Aligning Actions with Purpose
Every activity in your life falls into one of three buckets:
- Aligned with your deepest purpose
- Rest and rejuvenation that fuels #1
- Everything else (distractions)
Check in regularly. Ask yourself which bucket you’re in. The secret to a successful life is simple: maximize bucket 1. Do enough of bucket 2 - Netflix, video games, whatever lets you zone out and recharge. Stop doing bucket 3.
If you keep getting pulled toward bucket 3, pay attention. That’s data. Is there a common thread in those distractions? What’s your underlying emotional state when you reach for them? Distinguish between being pulled toward something and running away from something else. Persistent distraction might mean your stated purpose needs re-examination.
This framework requires clarity on your deepest purpose - which is the hard part. It’s the core issue behind a lot of suffering. I’ve struggled with it plenty. One thing that helps: your purpose evolves. You don’t need a permanent answer. You need to be clear on your purpose right now.
Questions to ponder:
- What does the world need?
- What are you good at? List a few things that you’re better at than most other people.
- What skills do you have that people would pay you for?
- What do you spend your time thinking about when you’re done with work and other commitments?
- If you had five minutes and the whole world was forced to listen, what would you say?