Purpose is one of the elements of a meaningful life, and perhaps one of the trickiest to identify since it is such a personal journey. The following TED talks by authors provide help on discovering purpose. Learn more with books at Clues to Purpose and TED talks by speakers who are also authors at the Purpose Pathway on Pinterest. Amazon affiliate links provide a small commission that helps to support the Daily PlanIt at no additional cost.
The Japanese practice of Ikigai is a well-known method for identifying purpose. Check out a previous post, Ikigai as a Pathway to Purpose, that mentions How to Ikigai by Tim Tamashiro, and his TED talk with the same title. Start with strengths…that you love… apply them to a cause you believe in…to solve a problem with a solution you can get paid for.
• What you love
• What you are good at
• What the world needs
• What you can get paid for
WHAT YOU LOVE. “Follow your passion” 8 to Be Great by Richard St. John, TED talk 8 Secrets of Success by Richard St. John. The One-Week Job Project by Sean Aiken, TED What makes you come alive? REFIND your passion:
• Reflect
• Examine what gives you energy
• Feel what creates flow
• Investigate interests – TED talk by Karen McFarlane Holman, the Remarkable Impact of Hobbies on Career
• Notice what you chase [Clues to Purpose]
• Decide how to design your life [Design Your Life Like an Architect]
WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT. Discover U and take stock of your abilities, Discover U at Pinterest. DETECT Sources of Strengths:
• Define values – Intentional by Chris Bailey, TED talk 12 things that motivate everything you do
• Evaluate skills – The First 20 Hours by Josh Kaufman, TED talk The First 20 hours
• Take stock of talents (Gardner) – The Talent Code by Dan Coyle, TED talk Growing a talent hotbed
• Explore personality (Myers-Briggs and DISC) – Lifetypes by Jean Kummerow, TED talk What’s your type?, TED talk Four personality styles by Jennifer & Linda Nacif
• Consider personal qualities (VIA character strengths) – The Power of Character Strengths by Ryan Niemiec, TED talk A Universal Language that Describes What’s Best in Us
• Target strengths – Making Hope Happen by Shane Lopez, TED talk Focusing on your strengths
WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS. “Do what is valuable” Benjamin Todd makes a case for doing work that is valuable in his book 80,000 Hours and TED talk To find work you love, don’t follow your passion. Learn more at the 80,000 hours website, and find resources for the Career Search Process, and the Work Engagement Pathway.
• Do what’s valuable
• Explore abilities
• Consider world problems
• Investigate solutions
• Do what is most needed
• Expend effort for impact
WHAT WILL GET RESULTS. Look for work that will use your strengths to help with valuable solutions to problems you are passionate about. Get Creative and Think Big to seek solutions to problems. How to Choose a World Problem at the 80,000 Hours suggests the BEST problems to work on are:
• Big in scale
• Efforts effectively create impact
• Solvable with solutions that use your strengths
• Tend to be less obvious, overlooked, or neglected
Prepare a personal mission statement and a personal business model. A personal mission statement that pinpoints what you do and why helps you to choose priorities and provides intense focus. Tim Clark, author of Business Model You developed a personal business model. His TED talk is Say goodbye to career planning. Learn more about mission, vision, and values at Purpose Planning.
Adam Leipzig TED talk How to know your purpose in 5 minutes
- Who are you?
- What do you love to do or feel supremely qualified to teach others?
- Who do you do it for?
- What do they want or need?
- How do they change or transform as a result of what you give them?
Tyler Cerny TED talk Find Your Life’s Purpose Instantly With 3 Powerful Questions
- Who am I called to serve?
- What problems am I called to solve? Have you overcome something?
- How am I called to solve it?
“I help who… through the problem… with the solution…”
Develop the skills you need to pursue purpose. Learn more with TED talks by speakers who are also authors at the Making Meaning Pathway (coming soon) Learn with more TED talks by speakers who are also authors at TED talk book discussion.
I seek to create order from the chaos of complex information. Join me at the Daily PlanIt to gain insights, inspiration, and information to increase skills for a better life. I unlock the power of teaching reading with phonics in the pursuit of literacy at www.phonicspow.com. In my spare time I explore books and movies, often choosing titles available on both screen and page.
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