What’s Your Definite Major Purpose? (“I Quit: Part 3″)

This is Part 3 in my “I Quit” Series of Blog Posts. You can find the previous two entries (“I Quit, Part 1″ and “Death of the Infoslut” by clicking here.

In my last post (the tantalizingly named “Death of The Info Slut”) I laid out the drastic steps I’ve been taking to cut down my nasty addiction to useless information (did you know Cher had $145,000.00 in plastic surgery? I DID. How messed up is that?)

Now that I’ve (mostly) got my crazy info addiction and “chicken with no head” tendencies under control, it’s time to really focus on what I want to be doing, who I want to be doing it with and what I ultimately want to be known for.

I started thinking about this concept of “Significance” and “Purpose” a lot late last year. I even had long conversations about it with friends and mentors like Ray Edwards, Jeff Walker, Robert Murgatroyd (who I once famously SAVAGED in a video on this blog) and others.

Ultimately I ended up doing two major assignments that helped me get a LOT of clarity on who I “AM” and what I want to “BE.” Whenever I feel like myself getting tempted by big dollar signs or unfulfilling projects I come back to these assignments and ask myself “Am I heading towards or away from my goals?”

Assignment One: “Describe Your Perfect Day”

The first assignment was from Murgatroyd (GOD, I love that name) and was really simple.

I asked Rob to help me “Design my life” and he said:

Write out what your perfect day would look like. A day that you could live over and over again.

Dig deep. Start with the part that’s after you slept with the entire Swedish volley ball team.”

Here’s what I sent him back:

I wake up around 7 next to my lover.

I let her sleep a bit longer and marvel at the wide, satisfied smile on her face. I gaze out the window at a breathtaking view of the cascades and think “what do I want to do today?”

And I laugh a little because that really is the only question. I don’t HAVE TO do anything. There are no phone calls on my calendar, there are no meetings I need to go to, there are no errands to run. If I wanted to I could “opt out” of the whole day, lay in bed and make love.

But I get out of bed anyway and pad my way barefoot to share in a visceral, sweaty yoga class with friends and my favorite teacher. After yoga I have a healthy breakfast (prepared by someone else) and, if I feel like it, hop on the computer to do some focused thinking and work.

The projects I’m working on are fantastically fulfilling personally. I’m doing work that I find interesting, that challenges me and that also puts my greatest gifts and genius to their best use. I don’t have to do ANYTHING I don’t want to do in my work. I brainstorm, come up with strategy, do some writing and then send everything off to be handled by other people who do the actual implementation.

The afternoon is free and open for personal interests. I can spend it reading a book, studying hypnosis and persuasion methods, taking a class, getting certified as a yoga teacher or whatever else really pulls me. I’m able to follow my bliss without worry about chasing down clients or work. I know that every moment of effort I put into my business will pay me back 100 fold.

In the late afternoon my girl and I get back together. She’s in a great mood because she’s living a life similar to mine. No “Job” . . .no “Boss” . . .  and even better, no sense of jealousy or feeling that we should be doing more.

In the evening I catch up with friends. Maybe play some music. Dance or do something else that fills the soul. Late at night my girl and I cuddle up. We make sweet, passionate and maybe even a little angry love.

And then we fall asleep blissful feeling how SLOOOW time can be when you do it right. There are no “Whiny” people in my life. I know that everything I do has a positive impact on those around me. I am jealous of no one.”

Writing is fun.

Assignment 2: What’s Your “Definite Major Purpose?”

My second assignment was something I picked up from my buddy Jason Van Orden.

If you don’t know Jason, you should. He’s an astonishingly nice guy, a heck of a guitar player and one of the more focused and legitimately HAPPY people I’ve ever met.

Jason, along with his partner Sterling, runs the excellent “Internet Business Mastery” podcast.

If you go to the “IBM” website you can download a pretty damn spiffy “Lifestyle Design Worksheet” that Jay and Sterling put together.

Step 1 on the LDW is to figure out your “Major Definite Purpose.”

Here’s a brief description (from the worksheet) of what your “Definite Major Purpose” is:

Honestly this is the most important thing you can figure out, not only for business, but for your personal life. Allof your decisions will be very simple once you know what your Definite Major Purpose is. Here are some questions to help you design your DMP.

* Why am I here?

* What is the top purpose for my life?

* What fulfills me above all other things?

Chris’s DMP

Freedom

• Freedom to live a life without compromise. (Money makes this possible.)
• Freedom to say “No” to projects quickly and with no regrets.
• Freedom from jealousy, financial and otherwise. I am doing what I should be doing irregardless of what others do or how much they make.
• Freedom to only work on projects that I find personally fulfilling.
• Freedom to live 100% as my genuine self with no regard for what other people might think of me, what might “Get out” or fear of “repercussions.”
• Freedom to make my own schedule.

Fulfillment/Significance

• Constantly learning new and interesting things.
• Teaching and inspiring others both formally and through my actions.
• Living a life of integrity (according to my own definition.)
• Being a prolific creator who spends as much time as possible in my “Zone of Genius.”
• Creating as much pleasure and removing as much pain from those around me as possible (Unless they’re assholes, then they get what they deserve.)
• Surround myself with passionate, fulfilled people who push me to greater heights.
• Fill my days with a variety of people in experiences. Never be “Bored.”

Inspiration

• I inspire people around me to be the best they can be.
• People in my personal life look to me for advice and inspiration and I give it freely.

Recognition

• To most I’m a stranger, to those who matter I’m a star.
• Be known and respected in whatever field I decide to excel in.

If you get the chance, I highly recommend you go through both of these exercises. They’re eye opening.

(Tangentially: following the principles from these two exercises has led me to turn down quite a few projects, jobs and “opportunities” over the last few weeks. There’s a lot of power in saying “No.”)

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