etc. using

Insert “A Package Of Unique Passions, Strengths, Talents, & Traits” e.g. “my hard work, diligence and practical skills”, “my caring, nurturing personality”, “my musical and other creative talents” etc.

Here are some examples of purpose statements constructed from the template:

-          The purpose of my life is to become happy and fulfilled by growing to wholeness and facilitating wholeness for other people and the world using my passion for making things, my hard work, diligence and practical skills.

-          My purpose in life is to find joy and fulfillment by growing to wholeness and facilitating wholeness for others using my teaching and learning skills, my passion for how people learn and my caring, nurturing personality.

-          My life quest is to experience happiness and fulfillment by growing to wholeness and facilitating wholeness for others using my passion for teaching, my capacity to organize and categorize, my musical and other creative talents.

-          My life quest is to find lasting happiness and satisfaction through becoming a more whole person and helping to make this world a better place using, wherever possible, my passion for entertaining and by well-developed communication skills.

Here is an example that switches the elements around a little:

-          My life quest is to be fulfilled through becoming a caring, supportive and grateful person who makes this world a better place by using my passion for entertaining others and my communication skills and who thereby finds lasting happiness.