We mean “purpose”. What you’re checking in for daily, in this wonderful life. Is it your job ? Is it your family ? Is it something you’re good at ? Think about it. Seriously. Now. You’ll be tempted to answer with a vague metaphor, featuring a lot of “and’s”, or depicting a self-indulging portrait of the ideal human being. First reflex. But now that we cut that option short and made it look grim, you’ll probably try and dig deeper, to find something with more precise meaning. Give it a go.
Now, if you were to try against another person in the finals of a competition for the Best Job in the World, would you use that very definition as a key statement to differentiate yourself? Or fear that the other person would come up with something better than you? You might currently be thinking ‘Well, there is no right answer to give straightaway, because there are so many things to consider — context, what the job would be about, what would be expected of me and blahblahblah…’. And you would be right. But still it wouldn’t be an excuse for not having a killer purpose definition ready.
If you’re going to snatch away the Best Job in the World — or any job for that matter —you should be able to come upfront with a clear, one-sentence definition of your purpose, and organise your entire actions around *that*. Something that’s made to blast iron walls away. For the same reason olympic athletes don’t show up in, say, a soccer match dressed up in slacks and going “Well, what’s the context here — what are we talking about? What’s expected of me? Oh okay, so what you mean is…right ?”, you shouldn’t come up short-handed when you’re asked about what defines you. A good purpose definition makes you a key player for any team, any situation…or company.
Your purpose definition needs training. It needs to see hardships. It needs to be time-tested. It’s not something you’re going to come up with as an answer to someone’s clever blog post. It’s something you’re going to think about for a long time before it’s right. Just like a business plan for your life. Purpose isn’t about your “state of being”, it’s your “state of becoming”. It needs to work throughout every step of your life. It needs to push you to achieve more, to constantly invent and re-invent. Moreover, it needs to be clearly understood by people when they see it — because that’s how they’re going to pick YOU. For anything.
So be creative. Be distinctive. Give your purpose a unique voice. A scent. A flavor. A resounding sound. And if you can make that purpose become the most appealing thing about that product you’re selling, *you*, then someone’s going to pick you up very quickly.