For years, I had goals. I had dreams and ambitions. But I found it really hard to find the motivation to get them done. When I knew I should spend the day writing, other tasks always seemed more important. There were clothes to wash, rooms to tidy. There was always something on TV I needed to watch.
I’d look back at the end of each year and feel disappointed. My ambitions seemed so far away, I wondered whether I was ever going to achieve them. I was just not following through and taking action on the things I knew I needed to do.
Then I discovered a system which has been the single biggest factor to improving my life.
This system will help you focus on your purpose in life. It will keep the things you want to achieve at the forefront of your mind so you can focus on work that’s important. It’ll stop you wasting time on things which just don’t matter.
But it’s not automatic. You can’t just do this once and expect it to work forever. In the same way you can’t go to a gym once and wonder why you’re still overweight three years later, you’ve got to work though this system every day. It’s a habit you need to consciously discipline yourself into doing.
To focus on your purpose in life, first work out what your purpose is. For me, it was to own a business and become a writer. For other people, it’s been about travelling the world, becoming a millionaire, losing weight, clearing credit card debt or finding a soul mate.
Decide now what’s important to you. What do you want to achieve over the next month, year, two years. Decide how you want to feel, or what sort of person you want to be. What house do you want to live in, what car do you want to drive. Dream big and find out what achievements will excite you. Be specific.
Don’t worry if you can’t immediately see how to make these dreams come true. I had no idea how I’d start my own business, or even what sort of business it should be when I first wrote down that purpose. What’s important is that you choose some goals that really excite you.
Write all these goals down on one sheet of paper. This is your purpose statement.
Your purpose statement will guide your life. Every time you’re planning what to do, let it guide you in the right direction.
Now you have to develop these three daily habits to really motivate yourself into taking action.
Every Morning
The first thing you should do each morning is to recite your purpose statement out loud. It’s important that you speak out loud, and in an energetic tone of voice. Get excited! This is your future you’re talking about here! Repeat it over and over until you feel totally energised and thrilled about your future.
Then decide on three outcomes you want to achieve today that will move you towards your purpose. Maybe it’s to make ten sales calls, write the draft of a song, or read a chapter of a book. Just make sure that all three outcomes move you one step closer to fulfilling your purpose.
Every Four Hours
Throughout the day, you might find you loose focus of your purpose and outcomes, especially when you first implement this system. You need to remind yourself of your purpose regularly, and get back the enthusiasm you had in the morning.
Set an alarm every four hours. Why four hours? I’ve just found that this time span works well for most people. If you feel you need more motivation, try three or two.
When your alarm goes off, review your purpose statement and three outcomes again. Get excited. Read your purpose out aloud. Remind yourself of the three outcomes you’ve committed to achieving today. Think of something you could do now to make one of the outcomes happen and do it.
Every Evening
As you go to bed, think about your day. How many of your outcomes have you achieved? What could you have done differently to achieve more? And, most importantly of all, allow yourself to feel proud of how much closer you are to achieving your purpose.
Always On Mind
The purpose statement is key to this system. Write it down and stick it up your wall. I can’t look at anywhere in my office and not see my purpose, even today. It’s there as a prompt. I also keep a copy in the front of my filofax. Any time, anywhere, I can review my purpose and get myself to feel so motivated I can’t fail to move forwards. By constantly reminding me of my purpose in life, I’ve managed to make it happen.
This system works. And once you discipline yourself to carry out the three daily habits, you’ll have a successful system that will move your life forwards too.
David Green writes for AllOut.info
