Indeed, those who have settled in their purpose generally get paid very well!
We all have a purpose or reason for being; something we showed up in this life to accomplish. The challenge comes when we don’t spend time exploring our purpose and we miss out accomplishing our pre-determined missions. In my work as a coach and leadership trainer, I spend a great deal of time talking about, researching and teaching about our inherent greatness and how to live intentionally once it’s been discovered.
3 keys to discovering your purpose and getting paid what you’re worth
Key #1 – You showed up knowing your purpose
Poet, Rumi, wrote, “There is one thing in the world that should not be forgotten. You may forget everything else except that one thing without there being any cause for concern. If you remember everything else but forget that one thing, you will have accomplished nothing. It would be as if a king sent you into a village on a specific mission. If you went and performed a hundred other tasks but neglected to accomplish the task for which you were sent, it would be as though you had done nothing.”
Assuming you understand and accept the fact that a being of infinite wisdom sent you into this life, the question remains, “Why would that being send you on a mission and not tell you what was to be done?” When I was a little boy my mother often sent me to do the grocery shopping. Not once did she say, “Here’s some money, you figure out what I want when you get there.”
You showed up in this life knowing your purpose, but you may not be aware that you know it.
You need to increase your awareness.
Key #2 – Increase your awareness of your purpose
These 3 exercises can help you increase your awareness:
- Take a historical inventory of your life. Who made the greatest impression on you? What event had the greatest impact on your life to date? Remembering those defining moments provides insight into our purpose.
- Write a list of 10 things you love doing. What activities bring your joy even when you’re not getting paid to do them? Many people try to make a living doing something they don’t really enjoy. If you have little interest in a particular activity, it’s likely not your purpose. If you don’t love what you do for a living you’ll get beat by others doing the same thing because they love doing it.
- What do you like to read? What do you like to watch? What do you do when you go on vacation?
Review your answers and reflect back on them as often as you’d like. Can you fill in the blank: It’s clear to me that my purpose is ________________.
Key #3 – Don’t worry about being wrong when you determine your purpose
I can hear you thinking but what if I choose the wrong intent? More than 70% of all the decisions we make aren’t right the first time. The point of making a decision isn’t to always be right but to close the gap on the right decisions. Every time you make a decision and it’s incorrect, you learn something.
Speaker, Brian Tracy, said, “Those who have accomplished the most in our society have made decisions quickly and changed those decisions slowly.” Even if you don’t make the right choice the first time, you get an opportunity to choose again. Take some time to decide whether your decision is a good one.
You showed up with a purpose! Get busy pursuing it!
Want to learn more about getting paid what you’re worth and being worth what you are paid? Check out Art Jackson’s latest book, Hanging ‘Round The Barrel, or contact Art to schedule a consultation.