Trying To Managing Life and Business Without Real Purpose?

"The tragedy of life is not death,  but rather, it’s living without purpose! "

                                                                                                                                                             Myles Munroe

Like so many people, I’ve read good books and heard great speakers talk about the importance of  “purpose” - “vision” and “mission” statements necessary for business and personal guidance for the journey through life. And like most, I had good intentions but never got around to actually writing it down.  Oh I had ideas floating around in my head about how I envisioned the way my work life and personal life should look, but never really focused my thinking until one night on a very long overseas flight back home.

For several hours on that plane, I wrote, re-wrote, thought, mediated on the direction I wanted my life to go and contemplated the real “reason” I exist on this earth and the purpose of my life and business. On that night, I put pen to paper and wrote 3 separate purpose statements for My Business, My Marriage and for My Life. Although I have it committed to memory, on occasion I will pull out the original hand written paper to check on my progress, get re-focused, or make needed adjustments.

So why is having a Purpose Statement so important? Forgive me, but I have two very personal examples, in which I make my argument practical and relevant,

1.     This discipline has proven invaluable to me in the past year, as I made certain I was on the right track during turbulent life challenges. Just 14 months ago my wife was diagnosed with a life threating disease.  As I walked along side of her through the treatments e.g. the good days and bad days associated with cancer, I often returned to my purpose statement as a reminder of the commitment I made and my purpose as a husband to my precious wife. I can’t adequately describe how these steadfast statements focused me on my purpose as her husband and my responsibility in marriage as we battled together in the midst of those difficult days. I loved her deeply and miss her greatly.

2.     Gina lost the battle with cancer, but she was victorious in life because she knew her purpose. On this earth Gina was not well known by the masses. But she was known by many in her circle of influence and had a powerful impact on those who knew her best.  Especially me. Gina had “purpose” and knew who she was in this world and her purpose while living accompanied with the comforting certainty of her eternal destination at death. Until her last days I witnessed her live out the answer to the Westminster Shorter Catechism question, i.e. “What is the chief end of man?” Answer.. “To

glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

 Gina would agree with the apostle Paul and his proclamation while writing a letter to Timothy during his own pending death……

“ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day: and not to me only, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7

As for me, I will continue to live out, with God’s help and in accordance to His will, the “purpose statement” I have written for my life and my business. If you want to see what a simple but well thought out “Purpose Statement” looks like, let me know, I’ll be happy to share with you.

As I have consulted hundreds and hundreds of students and business professionals over the years, I implore you, don’t sleep walk through life. You have a purpose on this earth. I don’t believe God put you on this earth to merely suck up air and then die. What is the purpose of your organization? Is it just to make money? I don’t think so. Mature, serious adults and leaders will contemplate then answer these questions.  So, What is it? Write it down and then live it out as we all strive to…

Finish Well