A Path With A Purpose Step Back And Consider Life Goals That Are Really Worth Pursuing

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

Strong words, huh? Even though they were written close to 2,400 years ago, by the Greek philosopher Plato, they still have value for us today.

Most of us lead such stressful, dawn-to-way-past-sundown lives that we rarely have time to stop and wonder about the point of it all.

But there is a great deal of value, strength and restorative power in stopping occasionally to reflect on how we spend our time and live our lives. If you are now saying, “I’m too busy, I just don’t have time to do that,” thank you for proving my point.

In their book “Dare to Win” (Berkley Books, $13), Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield give us a three-part guide to reflecting on our lives. The authors (who also wrote “Chicken Soup for the Soul”) recommend looking at our purposes, our goals and our strategies.

Let’s take a look at each of these in detail.

What’s the purpose?

The purpose is the why of our lives. It’s been said that if we find a big enough purpose, we can always find the means for trying to accomplish it. The problem with most of us is that we get so caught up in our goals that we lose track of why we are doing what we do.

For example, making more money can be a worthy goal. But why do you want to make more? Is it to pay off bills, provide for your family, save for retirement or, as the ‘80s slogan said, to die with the most toys?

In order to be motivated on both a daily basis and over the long haul, we need to have a compelling purpose. But how do we define our purpose?

A character in the book “Illusions” by Richard Bach (Delacorte Press, $9.95), says the purpose of life is either learning or fun. Sounds good, and let’s add service. Here’s a brief look at each.

Too many people stop learning the day they leave school. Yet there is so much to learn, our brains could never hold it all. Whether you are a clerk in a convenience store or the CEO of a major corporation, there is always something to learn about your job and about life.

It’s a general rule in life that the more you give the more you receive. You may not receive from the person you gave to, but what you gave will come back to you in some way. Motivational expert Tony Robbins says that the greatest experiences in life feel good, are good for you, are good for others and serve the greater good.

So many of us forget about having fun, yet it’s so important to daily living. If you have forgotten how to have fun, here are two things to do. First, simply watch squirrels and small children. They both seem to know how to play. The second is to make a list of things you like to do for fun and commit to doing one in the next week.

What’s the goal?

Goals are the what of our lives. What is it you want to achieve?

In order to be clear on what we want, it’s often useful to picture it clearly. Remember to picture your goals as clearly and in as much detail as you can, in the context in which you want them.

What’s the strategy?

Strategies are the how of our lives. Taking action is putting hands and feet on the purpose and goals of our lives. So many of us get stuck on wanting and wishing and forget to take action toward our goals.

Here’s a four-step process for taking action:

Identify what you want.

Identify one or two strategies you have tried that haven’t worked. Discard them.

Brainstorm, or as motivational speaker Brian Tracy calls it, “mindstorm.” Come up with at least 10 ways to achieve your desired goal.

Choose several actions, and give it all you’ve got.

Most experts recommend scheduling a time of reflection at least twice a year. At the beginning of the year and in the middle would be useful, but you can do it more often if you like.

Although it takes time and conscious attention, the result is very compelling - a life well-lived.