“Lately I feel like I’m questioning my purpose in life. I don’t feel as though I’m doing what I was created to do. It seems like there’s something more I’m meant to do, and it’s been going through my head every day for months now.”
That’s what a friend of mine shared with me after our workout at the gym last Saturday. Since performance coaching is something that runs through my veins, I couldn’t help but sit down with Nadine for a mini-coaching session right there on the spot.
There was something tugging at Nadine begging her to wake up and pay attention before the opportunity disappeared forever.
Nadine lives a comfortable life. She rents a nice house on the beach. She has a full-time job that pays the bills and this allows her to pursue her true passion (acting) in her spare time. Roles seem to come to her without much sacrifice on her part. Acting is a natural gift for her.
Please don’t misunderstand; Nadine works very hard at finding acting roles, puts her whole heart into preparing for them and diligently rehearses to perfect her role. But she hasn’t ever been asked to give up her full-time job or move her residence in order to fill a role…. until now.
Do you have a burning desire that won’t go away?
Then you, like Nadine, owe it to yourself to explore beyond your comfort zone and see if it’s worth pursuing. You need to take action, and decide once and for all if this is something that will really bring more joy, fulfillment and success into your life — or if it’s a distraction from your true purpose, something that should be put to rest forever.
Below are four steps that Nadine and I went over to quickly gain some clarity and a reference point to judge decisions by. You can take these same steps to immediately discover if you’re making a decision that will take you away from or towards a more fulfilling, “on-purpose life.”
Action Steps to Jump-start Change:
*1. First, find a favorite place to go and get away from your normal routine. This stage is meant to be enjoyable and motivational in order to allow your brain and heart to pursue that which you were created to do and be.
*2. Think … Brainstorm … Explore … your dreams/visions/ideas in a streamline fashion.
Perhaps you’ll sit in your favorite chair on the beach with a journal and colored markers in hand. Yes, you can use a regular boring pen to journal your thoughts. But I tell my Coaching Players to bring colored markers, or crayons, to make this a fun process. Whatever you do, it’s critical that this process not be confused with “work” or traditional business planning.
*3. Next, draw a picture of what your ideal life or business looks like. (Mind Map your thoughts on paper.) Remember, you are in the visionary stages of thinking here, so you’re dealing with a different area in your brain. You want to tap into the creative side of your brain and break yourself free from the deadly trap of comfort and mediocrity. Use pictures, colors and images in addition to words to describe your “ideal” business, home, life or relationship.
*4. Examine what must be changed or created in order to reach your ideal life or business.
Once you realize what you want your ideal life or business to look like, your next step is to enter into the analytical phase. You will never reach your goals if you look at the way things are now. You must look at your destination, and find new ways to get there by thinking innovatively.
”’Coaching Tip:”’ For example, when I’m working with business owners, I encourage them to draw their business idea as if they’re drawing plans to build a house. On each foundation block, each beam and each roof rafter we identify an action critical to their success. It’s amazing how clear actions get prioritized when you picture your plans this way. After all you can’t put a roof on until you build a proper foundation.
When you complete these four steps and know you’re making a decision that will bring you closer to an “on-purpose life,” get going on achieving your dreams. Read all you can about your target destination, take some courses that will eliminate bumps in the road and consider hiring a coach to help get you there faster. Time is ticking and your dreams are slipping away with each minute wasted. Go Seize Your Dreams Today!
”’Deborah Cole Micek is a Professional Coach, Business Strategist and a Principle of RPM Success Group Inc. Reach her at:”’ mailto:DCM@RPMsuccess.com ”’or (888) 334-8151.”’