Third Commandment of Success: Establish Purpose For Your Life

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When it comes to finding success, it helps to establish a purpose for our lives. Here are a few quotes to start.

  • Roger Fisher, a renowned psychiatrist states, “There is a fundamental human need for guiding ideals that give meaning to our actions.”
  • William Damon, a leading scholar of human development, defines purpose as, “A stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at once meaningful to the self and of consequence to the world beyond the self.”
  • Helen Keller wrote that happiness comes from “fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
  • Webster’s dictionary defines purpose as, “something set up as an object or end to be attained.”

 “Purpose without action is a daydream. Action without purpose is a nightmare” Japanese Proverb

I believe establishing purpose is vital to our success at every level of life. Below is a list of causes and effects when we establish purpose or have no purpose in life.

To establish purpose (or vision) is beneficial in many ways:

  • Provides direction for your life and those around you.
  • Helps develop a commitment to yourself and others close to you.
  • Builds loyalty to your cause.
  • Creates unity by combining your actions with your purpose.
  • Provides continuity to your life.
  • Gives a sense of fulfillment when goals and objectives are met.
  • Provides encouragement when times get hard and difficult.
  • Builds confidence in your talents and abilities.
  • Motivates others around you.

lacking purpose chart

How do I establish a purpose?

One way to establish purpose is to write all the things you believe in, rules that you live by, your philosophy of life, etc.

All people have unwritten rules they live by. Ideas that guide their actions. Some can summarize it in a short pithy motto like – “Safety first”, “Work smarter not harder”, “Life’s too short to be a grouch”. What is yours? –  Chris Rither

Step 1: Make a statement of Purpose: As you think about all the things you believe in, spend time writing them down. After you have your list, spend some time trying to summarize them into a few short precise sentences. Then you can assemble these sentences and make them into a statement of purpose for your life.

Tools for Better Living – Personal Vision Statement Guide (pdf)

Step 2: Write a personal Motto and Slogan: You might also want to write a motto or slogan that summarizes your life’s philosophy or purpose. I know it sounds kind of strange, but every successful company on the planet has them. Chances are you could name the business or entity just by hearing the first few words or first few notes of their theme song.

The US army had, “Be all you can be, and an army of one”; McDonald’s had, “You deserve a break today”, and “Just loving it”; Nike has, “Just do it”; Apple has, “Think different”, and the list goes on and on.

Tools for Better Living – Guide to establishing a motto and slogan for your life (pdf)

Third Commandment of Success: Establish Purpose For Your Life

I am not trying to equate human life with a corporation. But writing out a personal vision statement, motto and slogan is a great first step. This in turn may clarify the philosophy of our life to keep us on track and live successful lives.

Click Here For – Fourth Commandment of Success: Set a Goal or Two or Three