Most of us are so busy just trying to make it - make ends meet, put out fires, get everything to calm down - that living on purpose sounds nice, but seems impossible to fit into our schedules. I think it seems impossible because we don't really understand what living on purpose looks like - at least not for our own life.
What does living on purpose actually look like?
-State the End Game: Verbalize or write down what you REALLY want (lose weight, gain trust, run a marathon, better relationship, own a business, please God, survive this week, etc.). I for one don't even know what I'm really unhappy about or wanting until I take a minute to honestly talk/write it out. You can't live on purpose without knowledge of some purpose!
-Set Realistic, Reachable Goals: Sometimes these are called mini-goals or benchmarks. Line up goals or tasks that you know can be accomplished. Losing 50 lbs is overwhelming, but losing 5 or cutting out sodas are things that can be done first in the process of losing 50 lbs. This increases your success rate and prevents discouragement from hijacking the whole thing!
-Get up early. Set a budget. Make a calendar. Exercise. Do the hard work of disciplining yourself in the way you need to better reach your goals. Without limits in my life, things get out of control real fast. Doesn't mean you'll never go beyond those limits, but not having them usually means you'll ALWAYS go beyond. And always going beyond is usually why we're miserable in the first place!
-Be thankful. Take responsibility. Balance (not binge) with consistency. When we aren't living on purpose, we're living on reactions. That always involves exaggeration, a victim mentality, and lots of excuses for why we deserve better but settle for this binge instead (think large waste of time and/or calories trying to forget your troubles). Laziness in the hard areas of our life can be combatted with thanksgiving. Being thankful changes everything!
And if all else fails, surround yourself with the people who ARE living on purpose and achieving the kinds of successes you want. Ask them what they do and see how your life is different. The trouble with us humans is that we assume our way is not only the best way, but God's way too just because it seems right to us. While considering what our purpose should be, I pray we always look for what God's purpose for us is before we accept any lifestyle or choice. That seems to make it a whole lot easier when I remember to do that!
What does living on purpose actually look like?
-State the End Game: Verbalize or write down what you REALLY want (lose weight, gain trust, run a marathon, better relationship, own a business, please God, survive this week, etc.). I for one don't even know what I'm really unhappy about or wanting until I take a minute to honestly talk/write it out. You can't live on purpose without knowledge of some purpose!
-Set Realistic, Reachable Goals: Sometimes these are called mini-goals or benchmarks. Line up goals or tasks that you know can be accomplished. Losing 50 lbs is overwhelming, but losing 5 or cutting out sodas are things that can be done first in the process of losing 50 lbs. This increases your success rate and prevents discouragement from hijacking the whole thing!
-Get up early. Set a budget. Make a calendar. Exercise. Do the hard work of disciplining yourself in the way you need to better reach your goals. Without limits in my life, things get out of control real fast. Doesn't mean you'll never go beyond those limits, but not having them usually means you'll ALWAYS go beyond. And always going beyond is usually why we're miserable in the first place!
-Be thankful. Take responsibility. Balance (not binge) with consistency. When we aren't living on purpose, we're living on reactions. That always involves exaggeration, a victim mentality, and lots of excuses for why we deserve better but settle for this binge instead (think large waste of time and/or calories trying to forget your troubles). Laziness in the hard areas of our life can be combatted with thanksgiving. Being thankful changes everything!
And if all else fails, surround yourself with the people who ARE living on purpose and achieving the kinds of successes you want. Ask them what they do and see how your life is different. The trouble with us humans is that we assume our way is not only the best way, but God's way too just because it seems right to us. While considering what our purpose should be, I pray we always look for what God's purpose for us is before we accept any lifestyle or choice. That seems to make it a whole lot easier when I remember to do that!
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